Hip girth, also called hip circumference or gluteal girth, is a tape-based body measurement used to record the circumference around the widest part of the hips and buttocks. It is commonly used in health, fitness, sport, workplace, rehabilitation and performance settings because it is simple, quick and useful when repeated consistently.
Hip girth can provide useful context for body measurement profiling, waist-to-hip ratio, body composition tracking, lower-limb and trunk assessment, clothing fit, and general progress monitoring. It may also help provide context when reviewed alongside waist girth, body weight, BMI, strength testing, movement assessment and other Measurz results.
However, hip girth does not directly measure glute strength, hip function, body fat percentage, muscle mass, pain, injury status or performance. It is a circumference measure. The result reflects the total size around the measurement site, which may include muscle, fat, bone structure, tissue shape, clothing and measurement technique.
For Measurz, the most important goal is repeatability. Use the same landmark, same tape tension, same client position and same measurement unit each time.
Hip girth measurement records the circumference around the widest part of the hips and buttocks.
The result is usually recorded in centimetres or millimetres.
A common standardised method is to measure around the maximum circumference of the buttocks, keeping the measuring tape horizontal and parallel to the floor. This is commonly used when hip circumference is measured for waist-to-hip ratio or body measurement profiling.
Hip girth is not the same as waist girth. Waist girth measures abdominal circumference, while hip girth measures the wider hip and buttock region.
Hip girth measurement may be used to:
Record baseline hip circumference
Track change over time
Add context to waist girth
Calculate waist-to-hip ratio where appropriate
Support body measurement profiling
Add context to weight and BMI
Track changes during training or body composition programs
Add context to lower-limb and trunk assessment
Support progress reporting in Measurz
Provide objective information for client education
Hip girth is often most useful when reviewed with other body measurements. For example, waist girth and hip girth together may provide more context than either measurement alone.
Hip girth primarily measures the external circumference around the widest hip and buttock region.
It may provide useful information about:
Hip and gluteal region size
Body measurement profile
Change from baseline
Relationship to waist girth
Waist-to-hip ratio context
Body composition trend context
Lower-body circumference profile
Clothing or equipment fit context
It does not directly measure:
Glute strength
Hip power
Hip mobility
Body fat percentage
Muscle mass
Pelvic control
Pain source
Injury diagnosis
Readiness for sport or work
Functional performance
Hip girth is best interpreted as one part of a broader assessment profile.
To measure hip girth in Measurz, you will need:
Flexible non-elastic measuring tape
Measurz app
Selected hip girth assessment or body measurement field
Clear measurement method
Private and comfortable testing environment
Optional mirror or second person to check tape position
Notes field for clothing, position and conditions
A non-elastic tape is recommended because stretchy tapes can change the measurement.
Explain the purpose of the measurement clearly.
A useful explanation is:
“We are going to measure your hip circumference so we can record your baseline and compare it over time. This is a body measurement and should be interpreted alongside your other results.”
Ask the client to remove bulky outer clothing where appropriate. The measurement should be taken over light clothing or directly against the skin depending on your professional setting and privacy requirements.
Before testing, record:
Clothing conditions
Measurement method
Time of day if relevant
Any reason the result may not compare directly with previous sessions
Ask the client to stand upright with:
Feet close together or hip-width apart, depending on your chosen protocol
Weight evenly distributed
Arms relaxed or crossed out of the way
Body relaxed
Breathing normal
No intentional glute contraction
The same stance should be repeated each time.
Stand to the side of the client and identify the widest part of the buttocks.
This is usually the maximum circumference around the gluteal region.
If needed, adjust the tape slightly up or down until the largest circumference is found.
Wrap the tape around the hips and buttocks at the widest point.
Check that the tape is:
Horizontal and parallel to the floor
Flat against the body
Not twisted
Firm but not compressive
Not digging into the skin or clothing
Passing around the maximum hip/buttock circumference
Use a mirror or second person if needed to check that the tape is level at the back and front.
Read the measurement carefully and record it in centimetres or millimetres.
Avoid pulling the tape tight enough to compress tissue.
For improved confidence, take two measurements.
If the two results differ more than expected, check tape position and take a third measurement.
A practical approach is to record the average of two close values.
Enter the value into Measurz with relevant notes.
Useful notes include:
Hip girth value
Measurement unit
Widest buttock/maximum hip method
Clothing conditions
Stance used
Number of trials
Any reason the result may not compare directly with previous sessions
The main score is hip girth, usually recorded in centimetres.
A higher value means the measured hip circumference is larger. A lower value means the measured hip circumference is smaller.
Interpretation should consider:
Change from baseline
Waist girth
Waist-to-hip ratio if used
Body weight and BMI
Training history
Body composition goals
Clothing conditions
Tape placement
Tape tension
Lower-limb strength results
Movement or performance results
Client goals and context
A larger hip girth is not automatically better or worse. It may reflect muscle size, fat mass, pelvic structure, body size or measurement conditions.
A smaller hip girth is also not automatically better or worse. It may reflect changes in body composition, muscle size, swelling, weight, training load or measurement conditions.
The safest interpretation is to compare hip girth with the client’s own baseline and other Measurz assessment findings.
Hip girth is commonly used with waist girth to understand body size and fat distribution. It can also help track changes in lower-body size over time. Recent peer-reviewed work has provided centile curves for waist-to-hip ratio and skinfold sums in adults, showing that waist and hip measurements can provide useful body composition context without relying only on body fat percentage equations. In Measurz, hip girth should be compared with waist girth, body weight, skinfolds, lower-body strength and the person’s baseline.
Hip girth can be reliable when measured using a consistent method.
Reliability improves when:
The same measuring tape is used
The same measurement site is used
The tape is kept level
The same stance is used
The same clothing conditions are used
The same tape tension is used
The same number of trials is taken
Notes are recorded clearly in Measurz
Hip girth is valid as a measurement of hip/buttock circumference when performed correctly. It is not a direct measure of body fat percentage, glute strength, hip function or performance.
Common errors include:
Measuring above or below the widest point
Letting the tape slope up or down
Pulling the tape too tightly
Measuring over bulky clothing
Not recording the method used
Comparing different stance positions
Not checking that the tape is level at the back
Treating hip girth as a direct glute strength measure
Treating hip girth as a stand-alone body composition measure
Limitations include:
Hip girth does not isolate muscle from fat or structure
It does not measure strength
It does not measure body fat percentage
It can be affected by clothing
It can be affected by tape placement
It can vary depending on stance
It should not be used alone to judge health, performance or readiness
Hip girth may be useful for:
Body measurement profiling
Tracking change over time
Waist-to-hip ratio calculation
Supporting body composition discussions
Monitoring lower-body size changes
Supporting strength and hypertrophy programs
Adding context to lower-limb performance testing
Client education
Measurz progress reports
For example, if hip girth changes while waist girth, weight and lower-body strength also change, the combined data may provide more useful context than hip girth alone.
When recording hip girth in Measurz, include:
Client name
Test date
Hip girth value
Measurement unit
Measurement method
Clothing conditions
Stance used
Number of trials
Any recent factors that may affect the result
Any reason the result may not compare directly with previous sessions
For best results, use the same measurement method, same stance and same tape tension at each retest.
Measurz can help organise hip girth alongside waist girth, weight, BMI, limb girths, strength, movement and performance testing.
Hip girth is the circumference around the widest part of the hips and buttocks.
A common method is to measure around the widest portion of the buttocks with the tape parallel to the floor.
No. Waist girth measures abdominal circumference, while hip girth measures the hip and buttock region.
Yes, if waist and hip are measured consistently using standardised methods.
No. Hip girth measures circumference. Glute or hip strength should be assessed with strength testing.
No. Hip girth varies widely and should usually be compared with the client’s own baseline.
Yes. Bulky clothing can affect the measurement, so clothing conditions should be consistent and recorded.
No. It should be interpreted alongside other Measurz assessment findings.
Hip girth measures the circumference around the widest part of the hips and buttocks.
The tape should be level and parallel to the floor.
There are no simple universal “good” or “bad” hip girth norms.
Hip girth is useful for tracking change over time and supporting waist-to-hip ratio.
Hip girth does not directly measure glute strength, body fat percentage or performance.
It should be interpreted alongside other Measurz assessment findings.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2021). National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: 2021 anthropometry procedures manual. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/public/2021/manuals/2021-Anthropometry-Procedures-Manual-508.pdf
Lean, M. E. J., Han, T. S., & Morrison, C. E. (1995). Waist circumference as a measure for indicating need for weight management. BMJ, 311(6998), 158–161. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.311.6998.158
Lohman, T. G., Roche, A. F., & Martorell, R. (Eds.). (1988). Anthropometric standardization reference manual. Human Kinetics.
Marfell-Jones, M., Stewart, A., & de Ridder, H. (2012). International standards for anthropometric assessment. International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry.
World Health Organization. (2008). Waist circumference and waist-hip ratio: Report of a WHO expert consultation. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241501491
Campa, F., Coratella, G., Petri, C., Spataro, F., Charrier, D., Cerullo, G., Baroncini, G., Faraone, E., Marinelli, G. P. A., Serafini, S., Vaccaro, S., Pincella, M., Izzicupo, P., & Paoli, A. (2025). From fat to facts: Anthropometric references and centile curves for sum of skinfolds and waist-to-hip ratio in 2,507 adults. PLOS ONE, 20(6), e0326111. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0326111
Santos, D. A., Dawson, J. A., Matias, C. N., Rocha, P. M., Minderico, C. S., Allison, D. B., Sardinha, L. B., & Silva, A. M. (2014). Reference values for body composition and anthropometric measurements in athletes. PLOS ONE, 9(5), e97846. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097846
