Squats Are WAY MORE Important Than Deadlifts (You Can't Prove Me WRONG!) 💀

[@StopTheDamnTape]

Yeah but the thing is deadlifts are more fun and also you can slam heavy weights repeatedly to quickly identify the Karen’s in your gym.

[@EnkiriElite]

*Karen identification protocol initiated *

[@scottpope6210]

Well said

[@mr.potatohead6138]

Lol!!! And woke rt's

[@adammeade2300]

Welp, pack it up, boys. This case is closed.

[@taycrabbe4341]

Colonel Sanders called and he wants his Legs back!

[@Copeman9999]

Looking forward to the "deadlifts are more important than squats" video next week ;)

[@EnkiriElite]

might just skip that one hahah

[@eneribackwards]

@@EnkiriElite alec enkiri not passionatelu defending both sides ? how freaking dare you

[@EnkiriElite]

@@eneribackwards 😂😂 darn you!

[@mattc4266]

@@EnkiriElite wow you are very solidified about this opinion !

[@FistfulOfGabagool]

there's not even a parallel universe where deadlifts are more important than squats

[@Lharris94]

Facts bro. I use to be a deadlift “specialist” but in reality i was coping for my poverty squat. Taking a step back and squatting more frequently/intensely increased my deadlift far faster than back when I would deadlift multiple times a week.

[@thomaswilliams1533]

As a deadlift enthusiast and a squat hater, I reluctantly agree.

[@porqpine53]

Completely subjective take here: I’ve seen some of the skinniest stickbug dudes deadlift some genuinely impressive weight…then not be able to squat half of it lol. Big squats > Big deadlifts as far as total body development, measure of strength, my own personal respect for that individual

[@EnkiriElite]

You can be a stick and have a massive pull if you have the right leverages, no doubt. Tougher thing to do with a squat. The squat just builds a more burly body more reliably.

[@samisalive7534]

Cough cough sumo

[@rgpall]

As a skinny dude with ape arms, I agree. I hit 335 x 2 on Zercher Squats during COVID and my Conventional/Sumo at the time were way higher - 415 x 2 / 425 x 2. Deadlifts are fun to do but the squat is arguably the best tool to use in the gym.

[@samoot]

@@samisalive7534 It does not matter. I can pull around 240kg both sumo and conventional, but can barely squat 160kg for 3-4 reps. Though it may be different for me because of leverages and my anatomical knee vulnerability which makes them very sensitive

[@MrAndersson579]

​@@samoot same for me with sumo/conv but squat is 180kg for 7 reps. What is your bench? I bench like 140kg, so I feel like my deadlift is way better than my bench even tho i have short arms lol

[@cjparkeffaking4551]

I'm late but i disagree. As someone who has worked mostly oildfield or oilfield type jobs most of my adult life (I'm 40 now). But nothing has helped me more than the deadlift when i added it 3 years ago or so. These past couple of weeks have driven this point home for me, too. I work with other strong guys, but when something is heavy they say get the forklift. They either mean the forklift or me lol. The big boss had us doing a random project and he literally said to leave the human forklift out of it. This is mostly from bench and deads. I do squat now, and 500 lbs is the goal. But all the jobs and stuff I have ever done, picking shit up where its at. I wish i could tell all the funny stories of people going "thats a two person lift" and i go pick it up and my everyone cusses at me.

[@CD-sg7eh]

Man I 100% agree .I had plateaued on DL for almost a year at 635. I got frustrated and said forget this I'm focusing on my squat. After cutting my DL work down to 50% and ramping up my SQ volume 6 months later I hit a 675 DL for the first time ever. P.s. my numbers look good on paper but my body weight is 275lbs.

[@HalfJapMarine]

Do you think it was the reduction in systemic fatigue coupled with the gains to the quads?

[@CD-sg7eh]

@@HalfJapMarine Honestly I would say it was bringing the quads and hip flexors up. But it could have been a lot of things. With my back feeling fresher I was able to add volume to back extensions and lat pulldown more often.

[@HalfJapMarine]

@@CD-sg7eh Awesome, thanks man. I think I might try reducing deadlift volume to put eggs in other baskets. The stimulus to fatigue at least for me doesn't seem worthwhile.

[@kryptonianstrength8461]

Agree , squat is the best deadlift builder and it is not even close , training deadlifts at rpe 6 or even 7 and just training squats heavy and hard will blow up anyones deadlift , there is no arguing to this

[@CuddlesOG]

@@HalfJapMarine Theres literally no point in deadlifts when you have your technique dialled in. You literally only use it for testing maxes or even do variations of deadlifts. Far to taxing for what it is. Tried to many times making excuses for it, even tried doing singles for my 3-5 rep max for a few sets and after the third week i was just burned

[@arandomzoomer4837]

7:27 This reminds me of the time I did 10 sets of 5 rep trap bar deadlifts, maxing out on some of the sets. I did not out any gimmick, I just wanted the "high" of deadlifting. I certainly got it. But I was a zombie for a week afterwords. Never again XD

[@Abraham_Kist-Okazaki]

As a 59-year-old, I think there is a case to be made for the priority of the deadlift. Keeping the spinal erectors strong is the best way to combat the degenerative spinal issues we all end up having. Deadlifts might not be the best for glutes and hamstrings but they do a pretty decent job plus it's not like they do nothing for the quads. Meanwhile, I know that you gave your caveats about depth when you explained your thinking but with squats, I see a lot of folks end up doing something they say is to parallel but in reality, is a few inches about that and ends up being more about the hips than the quads. So, sure you can complain about the limited range of motion that the deadlift has. Nevertheless, although it is somewhat possible to fudge on the lockout the range of motion is not at all the same issue on the Deadlift as it is on the Squat.

[@Bombsuitsandkilts]

There's a pretty famous Coach who specialized in Olympic Weightlifting and throwing and talked a lot about how athletes don't get their best results from focusing on their weaknesses rather by diving into their strengths and being passable with their weakness. So someone who can deadlift with crazy weights and crazy volume is able to milk that while someone else might be able to milk a lot of growth from the squat. But I definitely agree that squat is necessary, while deadlifts can often be replaced with a variety of similar deadlift movements. I only do olympic lifts as my main hinging movement, and my deadlift has still gone from 600-700. I can substantially do more volume with olympic weightlifting, but deadlifting puts me out for a week plus.

[@EnkiriElite]

I like that theory. I've heard it before and it resonated with me when I was younger as I think there is something to be said about it in terms of improving performance. From a longevity perspective however, I think shoring up weaknesses becomes a more important part of the equation. Hope you enjoyed the video!

[@Bombsuitsandkilts]

@EnkiriElite yeah great video, yeah I think that's the irony of people who are great athletes usually are willing to do unhealthy things to reach great heights, i.e. doing just enough to not get hurt vs. a healthy well balanced approach. I always think of the cyclists who were so "healthy" that they had to wake up in the middle of the night to cycle or else their hearts would stop.

[@ErenKeskin-fg5qn]

Was it dan john?

[@EnkiriElite]

@@ErenKeskin-fg5qn man, I wish I could remember. My guts says no, but I'm really not sure.

[@Bombsuitsandkilts]

@ErenKeskin-fg5qn Yeah, that's who I was thinking about, but I'm sure other people have said similar things.

[@strengthandbulkMadness]

It’s true. If you try to build up both the squat and deadlift simultaneously, progress will be slower. If a beginner just does squats for a couple years they can really transform their physique.

[@leinekenugelvondoofenfocke1002]

Well that's why the squat is considered by most the king of the lifts. Another thing to consider is that the deadlift arbitrarily starts from the same height. If you have short arms, and a long torso it can be very unforgiving. There are a lot of lifters that do squat only blocks. There are a lot of lifters that build their deadlift with other lifts, and only bring the deadlift out for short periods of time. There are even competitive lifters that do that.

[@owlwithwhiplash8568]

Here’s my take- zercher squat is the most important squat if we’re talking specificity to tasks we actually perform regularly/semi-regularly. Good video.

[@NaturalBornWinner-]

Absolutely 💯! Zerchers are a much more functional type of squat that has more carryover to things👍

[@haircafekevin]

This video didn't tell me what I wanted to hear but it is true.

[@tigerboy4516]

deadlift unites the whole body, from head to toe. we are made to pick things up and move with it

[@AP-qu2li]

I found going heavy on both squat and DL is really hard to recover from for me so I like to switch every so often from focusing on one for strength and the other hypertrophy. Been doing 5/3/1 for deadlift and 5x20 belt squat switching to 5/3/1 squat and 5x20 RDL every few months. Really been enjoying it as I find I can squeeze out gains in both strength and hypertrophy without getting absolutely destroyed by fatigue

[@finallychangedthis]

The 5x20 RDLs would probably WIPE me out haha, probably a sign I should start doing more high rep stuff

[@randomnordmann4020]

Could try switching to doing RDL and belt squat.

[@Jtking3000]

'long range' movements will always have carryover to shorter range movements and rarely vice-versa. In that sense squatting will give more bang for your buck. Deadlifts still work synergistically with squats though imho as they will still build indirect qualities of the squat e.g. stronger tendons, erector strength, being able to lean forward more. I've never understood people's recovery issues with deadlifting however. When I reached my zenith when I was younger I could happily do heavy deadlift variations 3/4 times a week on top of squatting. I had to build up to it though. I think a big problem is many programs milk the carryover of the squat such that deadlifts are done far less frequently and with less volume. That's a self-fulfilling prophecy as anything you do infrequently and with little volume will be difficult to recover from if you try to do anything more.

[@championchuck777]

Ever since I focused more on Squats and reset my form to low bar, all the other big lifts went up as well. It is the fountain of gains if you truly want be strong and look strong .

[@davp7914]

Before a heavy deadlift session, I love to do some squat triples at 70-80% of my 1rm to help prime my legs for the "push" movement on deadlifts. Also, I've experienced that if I just focus on improving my squat 1rm, my deadlift goes up. I was stuck at a 465lb deadlift for a while, then focused on getting my atg squat weight up; at that time, my atg squat was 405lb. I eventually brought up my atg squat to 455lbs, then started focusing on deadlifts again, in which I managed to deadlift 535lb conventional at 170lb bw.

[@tanzilhossain2693]

Wow

[@Ian.lifts.]

I competed in strongman for years. The people that are strong squatters are better competitors. A lot of the events like yoke walks, side handle car deadlifts, truck pulls, and even the ability to remain stable on overhead events is more correlated to squat strength than deadlift strength. In an overall sense, squatting is the superior movement. When people specialize in squats for whatever reason, there tends to be a point in time when the lack of hamstring and erector strength starts to cause issues where the quickest and most efficient tool is using deadlifts and it’s variations. Do both.

[@EnkiriElite]

Can't argue with that! I prefer true hinges for posterior chain training myself (RDL's, good mornings, hypers, etc). I think the long term strength and hypertrophy development of the glutes and hammies is better served when utilizing that eccentric phase and adhering to a pure hinging pattern.

[@summerofsais]

Maybe since I always hear when someone's squat goes up. Their deadlift usually follows

[@Bz626]

I have been prepping for a meet over the course of 12 weeks and my squat was my biggest issue. My deadlift was disproportionately stronger so I started squatting 3 times a week. This made it difficult to pull conventional off the floor even once a week. Attempting to pull with a reasonable intensity that would otherwise produce a stimulus resulted in wayyyy too much fatigue and back pain, which bled into my squat performance the first few weeks. I bit the bullet and realized that it’s more important to develop the squat for long term general strength. I dropped the squatting frequency back to 2x a week in the last 4 weeks of prep since squatting intensity was high enough, which gave me room to practice the deadlift before the meet. Surprisingly, my deadlift was stronger. The only difficulty I had was getting used to the setup and technicality of the lift. Otherwise, the strength transfer has been pretty bonkers. What used to be RPE 7-8 I’m now oonga boonga-ing off the floor.

[@leojamesfitness6031]

I know we frequently rip on the overzealous application of "stimulus to fatigue ratio" but the squat conditions the hell out of me with what feels like less than half the recovery requirements

[@davidrioux611]

Observation…. Olympic pulls are more of a push through the first pull, more of back squat (extending in your push) in second pull and finishing in the rack position of the front squat or overhead squat even though you’re pulling on the bar.

[@Limbaugh_]

I agree but don’t neglect your posterior. Have long torso and have been neglecting my deadlifts the past semester and I recently pulled three plates and I think I hurt myself. I used to RDL 300 no problem lmao

[@EnkiriElite]

Definitely do not neglect your posterior chain! My favorites are ssb good mornings, heavy hyperextensions, glute ham raises, and hip thrusts.

[@kenocontreras]

First time here, and I loved this channel.

[@swankytuna4293]

Didn't even know this was supposed to be a hot take.

[@StephColbertsonStrength]

Knowing how to deadlift is certainly very very important if we’re talking day to day life - being able to hinge properly and pick shit up. But I agree the squat is a way better overall builder for the average person.

[@EnkiriElite]

Gotta know how to use the hips! Agreed on the importance of understanding a proper hinge.

[@koolkeithsdad]

I agree with almost all of this wholeheartedly

[@itsazy]

Ignoring bent over rows and deadlifts because they cause more DOMS seems totally backwards to me. You're getting more damage with less effort, which means it's a better exercise, all other things ignored. If something damages you too much, do less of it to the point where you can do them more frequently?

[@jamesgreenwood6997]

Combine squats with good mornings, and, you will definitely drive up your deadlift. The good morning will not beat you down like of deadlift.

[@joshuablay5954]

Been a while since I’ve tuned in…but that new intro is fire! I still miss the old fuzzy guitar riff tho😂

[@simonillouz3295]

6:23. Lowkey depending on morphology, erectors can be hit pretty hard with squats. And also bracing as a skill is arguably hand in hand with that, which I think squats hit harder. Overall strongly agree with the video

[@HermieMunster]

Anecdotally I have to agree the systemic fatigue with DL is why I do it less often, and even then it continues to go up and is plenty higher than my squat.

[@do_odman]

As someone who is built way better for deadlifting I'd love to fight on this one but I have to agree and I think most people would. Squats build the hell out of my deadlift, conventional and sumo, plus getting to depth in a squat is one of the hardest challenges I'm still facing and i'm very motivated by strength skills and deadlifts aren't very technically challenging to me.

[@thebarbellpath1040]

Your videos are awesome but if you get some lights for your gym it will look even better, regardless your knowledge in the field is rock solid

[@alainerookkitsunev5605]

I woud have to agree. Only exception i can think of is possibly strongman. Since strongmen tend to have a lot of deadlift like lifts like lifting rocks and stones, tree trunks, flipping cars etc. And not a lot of simple squatting motions. For a strongman maybe they are better off focusing on deadlifting and leg pressing, and maybe front squatting. But for any other sport besides that and armwresting, squats are probrably the safer bet.

[@SaturnReturns]

I absolutely agree. As someone who started doing calisthenics from 13-16 my deadlift has always outperformed my squat from a massive margin just because of having big lats. My legs didn't really get bigger until I finally got my squat to somewhere around 400. Before that I could be deadlifting 405 with chicken legs. 😂

[@a.julian3770]

Squat definitely boosts my deadlift, but not vice versa. Mechanically, the deadlift is kind of a partial squat, so it makes sense.

[@StoogesTheTwo]

I’ve been weight training again and was just wondering this!!! Now I know to mainly focus on squat and power clean and deadlift only half the time

[@EnkiriElite]

Squats and power cleans as a primary focus will take you very far!

[@thebigdealsstore2768]

Nah fr my strength went up in everything except dips when I got good at power cleans. It will build anything but your pressing movements but will give you more stability even with those

[@StoogesTheTwo]

@@thebigdealsstore2768 Reps and sets recommendations bro? I’m trying to get speed and be better at sprinting (could prob run a high 11-low 12 rn), I’m 5’6 but stocky and also boxing

[@justnii2056]

squats are very good moves. but i recommend training both. dl improves grip for example and many muscles

[@madhurchari6851]

Instinctively I always knew that. Deadlifts are on and off in my training Never ever left squat

[@merkery1120]

The new intro is zesty bro. Good work

[@matthewhorseler4214]

This is a Spicy video my dude! And, I'd say I have to agree with you! Solid video, happy training and have a fantastic weekend! Might get slapped for this one but i find a trap bar gets more range of motion and lots of leg drive. I wonder if there is some carry over from them? I will always do D) All Of The Above lol

[@snorelax3908]

Just my opinion. Deadlift is my favorite lift but the weight and fatigue gets to a point where heavy deadlifts 1x per week is pretty much optimal to recover and have any kind of intensity for other exercises throughout the week. By comparison I can squat heavy 3-4 times per week fairly regularly and still have plenty in the tank for conditioning work. I now deadlift weekly 3x3 around 80% and stop there. Doing more just isn't as rewarding as doing other exercises instead.

[@dasdos002]

The only reason why I still deadlift is because of the erectors. Everything else the deadlift brings is just a cherry on top. If I want to hit glutes then I do hypers or hip thrusts. Mostly hypers because the convenience of it. There really isn’t another movement that hits the erectors with intensity like deadlifts. Rows are great too but not the same intensity

[@Joe-nh8eq]

hot take… but squatting isnt just more important than deadlifts… squatting is more important to increasing your deadlifting than actually deadlifting. In college, I had well over a 600 lb deadlift without ever actually incorporating deadlifts into my program. Just being in a bad mood and wanting to lift something heavy…

[@EnkiriElite]

A big squat will almost always create a big deadlift by default. But the inverse is not true!

[@magnus263]

Squat and Romanian Deadlift is the ultimate combo

[@koolkeithsdad]

Squat 3-4 times a week and dead once. Has done me well

[@nunchukGun]

I like deadlifts. I think there are a lot of benefits but i agree. You could get away without them depending on your goals. Doing them cause you like them is a perfectly fine goal though 🙂

[@scottpope6210]

Could you do a video on Dimmel deadlifts? Would be interested on your take of these

[@brotski100]

Zombie squats/45 back raises both twice p week, the ultimate combo for strength? can't skip RDL's tho (maybe once p week) for the hamstrings i would think.

[@robcubed9557]

Regarding the contents of this video, I've actually heard similar stuff from other seasoned lifters. Personally I do a single set of a deadlift variation every 2 weeks (alternate rack pulls and halting deadlifts). I'm actually making gains on both of those lifts despite the infrequency. It turns out that I'm training squats and rows and chinups and those exercises carry over to the deadlift.

[@ARDAYILMAZ72]

Somewhat unrelated, do you genuinely think that all squats put both the hip and the knee joints through a full range of motion? I am mostly concerned with upright squat variations (high bar, front) and the hip joint. I feel like there is a decent amount of range of motion left untapped in the hip joint for these variations. Definitely not necessarily a bad thing, in fact, I believe this limited range of motion at the hip is the reason I can squat high bar with virtually no problems whereas I cannot leg press for shit without messing up my hips. Just wanted to know your take on that.

[@ogmorganfreeman3486]

If you do an ATG high bar squat akin to Oly lifters your hips are moving through their total range. The only difference in what youre talking about is an open vs closed kinetic chain. Besides this you might be faking range on the leg press by incorporating a pelvic tilt which would give the illusion that your femur is going through "more range" which could aggravate the hip joint.

[@MrAndersson579]

I do 3x6 at 10RM in both squat and deadlift once per week. Maybe increase squat volume and lessen DL volume?

[@its_james_fitness]

Or train harder. 4 RIR all the time?

[@naughtiousmaximus7853]

I need deadlifts to fix my anterior pelvic tilt.

[@rgpall]

Thanks for making this. 👍

[@EnkiriElite]

Hope you find some value here man! It was an important question.

[@rgpall]

​@@EnkiriElite Makes sense to me that most basic/novice programs have people during 3x5 on squats regularly. Personally, I do a 6 day split, with each workout being way shorter than an hour long including rest between sets since I am short on time. The two days that I do Zercher Squats - I only do a 3x5 and rollouts after that. One day for sumo and on the other three days, I do very low volume OHP+Weighted Chins and Dips+Rows. Able to squeeze out more LP out of this since I have the option to microload at home.

[@FernandoGarzaConde]

squat enjoyers coming through!

[@EnkiriElite]

Rise up maynee

[@derrickhobbs8842]

Wheres the deadlift is WAY more important than squats video?

[@EnkiriElite]

couldn't get myself to do it hahahh

[@DanielGarcia-wn9so]

For bodybuilding, one can much better use machine knee flexions for their quad growth and only use free weights for deadlifts variations. I personaly hate the squat, the only variation that feels remotely good is pause heel elevated squat and the low bar, and I much rather use leg presses. On the other side RDLs and snatch grip deads are much easier to recover.

[@EnkiriElite]

I really couldn't care less about what's good for bodybuilding

[@anabolicamaranth7140]

Push/pull PL meets tho.

[@EnkiriElite]

Meh lol

[@chezzington918]

Do Smith machine squats count in this equation or only freeweight? Ive been trying to fix my Anterior Pelvic Tilt for a while now and find that its most severe when freewieght swapping but not with deadlifts.

[@demoncore5342]

Yeah, deads are important for deads, but working on squat benefits your dead lift just as much. I'd say for PL, you are better of working on squat. For strongman, hard to say, you are either good at deads or presses, but squatting more will only help, imo.

[@stoempert]

Squat is the King of Lifts for a reason

[@elliotdallow3076]

Have you, or will you in the future, done/do a video on the costs and requirements of a home gym to actually get strong? I often wonder if a home gym works out cheaper, but you need a fair bit more weight than most fitness stores include in their barbell sets.

[@derbistheeternal2947]

I’ll hear you out

[@mattc4266]

Yes they are !

[@Mohannatayeb]

Nothing beats a heavy deadlift !

[@LiberatedMind1]

RDLs baby

[@khmak9387]

I like front squats because they also work the postural muscles.

[@EnkiriElite]

They do! Movements that kill multiple birds with one stone are very important

[@khmak9387]

​​@@EnkiriElite"Generalist athlete" describes me exactly. I play 7 sports, recently concentrating on weightlifting and rock climbing, due to having no partner to play racquet games with.

[@ChrisCoul]

I squat twice as often as I deadlift. I would never want to give up deadlifting though.

[@EnkiriElite]

Nor should you!

[@slavicus2046]

I love deadlifts but despise squats. Yet there are 0 deadlifts and a lot of squats in my program... Squats just fit my goals more, and I really don't care about my glutes and lower back enough to justify including deadlifts in my program.

[@gerardt3284]

I don't think I've conventional deadlifted from the floor for the past 5 years. I've done plenty of RDLs in the hypertrophy rep range though

[@FistfulOfGabagool]

do you think safety bar squats are generally superior to barbell back squats for non-powerlifting athletes?

[@Stephentraininglog]

I agree with the thesis of this video and the overall valuation of squats, but do you think the answer would be the same resounding superiority if the conversation were to include the general hinges (RDL, goodmorning, hypers, SLDLs, and the like) instead of just conventional from the floor? I don’t think it’s a slam dunk either way, but I think the overall development of the entire posterior chain, including upper back, from many of these hinging movement could definitely even the score a bit. Plus, the improved SFR from something like an RDL, as opposed to conventional, makes it easier to accumulate quality volume and use it for development.

[@Stephentraininglog]

So, to put my question more concisely: is squat pattern work universally more important than hinge pattern work?

[@Samfrancis0000]

The good morning is a squatting movement pattern

[@Stephentraininglog]

@@Samfrancis0000 bc of the bar placement? The whole point is to mimic a hinge pattern with the bar on the back and avoid squating into it

[@EnkiriElite]

If we start adding in true hinges to the mix then it becomes a crap shoot imo! Too hard to choose at that point, both patterns are invaluable. In fact, I think one can maximize strength and hypertrophy progress with squats and hinges while never doing a deadlift. But you cannot eliminate the squats or the hinges in favor of deadlifts and achieve the same outcome.

[@Stephentraininglog]

@@EnkiriElite agreed, and it also comes down to individual variance. My posterior chain will grow from just about anything, but I have to be very surgical with my squat pattern selection to grow my quads, and I know I’m not alone in this regard. I think in the theme of making inverse argumentative videos, you could make one claiming that hinge pattern work is universally more important than the low bar PL style squat

[@xxcrysad3000xx]

"The squat drives up the deadlift, but the deadlift does not drive up the squat." Holy shit are you not kidding. For a long ass time my squat 1RM was something like 65-70% of my deadlift 1RM. To make matters worse, my front squat 1RM was something like 65-70% of my low bar back squat 1RM. Basically my anterior chain (is that a thing? sure, why not) was super underdeveloped relative to my posterior chain, I had small, weak ass quads, and as a consequence my deadlift just stopped going up -- that is, until I started prioritizing squats over deadlifts. Now my squat is like, 85-90% of my deadlift, and I'm making progress on both again.

[@MissionJesus370]

The squat is kind of like the deadlift with more quad involvement. That being said I much rather do leg press parallel to the floor and do deadlifts. All that weight on your back is dangerous. The only front squat i do is with dumbels. To me that just gets a whole bunch of upper body involvement which is not my goal.

[@EnkiriElite]

I am really not sure how squatting would be any more dangerous than leg pressing.

[@jakehanson216]

Idk,.ive rarely had to squat many things in my life, but had to deadlift, Row, Clean, Curl, and press many things in my life

[@EnkiriElite]

I can't argue with that! But I also don't believe that fact invalidates my argument at all.

[@jmartinez19944]

Can you do a video on hamstrings... please lol

[@zachnunya8749]

The people demand Alec/ BOM collab

[@andymore62]

On the whole, I agree squats have more carryover to the deadlift, and have a variety of other benefits that the deadlift does not. That said, nothing put more mass, thickness, and power on my back than deadlifting has.

[@EnkiriElite]

I won't argue with that! There was a time where I could conventional deadlift 550lbs and squat roughly 400lbs. I started doing more squatting and less deadlifting after that. Discovered powerlifting and started playing with sumo deadlifts, but not really training them just toying with them infrequently. After specializing in the squat for a while I could squat 500lbs and pull 600lbs sumo (without ever training sumo deadlifting, just squatting). But I could no longer CONVENTIONAL deadlift 500lbs! Legs got strong. back got weak. All of this stuff only ever applies to a certain point :)

[@Muniswarannn]

Hey bro how about just squat power lean and farmers walk and pull ups tats gonna help overall squatting n deadlifting without deadlifting right ​@@EnkiriElite

[@derrickhobbs8842]

They are both natural movement patters #EnkiriEliteFitness that help train the whole both while combined together. Lets not debate this, just learn to get better with both. #MAKEGAINSNOTWAR

[@johnk.2167]

What's wrong with a sumo deadlift? I think sumo is equal to conventional

[@roundup1253]

It’s obvious he’s right, deadlift do not train legs so well and the back is trained better with bent over rows etc. In general it’s so much „hold“ instead of „ movement and stretch“ with Deadlifts. And you become stronger in deadlifts by not training them, sounds strange, but this is the only exercise at least for beginner-advanced where it’s true

[@nicoskal85]

Happy Friday BITCHES!! 😂😂😂

[@mr.potatohead6138]

Seems pretty accurate. Tbh, I don't back squat anymore either lol. What do you guys think of lowbar trapbar deadlift where you basically squat it up? Seems to be working well so far, as long as I use all leg drive. FYI, I lift from the floor only, no racks.

[@scottpoll6357]

I think low handle deficit trap bar deadlift on one 45 pound plate deficit is a great exercise. But you gotta go light on it which I hate doing.

[@mr.potatohead6138]

@@scottpoll6357 why go light? Couple sets of 10 seems okay?

[@hcazpena]

True!

[@williamdieffenbach3264]

Squats increase your deadlifts, I would imagine

[@posthawk1393]

Deadlifts improve grip strength. Squats don't. Deadlifts improve forearm strength. Squats don't. Deadlifts significantly involve the back and lats. Squats don't. Deadlifts grow your traps. Squats don't. This is how I look at it. Deadlifts get you stronger, while squats build more muscle. You can't overestimate the importance of grip strength, and the squat does NOTHING for that. They're both important; do both. Squat more, because squatting is easier, but do both.

[@martynodonnell]

I agree with you. Both should be included in any program looking to build muscle and strength. However if I could only pick one I’d pick Deadlifts. Simply because they give far more in the way of hitting more muscle groups and building overall strength. Deadlifts are the king of exercises. Where as squats are the king of lower body exercises.

[@posthawk1393]

@@martynodonnell Exactly what I think, especially when you don't use straps and do a controlled eccentric. Deadlifts are king.

[@whyze-comm]

True, you are accurately correct. Many Gym-goers can't lift what virtually they can, but due to their weak grip ~ they mess it. Traps/Forearms/Back/Legs are interrelated to properly execute a deadlift. In real-life applications, humans will take/get things from below very seldom we use legs to put things above us regardless of our colar. Try to internalize everything first, the word important is sometimes subjective ~ to put it on a simple analogy yes squat is important if you are an athlete, and jumping is a must. Other than that? You conclude it.

[@deronlester3072]

I'm late to this party, but I agree with your stance more than anyone else in the comments. In my training, I am currently minimalistic with lower body and doing more body building-esque training for my upper body. The biggest emphasis for my lower body goes to the low handle trap bar deadlift. Then I just throw in some power cleans and a few front squats here and there. Conventional deadlifts do impose very high demands on recovery, so I think that is where the deadlift variations come into play. The number one reason I chose a deadlift variation over squats was the grip strength factor. Sure, you can do squats and rows and get most of the benefits of deadlifts, but the deadlift just simplifies it, especially using a variation that induces a little less systemic fatigue than conventional. It also lends itself to my goal of upper body focus. If I gained 2 more inches to my thighs right now, I think they would appear to overpower my torso. And then of course you can discuss "functional strength" which is a term that gets bastardized, no doubt. But at the end of the day, practicing picking something up off the ground has a very high level of carryover to the real world.

[@gonzalogaonaguerrero8110]

Deadlifts work the grip just if You use the double over hand grip, the mix grip don't train your grip or forearms....

[@ShinSuperSaiyajin]

You can improve the deadlift by having a bigger squat. A bigger deadlift doesn’t guarantee a bigger squat. This is coming from someone who loves deadlifting LOL

[@pretty_flaco]

do trap bar

[@halassa5963]

Hey do you have any recommendations on building strong ankles and also any tips on training tendon stiffness?

[@coach.hybrid]

extensive plyometrics, intensive plyometrics, jumping rope for conditioning as well, single leg jumps, single leg repeated jumps, sprints. also work on maintaining proper foot and knee alignment and arch (feet facing forward/neutrally, with foot arch engaged) while walking and standing. doing this for only a few days i've noticed my bounce has become a lot springier and my running a lot more fluid as a result.

[@EnkiriElite]

A little bit of controlled full ROM calf work, a hefty dose of sled work (both heavy and explosive, as well as forward, backwards, and lateral). And then a bunch of running and jumping drills. The stiffness concept will be built with things that make you be Bouncy and springy, aka "plyometrics." Start with low intensity stuff. Just focus on bouncing off the ground like it's a trampoline. Do a mix of 1 and 2 legs. Over time progress the intensity by incorporating things with greater ground forces, typically by increasing drop heights. But always stay Bouncy. If you can't spring off the ground like it's a trampoline then your drops are too high. Even when you better at doing high intensity plyos never forget the value of low intensity plyos. They always have a place no matter how advanced you are. Just be bouncy.

[@halassa5963]

Thanks to both of y’all for the great answers

[@alexkamen9768]

Yes

[@SAGAYER1]

Facts

[@LiberatedMind1]

But sir, RDLs and front squats eat both of these for breakfast 😄

[@jodizzle6321]

Bottom line is squats are more beneficial and better for athletic development than deadlifts. Squatting translates better to athletic performance than deadlifting does.

[@samuelpatton5148]

Neither is more important, everyone should train both.

[@tshepangharrison2021]

Nothing builds raw strength more than the deadlift, squat is second place.

[@leoerus]

I like DL more 🤩🤩🤩

[@user-he4ef9br7z]

I disagree. If you could do one exercise for the rest of your life, what would it be? Squat or Deadlift? Deadlifts obviously. Squats build your legs. Deadlifts build your legs, back, shoulders, arms all to some extent. Deadlifts are more flexible. You can use a huge deficit to mimic a squat range of motion, especially with trap bars. Deadlifts are easier and cheaper to set up, deadlifts are less risky when pushing to failure. Deadlifts have more total stimulus potential. Deadlifts are way more functional. Squats are an essential movement, but deadlifts are slightly more important.

[@Jtking3000]

Kinda agree. My one exercise for the rest of my life would probably be something like a deficit snatch grip or zercher deadlift. It solves the ROM problem in regards to the legs and you get all of the benefits of a regular deadlift.

[@jamesTWisco]

Does anybody who deadlifts not squat?

[@EnkiriElite]

yes, and vice versa

[@jamesTWisco]

@@EnkiriElite I can't imagine either are achievers of big numbers or excellent muscle growth.

[@alekterziev9931]

Wait people still deadlift for gains even tho there’s little to no eccentric? Lmao clown world I run similar to you Alec One long range movement for hip hinging (usually RDL) one long range for knee flexion (Nordic curl) one short range movement for hip hinging (45 degree hyper) and one short range movement for knee flexion (banded leg curl/machine standing leg curl). Stoppe deadlifting regularly pre COVID and my deadlift still goes up