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AFLW 2024 - Round 10 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Lunges V Squats
- Thread starter GeeUUess
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Ivan Danko
Rookie
Completely different exercises.
You cant really say lunges are 'king' over squats. It would be more like lunges are supplementary to squats. Squats are compound and place a much greater level of stress over a larger amount of musculature, much more essential for developing strength. Whilst I like lunges, and long stride variations really help to murder your gluteals, they definitely are not the 'king' over squats. It would be the other way around.
You cant really say lunges are 'king' over squats. It would be more like lunges are supplementary to squats. Squats are compound and place a much greater level of stress over a larger amount of musculature, much more essential for developing strength. Whilst I like lunges, and long stride variations really help to murder your gluteals, they definitely are not the 'king' over squats. It would be the other way around.
Remember your going to be lifting a hell of a lot more with your squats. Try a max effort squat and a lot of the time it's not your lower body that fails. Such a stress on your core and upper back to keep you upright and it takes a lot more flexibility to perform a proper squat. Personally I find the squat is very hard to teach because of the ankle mobility, chest flexibility and groin flexibility of most people isn't the best.
Lunges are great to promote knee stability and you can concentrate on how the knee tracks and if the glutes are switched on or not. Both have their place and both great.
Lunges are great to promote knee stability and you can concentrate on how the knee tracks and if the glutes are switched on or not. Both have their place and both great.
i'll go with equal but for a variety of reasons
1 - most people can't squat low enough because of mobility issues as mentioned above so single leg exercises will give them the depth and glute/ham stress they don't get with squats....so i'd have to say that single leg hits more muscles then squats i suppose
2 - potentially you could lift just as much through single leg exercises as you could squat...if you squat 100kgs then you'll be able to work up to 50kgs each leg
3 - a million kgs less back stress from single leg exercises
4 - i rate heavy single leg exercises as the hardest exercise to do conditioning wise
i deadlift 95% and squat 5% with my clients and footy players because of the steeper learning curve and between single leg and squats it's probably 70/30 in the single leg favour
1 - most people can't squat low enough because of mobility issues as mentioned above so single leg exercises will give them the depth and glute/ham stress they don't get with squats....so i'd have to say that single leg hits more muscles then squats i suppose
2 - potentially you could lift just as much through single leg exercises as you could squat...if you squat 100kgs then you'll be able to work up to 50kgs each leg
3 - a million kgs less back stress from single leg exercises
4 - i rate heavy single leg exercises as the hardest exercise to do conditioning wise
i deadlift 95% and squat 5% with my clients and footy players because of the steeper learning curve and between single leg and squats it's probably 70/30 in the single leg favour
mcgarnacle
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- Dec 2, 2003
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not many average folks who lift do either of them.
doing either is much better than doing neither.
doing either is much better than doing neither.
The Strength of Evidence Podcast did an episode looking at the scientific literature regarding back squats versus lunges. It was quite informative and I'd recommend it to everyone.
Mike Boyle is known as the 'lunges over squats' guy. I believe his main argument is that the limiting transducer in the squat is the lower back rather than the hips or legs, so he uses heavy lunges for his clients.
I don't think it's necessary to stop doing heavy squats but from the literature there seems to be some decent evidence to suggest you can get a lot of benefits out of unilateral work.
I currently only squat.
Mike Boyle is known as the 'lunges over squats' guy. I believe his main argument is that the limiting transducer in the squat is the lower back rather than the hips or legs, so he uses heavy lunges for his clients.
I don't think it's necessary to stop doing heavy squats but from the literature there seems to be some decent evidence to suggest you can get a lot of benefits out of unilateral work.
I currently only squat.
I'll have to agree that heavy barbell lunges are fantastic. So good for glute development. I believe squats would hit your quads to a greater extent, but I lunge far more than i squat now.
As CptKirk mentioned single leg exercises are so good. A lunge is a great way to develop hip control, that doesn't get tested out in a squat. Range of motion is greater and you can't 'cheat' by favouring left or right.
I just don't know why more people in the gym don't do them...It's the best exercise i've found.
As CptKirk mentioned single leg exercises are so good. A lunge is a great way to develop hip control, that doesn't get tested out in a squat. Range of motion is greater and you can't 'cheat' by favouring left or right.
I just don't know why more people in the gym don't do them...It's the best exercise i've found.
- Oct 7, 2002
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My legs are much more jelly-like after lunges than squats.
cos they're hard
but...
most people do them for high reps which is not the best way in my book...load up some weight and aim for 6 - 8 reps...and if you see a program with sets of 12 - 15 reps of lunges with a tempo then tear it up and get a new one
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Yeah same. I also get more DOMS from lunges than squats.
Agreed. You see guys squat heavy for 6-8 reps, and then grab some light dumbells and do sets of 15-20 lunges. It doesn't make sense.
Hit lunges heavy and low reps - 6 if you ask me.
Not a fan of barbell back squats, but have found front squats and goblet squats to be quite good.
Lunges and bulgarians are my favourite, they're so hard and difficult to adjust to though.
Lost access to heavy barbells and a squat rack last soccer season, so I started alternating bulgarians and lunges for my lower push movement for around a month. Glutes and hamstrings benefited greatly and my lower back was coping with the stress of so much lifting and running quite easily. Overall I felt more 'balanced' if that makes sense, like despite my legs not being as strong or big as in the past, it felt like I'd cope easier if an opponent ran into me or something.
Lunges and bulgarians are my favourite, they're so hard and difficult to adjust to though.
Lost access to heavy barbells and a squat rack last soccer season, so I started alternating bulgarians and lunges for my lower push movement for around a month. Glutes and hamstrings benefited greatly and my lower back was coping with the stress of so much lifting and running quite easily. Overall I felt more 'balanced' if that makes sense, like despite my legs not being as strong or big as in the past, it felt like I'd cope easier if an opponent ran into me or something.
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I avoided lunges for a good 12 months, partly because like you said they are hard but also i had some issues with my adductor/abductor you know the line where the hip and leg meet. But during the time earlier this year when i wasn't playing footy the sore area was pretty good and i introduced walking lunges as a finisher set on leg day and it was a MOFO, but a good feeling when i completed my sets. I grabbed the prefixed barbells around 40-45kg half my body weight 10-12 steps x 4-6 sets
I would say that is because guys generally like to squat heavy and only do half squats at best which is all quad, but use lighter weights when doing walking lunges and involves more glute/hammies hence the greater DOMS because the range of motion is greater.
Back squats high reps have me waddling around for a good 2 days after. Them hams and glutes. Adding some Bulgarian split squats which I've been enjoying/hating.
I have been finishing off my leg day with some hack squat just to get some quad recruitment. This seems to work my quads the best, I do it at the end since I couldn't care less what weight I use just as long as it burns.
I have been finishing off my leg day with some hack squat just to get some quad recruitment. This seems to work my quads the best, I do it at the end since I couldn't care less what weight I use just as long as it burns.
- Mar 2, 2007
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Not me, I go fairly light with my squats and concentrate on depth. Always feel it far more in my glutes the next day than my quads.
Actually, although I said lunges technically what I do is probably a split squat (didn't realise there was a difference til I looked it up just then) - those stepping lunges hurt my knees.
Does lunges generally mean the walking ones where its one leg in front of the other? Unfortunately my gym now doesn't have any spare space where these can be done without hassling others.
Or are most people referring to the split squats as mentioned above and the Bulgarian split squat?
And lastly is any rated above the others especially in terms of glute and hamstrings? From personal experience I would think the walking lunge and bulgarian method work best, for some reason I find the second half of the split squat to be awkward and even a little painful on the knees.
Or are most people referring to the split squats as mentioned above and the Bulgarian split squat?
And lastly is any rated above the others especially in terms of glute and hamstrings? From personal experience I would think the walking lunge and bulgarian method work best, for some reason I find the second half of the split squat to be awkward and even a little painful on the knees.
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Its a bit like the old chin up vs. pull up debate. From my point of view, i'd say lunges are where you move the position of the feet, so you move the front foot backwards and forwards or alternate legs, walking lunges are pretty self explanatory. Split squats and static lunges (where the feet remain in the same position) would be one of the same. I'd say pound for pound split squats and static lunges would be hardly purely because you are keeping the tension on the muscles a lot more. Whereas walking lunges or alternating legs lunges take the tensions off and you are swapping the load on each leg with each rep.
here's a quick rundown of single leg training stuff
when both feet stay on the ground it's a squat, but a split "stance" squat...same with bulgarians
when your feet leave the ground its a lunge
what muscles you use will depend on the depth you go down to with the lower you go the more the glute/hams will get a look in
the progression i use is:
step up
split squat
reverse lunge
walking lunge
bulgarian split squat
dynamic lunge
then i have some deficit variations where you start on an elevated surface and with 1 or both feet
all at bodyweight then go back to the start and add load
when both feet stay on the ground it's a squat, but a split "stance" squat...same with bulgarians
when your feet leave the ground its a lunge
what muscles you use will depend on the depth you go down to with the lower you go the more the glute/hams will get a look in
the progression i use is:
step up
split squat
reverse lunge
walking lunge
bulgarian split squat
dynamic lunge
then i have some deficit variations where you start on an elevated surface and with 1 or both feet
all at bodyweight then go back to the start and add load
