Squats and Deadlifts are both highly effective ways of strength training your lower body muscles. Both exercises are intended to strengthen muscle groups within your legs and glutes, however, depending on your positioning and the types of squats or deadlifts being performed, certain muscle groups are more activated than others. Take a look at the following tables to learn more and figure out which forms and exercises are best for you!
Main Muscle Groups Targeted:
DEADLIFTS | SQUATS |
|---|---|
Glutes | Glutes |
Hips | Hips |
Core | Core |
Hamstrings | Hamstrings |
Back | Quadriceps |
Trapezius | Calves |
DEADLIFTS
Adding deadlifts into your exercise routine not only strengthen your legs and glutes but also activate your back, core and other upper body parts. When compared to a squat, the deadlift is more technical and require more form correction to prevent injuries and ensure the right muscle groups are being used. Depending on which muscle groups you’d like to work on, there are different variations of deadlifts that can greater target certain muscle groups as displayed in the chart below.
MUSCLE GROUPS | Conventional Deadlift | Sumo Deadlift | Romanian Deadlift | Single Leg Deadlift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Lower Back | ✓✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓ |
Hamstrings | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Quads | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Glutes | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Traps | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Lats | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Forearm | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ |
Core | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Coordination
and balance | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Swipe on table to see more <->
SQUATS
Squats are always been the go-to exercise for building stronger legs as it is effective, beginner to expert friendly, and has many variations. Squats can be done with weights or just body weight. Today, we will just talk about the few most popular forms of squats and provide you with the difference between them in terms of targeting certain muscle groups and the difference between hip and quad dominant.
MUSCLE GROUPS | Basic Squat (Shoulder width) | Sumo Squat (Wide stance) | Jump Squat |
|---|---|---|---|
Glutes | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Quads | ✓✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Hips | ✓✓ | ✓✓✓ | ✓ |
Calves | ✓ | ✓ | ✓✓✓ |
Core | ✓✓ | ✓✓ | ✓✓ |
Quad or Hip Dominant Squats?
There are two types of popular squat, Quad or Hip dominant squats. When doing a Quad dominant squat, your torso is more upright and your glutes are angled straight to the ground and more pressure is on the quads. When doing a Hip dominant squat, your torso is more forward and you’re sitting your glutes more behind the body and pushing your hips back. Try the 2 variations yourself and feel the difference in muscle engagement!
Try it out!
Now that you know the difference between deadlifts and squats, it is time to put it into action! Join one of our workout classes today at ReformFIT to experience the different forms and types taught by our knowledgeable trainers! In our Bootcamp classes, proper form correction and clear directions are given to give you the best workout and prevent injuries.
