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Squats for Hip Dips: Why They Mostly Don't Work (and What Does)
Squats are mostly the wrong tool for hip dips: they load the gluteus maximus and quads, while the dip zone is covered by the gluteus medius — a muscle squats only use as a stabilizer. Sumo squats and squat-with-lateral-raise help somewhat. Direct abduction work (side planks, clamshells, banded walks) is what actually targets the area.
Every hip dip video ends with squats. Here’s the anatomy those videos skipped, and the two-minute fix for your program.
Why squats miss the target
A squat is an up-and-down pattern: the gluteus maximus and quads do the moving while the gluteus medius — the muscle that sits directly over the dip — merely holds your knees from caving. Stabilizing isn’t growing. That’s why people squat for months and see their butt change but the side line stay identical.
The two variations that partially count
- Sumo squats: the wide stance and out-turned knees recruit noticeably more glute med. Worth using as your main squat if the dip zone is your priority.
- Squat + lateral leg raise: stand up, raise one leg sideways, repeat. The squat is now the rest period between abductions — sneaky and effective.
The honest swap
Keep squats in your life — they’re elite for everything below the dip. Just stop counting them toward it. Replace “100 squats” with 15 minutes from the abductor ranking: side-plank lifts, banded walks, clamshells. That’s the exact logic the 8-Week Protocol is built on, and the reason its results survive an honest before/after photo — the work goes where the muscle actually is.
Real questions, real answers
Do squats make hip dips worse?
No — that myth comes from quad growth changing thigh proportions slightly. Squats just mostly ignore the dip zone. Keep squatting for everything else; add abduction work for the side line.
Which squat variation is best for hip dips?
Sumo (wide-stance) squats bring the glute med into play more than narrow stance, and adding a lateral leg raise between reps turns rest time into abduction work. Still: think of these as bonus volume, not the main course.
How many squats a day for hip dips?
The honest answer: zero squats are required for hip dips. The '100 squats a day' challenges train your quads and your knees' patience. Fifteen minutes of targeted glute-med work, 3× a week, outperforms any daily squat count for this specific goal.
Train it — honestly
The 8-Week Protocol: glute med & side-line training, 3×/week at home. Bones stay bones — muscle rounds the curve. $39, yours forever.
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