Gluteus maximus

The largest and most superficial muscle of the buttock, extending the hip and helping rotate the thigh outward. It also helps stabilize the trunk and knee during movement.

Hip extension: Movement that increases the angle between the thigh and the front of the pelvis. The muscle’s strongest action drives the thigh backward, especially against resistance.
Hip joint: A ball-and-socket joint formed by the femoral head and the acetabulum of the pelvis. The muscle acts across this joint to move the femur relative to the pelvis.
Squat: A strength exercise involving lowering and raising the body through coordinated hip, knee, and ankle movement. The muscle contributes strongly to hip extension during the ascent.
Gluteus medius: A broad muscle on the outer pelvis that abducts the hip and stabilizes the pelvis during walking. Unlike the maximus, it is chiefly associated with hip abduction and pelvic stabilization.
Deep gluteal syndrome: A condition involving entrapment or irritation of the sciatic nerve in the deep gluteal space. It concerns structures beneath the superficial muscle and can be confused with spinal causes of sciatica.
External rotation of the hip: Rotation of the femur outward at the hip joint. The muscle’s upper fibers help turn the thigh outward.
Pelvis: The bony ring connecting the trunk to the lower limbs. The muscle arises from the posterior pelvis and sacrum.
Running: A gait pattern in which the body moves forward through repeated airborne and ground-contact phases. It helps extend the hip and control the trunk during running.
Gluteus minimus: The smallest and deepest of the three gluteal muscles, contributing to hip abduction and medial rotation. Its deeper position and medial-rotation action contrast with the maximus’s superficial bulk and extension.
Gluteal tendinopathy: Painful degenerative change in the tendons of the gluteus medius or minimus near the greater trochanter. It highlights that nearby gluteal muscles can cause distinct lateral-hip problems.

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