beginnerSource-checked11 min read

The Glutes: An Overview

The powerful hip extensors and stabilizers of the buttock — gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus.

Before this: The Pelvis & Hips: An Overview

You will be able to

Name the three gluteal muscles and their primary actions.
Explain the difference between the gluteus maximus's extension role and the medius/minimus's stabilization role.
Describe why single-leg pelvic control matters for walking and running.

Simplified back view of the pelvis and upper thighs showing the large rounded gluteus maximus covering each buttock, with the fan-shaped gluteus medius peeking out above and to the side of it near the hip. — Glutes — gluteus maximus and gluteus medius (simplified). A beginner-level schematic of the buttock's two most prominent muscles: gluteus maximus and gluteus medius.
Illustration: Anatomy Learning Platform (original) · CC0-1.0 (public domain dedication)

⚠ Safety note

Deep gluteal pain with numbness or tingling radiating down the leg needs medical evaluation. A trainer coaches glute-strengthening technique; they do not diagnose nerve-related pain.

Three muscles, two jobs

The buttock contains three gluteal muscles:

Gluteus maximus — the largest, most powerful hip extensor, driving you up out of a squat or

powering a sprint stride.

Gluteus medius and gluteus minimus — smaller muscles on the side of the hip that abduct

the thigh, but whose everyday job is keeping the pelvis level whenever you stand on one leg.

Extension power vs. pelvic control

Think of it as power versus control: the gluteus maximus generates large forward-driving force, while the medius/minimus quietly stabilize the pelvis with every single step you take. Both matter — a training plan that only does hip-thrust-style extension work and skips single-leg stability work is missing half the picture.

A classic sign of weakness

When the gluteus medius on the standing leg is too weak to hold the pelvis level, the opposite hip drops during walking — a pattern (Trendelenburg gait) that highlights just how much stabilization work these muscles do without you noticing.

Sources for this lesson

“The gluteus maximus extends the hip; the gluteus medius and minimus abduct the hip and stabilize the pelvis during single-leg stance.”

Anatomy and Physiology 2e — OpenStax, Rice University · Ch. 11.6 Appendicular Muscles of the Pelvic Girdle and Lower Limbs

Peer-reviewed textbook · License: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 · Last checked 2026-07-19

Take the quiz (3 questions)Explore the Glutes