What action does the Gluteus Maximus NOT perform?

The gluteus maximus is primarily responsible for several key movements at the hip joint, most notably extension, lateral rotation, and some degree of abduction, particularly when the hip is flexed. Its anatomical alignment and muscle fiber orientation make it more effective for these functions.

While the gluteus maximus can assist in abduction to some extent—especially in certain positions of the hip—it does not perform medial rotation. This is primarily due to the way the muscle fibers run; when they contract, they contribute to moving the thigh outward instead of inward, making lateral rotation a more dominant action. Thus, medial rotation is not a typical action associated with the gluteus maximus.