Deadlift and squats - two sides of the same coin

Author: Timko Ilya - master of the whole project and fitness trainer.
2013-01-17

Hello everyone! I want to talk to you about how these two exercises are interconnected and how they influence each other.

To understand their similarities, let's look at biomechanics. From this perspective, the deadlift and squats are almost identical exercises. In both cases, the essence of the exercise is to fully extend the knee and hip joints, meaning to stand up straight. The only difference is that in squats, the weight rests on your back, while in the deadlift, you hold it in your hands. This is the primary distinction, and it determines the level of engagement of the back and leg muscles during the movement.

In the deadlift, the result depends approximately 60% on the muscles of the back and 40% on the leg muscles. In squats, however, it's the opposite: 60% comes from the legs and 40% from the back.

From this, we can conclude that both the legs and the back are important in both exercises. This conclusion is supported by practical experience.

By training your legs, you increase your results not only in squats but also in the deadlift.

By training your back, you enhance both your deadlift and your squats.

It is crucial to understand this. Without squats, you will never be able to lift much weight in the deadlift. If you don’t do deadlifts, you will never squat heavy. Your back simply won't be able to handle significant weight.

However, any theory is only valuable if it can be applied in practice. Let's see how this can be done.

Typically, the difference between squats and deadlifts should be about 15% in favor of the deadlift. That is, if you lift 200 kg in the deadlift for one rep, ideally, you should be able to squat 170 kg. But these are average values.

If you notice a significant imbalance, it indicates that either your legs or back are lagging in development. For example, a 200 kg deadlift and a 140 kg squat clearly show that your legs are weaker than your back, suggesting you shouldn't focus solely on the deadlift. It simply won't improve. You need to concentrate on squats and aim to increase that lift by 20-30 kg. Then your deadlift will increase naturally, without any extra effort. Barbell squats on the shoulders – addressing weak points.

Conversely, if you squat as much as you deadlift, it means your back is lagging. This scenario is less common than the first. In such cases, you should do the opposite – focus on deadlifts and “neglect” squats. Deadlift - improving performance.

I think it's clear that with a significant imbalance, there's little point in trying to develop the already strong area of your body. You'll just waste time without making any progress. Concentrate on your weaker muscles. Then both your deadlift and squats will improve. This is the main idea of this article.

Conclusions

1. Typically, beginners' legs are almost always weaker than their backs.

2. If you are an experienced athlete, developing both leg and back strength simultaneously is quite challenging. Alternate your focus between legs and back.

3. You cannot ignore deadlifts while squatting, or vice versa. This will lead to a rapid halt in progress and increase the risk of injuries. You should either do both exercises or skip both.

4. The classic deadlift style is better for growing your squats compared to the sumo style because the classic engages the legs and glutes more effectively. Deadlift - sumo or classic?