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If it's your back your worried about, I would recommend deadlifts over squats. They're much easier to do from a technique standpoint & have less risk. Also squa

If it's your back your worried about, I would recommend deadlifts over squats. They're much easier to do from a technique standpoint & have less risk. Also squats are more for leg strength. Deadlifts are great for your back and also work several other muscles, including your legs. Squats are great for building leg strength but have a high risk of back & knee injury under heavy loads if done incorrectly. Even if you do them correctly, a heavy load might force you to lean forward which can damage your back. There are much safer lifts for those of us who aren't experts, such as hex bar squats.

dpark 9y ago
> Even if you do them correctly, a heavy load might force you to lean forward which can damage your back. Leaning forward damages your back? Then why are you suggesting deadlifts? Squats are not hard to do correctly. Risk of injury is probably not higher than deadlifts. And squats work more than just legs. They do work the legs hard, but they also work the back. Front squats will also work the upper back quite a bit.
- SmellyGeekBoy 9y ago
  Why not both? Plus other mobility and cardio work. It's all beneficial in various ways.
  - dpark 9y ago
    Of course do both. I was not advocating otherwise. :)
- mattferderer 9y ago
  It appears "leaning forward" was not a great phrase to use. I meant to say it may force you to lean forward an additional amount into a bad position where you need to lean backwards to correct it. This is where hurting your back would occur. I agree, front squats are great! But I personally feel squats do minimal to back muscles.
  - dpark 9y ago
    Those back muscles are doing a ton of work keeping you from falling forward. They don't work as much in the squat as in the deadlift, but they still do a lot of work in the squat. The amount of work the lower back does is directly related to how far forward the body leans (at the hips; I'm assuming we're not discussing bent-back lifts). The lower back does a lot of work in a deadlift to counteract the torque the weight creates via the upper body lean. In a low-back back squat, the amount of work the lower body does is reduced somewhat because the lean and therefore the torque reduced. It's reduced even further in a high-bar squat, and in a front squat the back muscles are mostly doing isometric work in conjuction with the abs to keep your spine from collapsing. Even if your squat form is bad and you're leaning excessively, you're probably not putting more stress on your back than in a deadlift. Unless maybe you're dive-bombing your squats and letting your lower back round a ton at the bottom.
foroak 9y ago
That's the whole point of doing the exercise in the first place. You get hurt and have bad form because you are weak. Squats are not just for leg strength. They work the entire posterior chain. Any exercise has the potential to hurt you if you do it incorrectly.
- mattferderer 9y ago
  I don't disagree. My argument is that getting the technique right on certain exercises is harder & have a higher risk than others.
conradfr 9y ago
According to Rippetoe if it's a low bar squat it's OK to lean forward as long as your back is straight[1]. Of course as anything in fitness it's always up for debate. [1]https://startingstrength.com/article/squat-mechanics-a-clarification https://startingstrength.com/article/squat-mechanics-a-clari...
- trendia 9y ago
  From my own experience in the gym, leaning forward can cause an almost instinctual movement to lift the bar by "pushing back" with the back. That is, rather than lifting the bar using the legs, lifting the bar by bending back. Of course, Rippletoe would never recommend doing this, and while leaning forward doesn't guarantee improper form, it can sure make it easier.
  - mattferderer 9y ago
    Thank you for clarifying that. That is exactly what I meant but obviously failed at communicating. Leaning forward is okay while doing squats. A heavy weight causing you to lean forward out of your position is bad.

dpark 9y ago

> Even if you do them correctly, a heavy load might force you to lean forward which can damage your back. Leaning forward damages your back? Then why are you suggesting deadlifts? Squats are not hard to do correctly. Risk of injury is probably not higher than deadlifts. And squats work more than just legs. They do work the legs hard, but they also work the back. Front squats will also work the upper back quite a bit.

SmellyGeekBoy 9y ago
Why not both? Plus other mobility and cardio work. It's all beneficial in various ways.
- dpark 9y ago
  Of course do both. I was not advocating otherwise. :)
mattferderer 9y ago
It appears "leaning forward" was not a great phrase to use. I meant to say it may force you to lean forward an additional amount into a bad position where you need to lean backwards to correct it. This is where hurting your back would occur. I agree, front squats are great! But I personally feel squats do minimal to back muscles.
- dpark 9y ago
  Those back muscles are doing a ton of work keeping you from falling forward. They don't work as much in the squat as in the deadlift, but they still do a lot of work in the squat. The amount of work the lower back does is directly related to how far forward the body leans (at the hips; I'm assuming we're not discussing bent-back lifts). The lower back does a lot of work in a deadlift to counteract the torque the weight creates via the upper body lean. In a low-back back squat, the amount of work the lower body does is reduced somewhat because the lean and therefore the torque reduced. It's reduced even further in a high-bar squat, and in a front squat the back muscles are mostly doing isometric work in conjuction with the abs to keep your spine from collapsing. Even if your squat form is bad and you're leaning excessively, you're probably not putting more stress on your back than in a deadlift. Unless maybe you're dive-bombing your squats and letting your lower back round a ton at the bottom.

foroak 9y ago

That's the whole point of doing the exercise in the first place. You get hurt and have bad form because you are weak. Squats are not just for leg strength. They work the entire posterior chain. Any exercise has the potential to hurt you if you do it incorrectly.

mattferderer 9y ago
I don't disagree. My argument is that getting the technique right on certain exercises is harder & have a higher risk than others.

conradfr 9y ago

According to Rippetoe if it's a low bar squat it's OK to lean forward as long as your back is straight[1]. Of course as anything in fitness it's always up for debate. [1]https://startingstrength.com/article/squat-mechanics-a-clarification https://startingstrength.com/article/squat-mechanics-a-clari...

trendia 9y ago
From my own experience in the gym, leaning forward can cause an almost instinctual movement to lift the bar by "pushing back" with the back. That is, rather than lifting the bar using the legs, lifting the bar by bending back. Of course, Rippletoe would never recommend doing this, and while leaning forward doesn't guarantee improper form, it can sure make it easier.
- mattferderer 9y ago
  Thank you for clarifying that. That is exactly what I meant but obviously failed at communicating. Leaning forward is okay while doing squats. A heavy weight causing you to lean forward out of your position is bad.