Squats and deadlifts are two of the most effective exercises you can do in the gym. And most people will say they understand them, but they really don’t.
If you’ve ever wondered which one is “better,” whether you need both, or how to choose if you’re short on time, you’re not alone. The truth is, squats and deadlifts train your body in different ways, and should be approached differently depending on what results you’re looking for.
Think of this as the ultimate guide on squats vs deadlifts. We’re going to break down the real differences, what each lift is best for, and explain how to use them safely and effectively, and tailored to your own goals.
**Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or fitness advice. Always consult a certified trainer or healthcare provider before starting or modifying any exercise program, especially if you have injuries, medical conditions, or mobility limitations. Proper form and supervision are essential to reduce the risk of injury.
What’s the Difference Between a Squat and a Deadlift?
The primary difference between the squat and the deadlift is the movement pattern: squats are knee-dominant, while deadlifts are hip-dominant.
That single difference changes which muscles do most of the work and how each exercise loads your body.
In a squat, your knees and hips bend together and your torso stays relatively upright. This puts more demand on the quadriceps, with the glutes and core supporting the movement. Squats train your ability to lower and raise your body in a controlled, stable position.
In a deadlift, the hips move back much more than the knees, and your torso leans forward as you lift the weight from the floor. This shifts the workload toward the posterior chain (especially the glutes and hamstrings) while the lower back and upper body work to stabilize the load.
Here’s a simple way to think about it:
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Squats train the pattern of sitting down and standing up
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Deadlifts train the pattern of picking something up from the floor
There’s some overlap, but they’re not interchangeable. And each develops strength in a different way.
Muscles Worked by Squats
The squat primarily works the quadriceps, with the glutes and core playing a strong supporting role.
Because squats are a knee-dominant movement, the front of the thighs does most of the work as you lower and raise your body. The deeper and more upright your squat, the greater the quad involvement tends to be.
Primary muscles worked in the squat:
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Quadriceps
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Glutes
Secondary muscles and stabilizers:
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Core (abdominals and obliques)
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Adductors (inner thighs)
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Upper back and spinal stabilizers (to support the bar)
While squats involve the entire lower body, most people feel them most in the quads, especially when using controlled tempo and full range of motion.
Muscles Worked by Deadlifts
The deadlift mainly works the glutes and hamstrings, with significant involvement from the lower back and upper body.
As a hip-dominant movement, the deadlift shifts the workload toward the posterior chain. The hips generate most of the force, while the back, core, and lats work to keep the spine stable as you lift the weight.
Primary muscles worked in the deadlift:
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Glutes
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Hamstrings
Secondary muscles and stabilizers:
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Lower back (erector spinae)
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Lats and upper back
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Core
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Forearms and grip muscles
Deadlifts typically feel more “full-body” than squats because so many muscles are involved in stabilizing and moving heavy loads.
Squat vs Deadlift: Muscle Activation Comparison
Let’s compare how well each exercise is suited for specific muscle groups - so you know which to prioritize depending on what part of the part you’re trying to grow the most.
Squat vs Deadlift for Quadriceps
Squats activate the quads far more than deadlifts.
Because squats involve deeper knee flexion, the quads are responsible for extending the knees as you stand up. The more upright your torso and the deeper your squat, the more quad-dominant the movement becomes.
Deadlifts still use the quads, especially at the start of the lift, but they play a supporting role rather than driving the movement.
Squat vs Deadlift for Glutes
Both exercises train the glutes heavily, but in slightly different ways.
Squats load the glutes most at the bottom of the movement as you drive up. Deadlifts put consistent tension on the glutes through hip extension, especially when lifting heavier loads.
In general, squats build through range of motion, while deadlifts build the glutes through load. The gains are around the same.
Squat vs Deadlift for Hamstrings
Deadlifts are significantly more demanding on the hamstrings than squats.
Because the hips travel back and the torso leans forward, the hamstrings are placed under more stretch and tension during deadlifts. Squats involve the hamstrings, but knee flexion limits how much force they can produce.
If hamstring development is a priority, deadlift variations tend to be more effective (like Romanian Deadlifts).
Squat vs Deadlift for Core and Lower Back
Deadlifts place greater demands on the lower back and trunk stability.
While both lifts require strong core bracing, deadlifts involve a more inclined torso and longer moment arm, which increases spinal loading. Squats still challenge the core, but the more upright position generally reduces stress on the lower back.
This difference is one reason deadlifts are often more fatiguing and take longer to recover from.
Squat vs Deadlift: Which Is Better for Muscle Growth?
Neither squats nor deadlifts is inherently better for muscle growth. The better choice depends on which muscles you’re trying to grow and how much volume you can recover from.
Both are effective for hypertrophy, but they create muscle growth through slightly different mechanisms.
Which Exercise Builds Bigger Legs?
Squats are generally more effective for overall leg size, especially when quad development is a priority.
Because squats allow for controlled tempo, deeper range of motion, and higher training volume, they’re easier to program for hypertrophy. Most people can perform more quality reps and sets of squats without hitting recovery limits as quickly.
Deadlifts contribute to leg growth, but they tend to be limited more by fatigue than by muscle stimulus.
Squat vs Deadlift for Full-Body Hypertrophy
Deadlifts involve more total muscle mass, but that doesn’t automatically make them better for building muscle.
Because deadlifts are more neurologically and systemically demanding, they often limit how much weekly volume you can tolerate. Squats, while still demanding, are usually easier to repeat and recover from.
In simple terms, on a rep for rep basis, deadlifts typically build more muscle, but on a weekly basis you’re likely to be able to get more reps with squats.
For most people, squats contribute more consistently to long-term muscle growth, while deadlifts play a supporting role rather than being the main hypertrophy driver.
Squat vs Deadlift: Which Is Better for Strength?
Both squats and deadlifts build strength, but they develop different types of strength and do so in different ways.
Why Most People Lift More Weight on Deadlifts
Most lifters can deadlift more weight than they can squat.
Deadlifts start from a dead stop and use strong hip extension, shorter range of motion, and more favorable leverage for many body types. Because the bar begins on the floor, there’s no eccentric loading to manage before the lift starts.
This doesn’t mean deadlifts build more strength. It just means the movement allows heavier loads.
Squat Strength vs Deadlift Strength Transfer
Squat strength tends to transfer better to other lifts and movements.
Squats improve leg drive, trunk stability, and the ability to move through a deep range of motion under load. This carries over to jumping, sprinting, and many athletic tasks, as well as to other lower-body lifts.
Deadlift strength is more specific. It strongly improves your ability to hinge and lift heavy objects from the floor, but it doesn’t transfer as broadly unless you use that exact movement pattern in your sport or daily life.
Squat vs Deadlift for Fat Loss
Neither squats nor deadlifts are a magic fat-loss exercise - fat loss is driven primarily by overall calorie balance (how many calories you take in vs put out). That said, both lifts can support fat loss by helping you maintain muscle and train hard while dieting.
Do Squats Burn More Calories Than Deadlifts?
There’s no meaningful difference in calorie burn between squats and deadlifts when total workload is the same.
Both are compound lifts that involve large muscle groups, which means they use more energy than isolation exercises. Any small differences in calorie burn are far less important than how much weight you lift, how many sets you perform, and how consistently you train.
Which Lift Is Better for Maintaining Muscle While Cutting?
Squats are usually easier to maintain in a calorie deficit.
Because squats are slightly less fatiguing and easier to recover from, most people can keep squat volume higher while dieting. This helps preserve leg muscle and training performance as you dip into a calorie deficit.
Squat vs Deadlift for Athletic and Functional Performance
Both squats and deadlifts improve performance, but they do so in different ways depending on the demands of the activity.
Squat Benefits for Sports and Daily Movement
Squats are especially valuable for movements that require knee bend, upright posture, and force production through a full range of motion.
They help develop:
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Jumping and landing mechanics
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Sprint acceleration
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Change of direction and deceleration
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Knee stability and control
In daily life, squats closely mirror sitting down and standing up, making them highly beneficial for general movement and quality of life.
Deadlift Benefits for Sports and Daily Movement
Deadlifts excel at building strength for lifting, carrying, and producing force through the hips.
They help develop:
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Hip extension power
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Safe lifting mechanics from the floor
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Load carrying strength
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Posterior chain dominance
Deadlifts are especially relevant for sports and jobs that involve lifting heavy objects or producing force with a forward-leaning torso.
Which Lift Is More “Functional”?
Neither lift is more functional in absolute terms.
Squats are more functional for activities that involve bending at the knees and maintaining an upright posture. Deadlifts are more functional for activities that involve hinging at the hips and lifting objects from the ground.
The most functional choice is the one that best matches the demands of your sport, work, or daily life.
If You Could Only Do One: Squat or Deadlift?
If you could only include one of these lifts in your training, what should you choose?
The short answer: it depends.
When Squats Are the Better Choice
Squats are usually the better all-around option for most people.
They train the legs through a full range of motion, are easier to recover from, and carry over well to both athletic performance and daily movement. Squats also allow for more consistent weekly volume, which matters for long-term progress.
Squats tend to be the better choice if:
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You want balanced leg development
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You’re newer to resistance training
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You train frequently and value recovery
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You want a single lift with broad carryover
When Deadlifts Are the Better Choice
Deadlifts make more sense if your pain priority is posterior chain strength.
They build powerful hips, strong glutes and hamstrings, and reinforce proper lifting mechanics from the floor. For people who train fewer days per week, deadlifts can deliver a lot of stimulus in a small amount of time.
Deadlifts tend to be the better choice if:
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You want maximum hip and posterior chain strength
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You sit a lot and lack hip extension
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You train fewer days per week
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Your sport or work involves lifting or carrying
Can One Exercise Fully Replace the Other?
No. Squats and deadlifts are not interchangeable.
Each trains a different movement pattern and emphasizes different muscle groups.
While you can make progress with just one, long-term strength and resilience are best built by including both in some form.
Squat vs Deadlift FAQs
Let’s run through a few more questions I get asked all the time regarding squats and deadlifts.
Can You Squat and Deadlift on the Same Day?
You can, but it depends on how you program them.
Most people do best when they train only one heavy lift in a session, with the other kept lighter or performed as a variation.
For example, you might pair regular deadlift with goblet squats. Two heavy barbell lifts in the same workout can be difficult to recover from long term.
Which Exercise Is Harder to Recover From?
Deadlifts are generally harder to recover from than squats.
They put more overall stress on the nervous system and posterior chain, which is why most programs use lower deadlift volume compared to squats.
Which Lift Is Safer Long-Term?
Neither lift is inherently unsafe when performed with good technique and appropriate loading.
That said, squats are often easier to manage long-term because they allow for higher volume with less systemic fatigue. Deadlifts require more conservative programming to stay sustainable.
Should Beginners Squat or Deadlift First?
Most beginners should learn to squat first.
Squats are easier to scale, easier to recover from, and help build the foundational strength and mobility needed for deadlifts.
Beginners can certainly do deadlifts too, but it’s better to be done with lighter loads or simplified variations.
Is Squat or Deadlift Better for Older Lifters?
It depends more on joint tolerance and recovery than age itself.
Many older lifters do well with squat and deadlift variations that reduce joint stress, like goblet squats or trap bar deadlifts. The best choice is the one that you can train consistently without pain.
Do You Need Both Squats and Deadlifts in a Program?
For long-term strength and resilience, yes, most people benefit from including both movement patterns.
You don’t need to barbell squat and barbell deadlift every week, but you should train both a squat pattern and a hip hinge in some form.
How Often Should You Squat and Deadlift Each Week?
Most people do well squatting one to three times per week and deadlifting one to two times per week.
Exact frequency depends on your experience, goals, and recovery capacity. Squats usually tolerate higher frequency than deadlifts.
Squat vs Deadlift: Final Verdict
Squats and deadlifts aren’t competing exercises. They’re complementary ones.
Each trains a different movement pattern, builds strength in different areas, and serves a different purpose depending on your goals and recovery capacity.
If you want a strong, resilient lower body over the long term, you’ll want to do both, understanding when to lean on each lift, and doing them in a way you can train consistently, week after week.