which should i be stronger in: deadlifts or back squats?

[Toan Tran]

not sure if this goes here or the exercises forum. please move if needed. also, i tried search for "deadlift and squat" and came up with a million threads. if there is a better search string, please let me know.

i did my first CFT yesterday and noticed there was a huge difference btw my back squat and deadlift (205 and 305, respectively). i was just wondering if this was "normal?" regardless, is there anything i can do to squat more weight? btw, i do go down at least until the top of my thighs are parallel with the floor.

this is my 7th week of x-fit.

29yom/5'11''/150#

[Steven Low]

wfs
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLi...hStandards.htm

[John Pavlic]

Yes, your deadlift max will usually be more than your max back squat wieght

[Toan Tran]

but over 50% difference? guess i just suck at back squats

[Stephen Smith]

Originally Posted by Steven Low

wfs
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLi...hStandards.htm

Sweet! I hit intermediate in press, bench press and deadlift! Just novice in squat though, and I haven't tried a heavy clean yet... Lets me know what to work on, I guess! Still, for 1 month of conventional 'bodybuilding', followed by a little over a month of Crossfit, I feel better about my CFT. Thanks for the link, Steven.

[Aaron Gainer]

Learn to front squat and do that for a day, do lunges on another, and back squat on the last day. Strengthen the whole leg throughout these movements and your squat will dramatically improve.


In addition, keep working the deadlift and just focus on getting the legs stronger.

[Stavros Kalogirou]

I have the opposite problem, which seems equally as strange. DL- 385, BS- 405, SP- 155 (BW- 185#). Anyways, I'm scratching my head as well but I think it comes down to technique. Did many squats in high school, neglected heavy DL's until Crossfit. Go figure!

[Brandon Oto]

Originally Posted by Aaron Gainer

Learn to front squat and do that for a day, do lunges on another, and back squat on the last day. Strengthen the whole leg throughout these movements and your squat will dramatically improve.

At his level, I'd just be working on more back squats rather than assistance movements.

[Patrick Haskell]

Add squats to your workout once a week, typically working the 3-5 reps range, either before a WOD or in lieu of one. You'll find your squat numbers going up fast. Brandon is right. Those other exercises are useful when you've maxed out your progress by training just the core lift, but at this point, you should be training your neuromuscular system to squat. You'll get much greater strength gains from that than from building the component muscles through different exercises.

[Toan Tran]

Originally Posted by Patrick Haskell

Add squats to your workout once a week, typically working the 3-5 reps range, either before a WOD or in lieu of one. You'll find your squat numbers going up fast. Brandon is right. Those other exercises are useful when you've maxed out your progress by training just the core lift, but at this point, you should be training your neuromuscular system to squat. You'll get much greater strength gains from that than from building the component muscles through different exercises.

roger that. will add back squats