For glute growth
For glute growth, the two are close. Barbell back squat rates slightly higher: more stretch.
Hip abduction machine is easier on the joints.
Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Barbell Back Squat. Deep squats grew the glutes about three times more than half squats in one study.
Hip Abduction Machine. Works the side of the glutes (gluteus medius and minimus). Easy to load, with a small stretch.
For glute growth, the two are close. Barbell back squat rates slightly higher: more stretch. Hip abduction machine is easier on the joints. Both are good choices, and they train the glutes differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
Hip abduction machine is easier: it’s easy to learn, while barbell back squat takes some practice.
Barbell back squat needs a barbell and a squat rack, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Hip abduction machine needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
Hip abduction machine: it rates Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Fair for barbell back squat.