For glute growth
For glute growth, hip thrust machine rates higher on our research criteria: more of the work on the glutes, easier to progress.
Cable glute kickback gives more stretch.
Both are good choices that train the glutes the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
Cable Glute Kickback. Steady cable tension on one glute at a time. Joint-friendly, but lighter than compound lifts.
Hip Thrust Machine. Puts the glutes first with a stable setup and easy loading, though most tension comes at the top, where they’re short.
For glute growth, hip thrust machine rates higher on our research criteria: more of the work on the glutes, easier to progress. Cable glute kickback gives more stretch. Both are good choices that train the glutes the same way, so they swap freely. Rotating between them every few weeks is an easy way to vary your training.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Cable glute kickback needs a cable station, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Hip thrust machine needs a machine, so for most people it’s a gym exercise.
About the same: both rate Excellent for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric.