Goosey
.
With all of the variations of this question, it has to be one of the most popular questions in training.* This is an attempt to offer a perspective which you can’t get without stepping back from the question, and to offer some direct comparisons for three popular variations of this question.
“Should I do squats or deadlifts?”
This question is usually asked by somebody who simply wants to gain some size.** Most are aware that the squat has a considerable history and a deserved reputation for being extremely useful in this regard.**
Not nearly as many are aware that the deadlift can offer comparable gains if performed in a similar fashion, but many have reasons specific to their circumstances that make them ask.
If you are legitimately training hard, then the degree to which you take care of factors outside the gym (sleep and food) will be a much larger factor in muscular weight gain than which of these movements you perform.*
I’ve gotten to observe this first hand.*
Peary Rader wrote about the use of the deadlift for gaining size in The Rader Master Bodybuilding and Weight Gaining System; after all his experiences and observations of the suffering people went through with 20 rep squats, his comment was “The principle reason for it not being more popular as a weight gaining medium is because it is very hard work when used correctly for this purpose.”*
Paul Kelso noted in Texas Powerlifting Basics that “Reports are increasing of similar big gains with high rep deadlifts in the same workout pattern.”* If you do deadlifts as described in Take it to the Limit Part 3* then you can replicate the conditions that were used when I made my original observations.
Squat advantages:* Squats do a better job of training the thighs, and are safer to take to the limit.
Deadlift advantages:* Deadlifts do a better job of training the back and hips, give you some grip training, and you can perform them without a power or squat rack.
If you can do both movements, then you will benefit from doing both movements over the course of your lifting life.*
Deadlifts will help you build the torso stability needed to support a heavy barbell for squats, and as a result of the degree to which they strengthen the lower back will provide a margin of safety for the lower back when doing squats.*
Squats will help you develop the ability to start a heavy deadlift by “pushing away the floor” – if your thighs are weak, you will straighten your legs and have your hips rise before you get the bar moving.
As an aside, here is a brutal routine idea which Dr. Leistner wrote up in The Steel Tip.**
Do deadlifts for moderate to high reps and follow them with leg presses for moderate to high reps.*
This works especially well if you have a leg press unit which allows starting each rep from a dead stop at the bottom (i.e., the stops are at the bottom, not near full leg extension) and if you can load the leg press up so it is ready to go when your deadlift set ends.*
Do this once per week and you won’t need or want to do much of anything else for your lower half during the rest of the week.
Don’t reverse the order for safety reasons.* With fatigued legs from leg pressing, you will be weak at the bottom position of your deadlifts, and will straighten your legs too early, placing excess loads on your lower back.**
The alternative would be to reduce the weight substantially and not stimulate your back as well.*
It’s easy enough to do leg presses safely with a fatigued back, especially if you set up to avoid going to deep (easy with leg press units that have stops at the bottom).*
Deadlifts first, leg press second.
“Should I do chin-ups or rows?”
If you are doing squats or deadlifts hard and progressively, any difference in muscle mass gains between any two roughly comparable upper body movements is going to be comparatively minor.*
Which will give you the better back?* Both!* Don’t think in terms of choosing between them.*
In the next year you have plenty of time to devote to each of these movements, and each of them offers its own benefits.
Row advantages:* Rows offer greater postural benefits by working traps II-IV harder; this is an advantage that should not be overlooked.*
This has health benefits more important than gaining mass, and it also aids in your ability to maintain a proper posture when performing deadlifts or squats.*
Rows also offer the possibility of working with less than bodyweight, which can be a huge benefit to those not yet strong enough to do chin-ups.
Chin-up advantages:*
Chin-ups work the lats over a great range of motion, and use a greater resistance (total load).* [As a general rule the movement that uses the greater load over the greatest range of motion will work the most mass, but in this case it is probably due to a more efficient use of the muscles used.*
Both have about the same contracted position of the lats, but rows start with the lats near their midpoint, much less stretched than they are at the start of a chin-up.*
In any case, to reiterate, if you are squatting or deadlifting hard and progressively, any difference between chin-ups and rows in this regards is going to be of secondary importance.]**
If deadlifts are in your routine, chin-ups may offer a more unique stimulus than rows; chin-ups also offer a bit of spinal decompression after squats or deadlifts, which isn’t available from rows.*
Along those same lines, if the only rowing variants available to you stress the lower back, chin-ups may allow better recovery for your squats or deadlifts.
Do both movements.*
Alternate doing them from session to session, or from routine to routine.* Be advised that when moving from chin-ups to rows, it is possible to muscle up the bar using strong lats and not load the traps effectively.* You can’t always go from doing rows to doing chin-ups, but you can always go from doing chin-ups to doing rows – just not necessarily for maximum benefit.
“Should I do bench presses or dips?”
Again, if you are doing squats or deadlifts hard and progressively, any difference in muscle mass gains between any two roughtly comparable upper body movements is going to be comparatively minor.*
And as much as this news will pain some readers, your chest is smaller than either your lats or your traps, so the significance of getting the perfect chest workout is really pretty minor.
The best way to choose between these two movements is on the basis of which you can safely train the hardest.*
This is going to be a function of the equipment available to you* and your build.* Whether or not you have a trained spotter also makes a difference.
To bench press safely, you need to have either a trained spotter or a mechanical catch of some kind, so that you can’t be trapped with a loaded bar on your chest.*
For example, you might pull a utility bench into a power rack and set the pins so that when you fail on a repetition, you can simply deflate your lungs and slide out.*
To dip safely, you need a stable dip stand (one that won’t wobble) with handles that are a safe distance apart.****
Wide handles are not good for shoulders.* The dip stand also needs a step system, or you need to move a block into the center of it, so that when you fail on a repetition, you can simply put your feet down and get off the dip stand without jumping or having your shoulders stretched under load.
If you have long arms and a narrow chest, bench pressing all the way to your chest might put an excessive stretch on your shoulders.*
If you have short arms and a barrel chest, your body will provide a natural stop when benching, but when you go to do dips, you can easily put an excessive stretch on your shoulders by letting your arms move further behind your torso than they do when you bench.*
Regardless of your build, test for your safe range of motion before you load your shoulders; how far back can you move your upper arms without a loaded bar or your body weight pushing them further?
If you have lower back problems, the bench press might aggravate them.* See about putting blocks near the base of the bench so you can raise your feet slightly and reduce the arch in your lower back.*
If that doesn’t help, stick to seated machine variants or do dips.
Bench advantages:*
Bench presses allow the option of training with less than bodyweight for resistance.* The equipment used allows for a greater degree of individual fit, e.g., grip width and where the bar is lowered can be adjusted to reduce the joint stress on the shoulder.
Dip advantages:*
No spotter is needed, and there is usually not a waiting line for dip stands.* In addition to training the pressing musculature, dips work the lats to some extent and even work traps IV.
Some lifters get a better training effect on their chest and triceps from benching, some from dipping.*
As both lifts have the potential to be rough on the shoulders, it would probably be to your advantage to not perform either movement perpetually.*
Instead take an occasional break from doing one to do the other, or even take a break from doing either of them for a while.
Summary
There are four basic principles you should take away from this article which will help you answer the question “which movement should I do?” when it arises.
1)* If you are legitimately training hard, then the degree to which you take care of factors outside the gym (sleep and food) will be a much larger factor in muscular weight gain than whether you perform squats or deadlifts.
2)* If you are doing squats or deadlifts hard and progressively, any difference in muscle mass gains between any two roughly comparable upper body movements is going to be comparatively minor.
3)* The best way to choose between two similar movements is on the basis of which you can safely train the hardest.
4)* Your choice isn’t a permanent choice.* Don’t think in terms of choosing between movements.* In the years to come you will have plenty of time to devote to both of the* movements you are trying to choose between.* Your joints and muscles will both benefit from you performing a variety of movements over time, so plan on doing just that.
“Should I do squats or deadlifts?”
This question is usually asked by somebody who simply wants to gain some size.** Most are aware that the squat has a considerable history and a deserved reputation for being extremely useful in this regard.**
Not nearly as many are aware that the deadlift can offer comparable gains if performed in a similar fashion, but many have reasons specific to their circumstances that make them ask.
If you are legitimately training hard, then the degree to which you take care of factors outside the gym (sleep and food) will be a much larger factor in muscular weight gain than which of these movements you perform.*
I’ve gotten to observe this first hand.*
Peary Rader wrote about the use of the deadlift for gaining size in The Rader Master Bodybuilding and Weight Gaining System; after all his experiences and observations of the suffering people went through with 20 rep squats, his comment was “The principle reason for it not being more popular as a weight gaining medium is because it is very hard work when used correctly for this purpose.”*
Paul Kelso noted in Texas Powerlifting Basics that “Reports are increasing of similar big gains with high rep deadlifts in the same workout pattern.”* If you do deadlifts as described in Take it to the Limit Part 3* then you can replicate the conditions that were used when I made my original observations.
Squat advantages:* Squats do a better job of training the thighs, and are safer to take to the limit.
Deadlift advantages:* Deadlifts do a better job of training the back and hips, give you some grip training, and you can perform them without a power or squat rack.
If you can do both movements, then you will benefit from doing both movements over the course of your lifting life.*
Deadlifts will help you build the torso stability needed to support a heavy barbell for squats, and as a result of the degree to which they strengthen the lower back will provide a margin of safety for the lower back when doing squats.*
Squats will help you develop the ability to start a heavy deadlift by “pushing away the floor” – if your thighs are weak, you will straighten your legs and have your hips rise before you get the bar moving.
As an aside, here is a brutal routine idea which Dr. Leistner wrote up in The Steel Tip.**
Do deadlifts for moderate to high reps and follow them with leg presses for moderate to high reps.*
This works especially well if you have a leg press unit which allows starting each rep from a dead stop at the bottom (i.e., the stops are at the bottom, not near full leg extension) and if you can load the leg press up so it is ready to go when your deadlift set ends.*
Do this once per week and you won’t need or want to do much of anything else for your lower half during the rest of the week.
Don’t reverse the order for safety reasons.* With fatigued legs from leg pressing, you will be weak at the bottom position of your deadlifts, and will straighten your legs too early, placing excess loads on your lower back.**
The alternative would be to reduce the weight substantially and not stimulate your back as well.*
It’s easy enough to do leg presses safely with a fatigued back, especially if you set up to avoid going to deep (easy with leg press units that have stops at the bottom).*
Deadlifts first, leg press second.
“Should I do chin-ups or rows?”
If you are doing squats or deadlifts hard and progressively, any difference in muscle mass gains between any two roughly comparable upper body movements is going to be comparatively minor.*
Which will give you the better back?* Both!* Don’t think in terms of choosing between them.*
In the next year you have plenty of time to devote to each of these movements, and each of them offers its own benefits.
Row advantages:* Rows offer greater postural benefits by working traps II-IV harder; this is an advantage that should not be overlooked.*
This has health benefits more important than gaining mass, and it also aids in your ability to maintain a proper posture when performing deadlifts or squats.*
Rows also offer the possibility of working with less than bodyweight, which can be a huge benefit to those not yet strong enough to do chin-ups.
Chin-up advantages:*
Chin-ups work the lats over a great range of motion, and use a greater resistance (total load).* [As a general rule the movement that uses the greater load over the greatest range of motion will work the most mass, but in this case it is probably due to a more efficient use of the muscles used.*
Both have about the same contracted position of the lats, but rows start with the lats near their midpoint, much less stretched than they are at the start of a chin-up.*
In any case, to reiterate, if you are squatting or deadlifting hard and progressively, any difference between chin-ups and rows in this regards is going to be of secondary importance.]**
If deadlifts are in your routine, chin-ups may offer a more unique stimulus than rows; chin-ups also offer a bit of spinal decompression after squats or deadlifts, which isn’t available from rows.*
Along those same lines, if the only rowing variants available to you stress the lower back, chin-ups may allow better recovery for your squats or deadlifts.
Do both movements.*
Alternate doing them from session to session, or from routine to routine.* Be advised that when moving from chin-ups to rows, it is possible to muscle up the bar using strong lats and not load the traps effectively.* You can’t always go from doing rows to doing chin-ups, but you can always go from doing chin-ups to doing rows – just not necessarily for maximum benefit.
“Should I do bench presses or dips?”
Again, if you are doing squats or deadlifts hard and progressively, any difference in muscle mass gains between any two roughtly comparable upper body movements is going to be comparatively minor.*
And as much as this news will pain some readers, your chest is smaller than either your lats or your traps, so the significance of getting the perfect chest workout is really pretty minor.
The best way to choose between these two movements is on the basis of which you can safely train the hardest.*
This is going to be a function of the equipment available to you* and your build.* Whether or not you have a trained spotter also makes a difference.
To bench press safely, you need to have either a trained spotter or a mechanical catch of some kind, so that you can’t be trapped with a loaded bar on your chest.*
For example, you might pull a utility bench into a power rack and set the pins so that when you fail on a repetition, you can simply deflate your lungs and slide out.*
To dip safely, you need a stable dip stand (one that won’t wobble) with handles that are a safe distance apart.****
Wide handles are not good for shoulders.* The dip stand also needs a step system, or you need to move a block into the center of it, so that when you fail on a repetition, you can simply put your feet down and get off the dip stand without jumping or having your shoulders stretched under load.
If you have long arms and a narrow chest, bench pressing all the way to your chest might put an excessive stretch on your shoulders.*
If you have short arms and a barrel chest, your body will provide a natural stop when benching, but when you go to do dips, you can easily put an excessive stretch on your shoulders by letting your arms move further behind your torso than they do when you bench.*
Regardless of your build, test for your safe range of motion before you load your shoulders; how far back can you move your upper arms without a loaded bar or your body weight pushing them further?
If you have lower back problems, the bench press might aggravate them.* See about putting blocks near the base of the bench so you can raise your feet slightly and reduce the arch in your lower back.*
If that doesn’t help, stick to seated machine variants or do dips.
Bench advantages:*
Bench presses allow the option of training with less than bodyweight for resistance.* The equipment used allows for a greater degree of individual fit, e.g., grip width and where the bar is lowered can be adjusted to reduce the joint stress on the shoulder.
Dip advantages:*
No spotter is needed, and there is usually not a waiting line for dip stands.* In addition to training the pressing musculature, dips work the lats to some extent and even work traps IV.
Some lifters get a better training effect on their chest and triceps from benching, some from dipping.*
As both lifts have the potential to be rough on the shoulders, it would probably be to your advantage to not perform either movement perpetually.*
Instead take an occasional break from doing one to do the other, or even take a break from doing either of them for a while.
Summary
There are four basic principles you should take away from this article which will help you answer the question “which movement should I do?” when it arises.
1)* If you are legitimately training hard, then the degree to which you take care of factors outside the gym (sleep and food) will be a much larger factor in muscular weight gain than whether you perform squats or deadlifts.
2)* If you are doing squats or deadlifts hard and progressively, any difference in muscle mass gains between any two roughly comparable upper body movements is going to be comparatively minor.
3)* The best way to choose between two similar movements is on the basis of which you can safely train the hardest.
4)* Your choice isn’t a permanent choice.* Don’t think in terms of choosing between movements.* In the years to come you will have plenty of time to devote to both of the* movements you are trying to choose between.* Your joints and muscles will both benefit from you performing a variety of movements over time, so plan on doing just that.
