Do you squat more weight than you can deadlift or do you deadlift more weight than you can squat? How about the RDL and the Front Squat? I put 4 answers to choose from because I think thats the minimum and someone might have their RDL or the Front Squat actually being their heaviest lift.

Do you think squatting more weight than you can deadlift is good? (be more quad dominant than hip dominant) Or do you think deadlifting more weight than you can squat (be more hip dominant than quad dominant) is good? Can there be an imbalance if you are more quad dominant than hip dominant or more hip dominant than quad dominant or both with the same weight (the same)?

How about the RDL and Front Squat (other variations of the squats and deadlifts and the unilatareal like lunges/lateral lunges, one leg squat, one legged rdl, king deadlift, etc)?

What are your thoughts? I think this would be a good topic to discuss on balances and imbalances for the lower body and if we are on the right track.

It's not just about being more hip dominant or quad dominant and good or bad. Different individuals will have different strenghts not only because of training but because of different limb lenghts. My deadlift is way higher than my squat, I have long femurs. I back squat more than I front squat (as do most people) and I RDL more than I can back squat (not RDL from the ground though)

Some people might have a stronger front than back squat due to training. But usually the front will be lower since you have to stay more upright and you hold your elbows up so your lats are stretched which means not a lot of power can be transferred through them (as opposed to the back squat where the elbows are down and lats flexed)

I do my Deadlift and my RDL starting from the rack to pick up the barbell and then I move away from the rack and just go up and down (without touching the ground or touching the ground slightly on the deadlift) and then after the last rep I put the bar back on the rack.

I am thinking about actually moving to regular deadlifts starting next week for the last 8 weeks of the semester (the one where you deadlift from the ground and relax your muscles for one second or so on the ground before starting the next rep). I have been doing what I explained above for the first 8 weeks of the semester, now its time to move to full ROM. I have to go lighter or with no weight on the bar at first to get the form down good and then gradually move up in weight.

I also have not been doing any squats (back squat or dumbbell squat) in the 8 weeks, so I should start doing that, but after I get my regular deadlift form up to the weight where the form I was using the first 8 weeks was at. I am not sure if I am making the right choice or not to want to be more hip dominant than quad dominant (athlete). That's why I am mentioning this. Am I making the right choices?

you shouldn't not squat just because you want to become hip dominan. there is no point in trying to be hip dominnat, you should try to be good at your sport, and usally, that involves getting a lot of hip strengt. Do squats, and do deadlifts. And yes, deadlifts off the floor.

I squat more than I deadlift. I RDL close to the same weight as my deadlift. My front squat is the weakest lift of the 3. (I would say that is pretty common)

Beginners tend to deadlift more than they squat. As skill in the squat increases they become more the same. After time the squat usually is bigger than the deadlift.

Depending upon how you squat you could be quad dominant or hip dominant. It is not only a matter of being better at deadlifting or squatting. If you use a wider stance squatting style, and that is your best lift, that is a hip dominant exercise. If you squat with feet closer together like a weightlifter, that may be seen as more of a quad dominant lift. (though that is not always the case)

It is not good or bad. It is just what it is.

Again, not good or bad. Just what it is at this time.

If you are meeting your goals, yes. If you are not meeting your goals, maybe not.

Karky also had some good points on limb length and height. Taller people tend to be better at deadlifting than squatting. Short people tend to be better at squatting than deadlifting. Squatting will increase as the size of the body increases. Deadlifting has a point of diminishing returns as body size increases. There is a point where increased size makes the deadlift worse.

Just some food for thought.

I don't think there is that much to it, swt. Quad dom, hip dom...who cares? Just lift. Getting stronger in both is never a bad thing.


On top of that everyone previously brought up good points.