Squat and Deadlift on Same Day

Well… the title is basically the question. Thoughts and opinions? In a meet deadlift is obviously done after squats so it could get you ready for that type of stress

Yes you can squat and deadlift on the same day. You can squat and deadlift heavy on the same day. You can squat light and deadlift heavy on the same day. You can squat heavy and deadlift light on the same day. You can do deadlifts first and squats second. You can do squats first and deadlifts second.

So yes you can squat and deadlift on the same day.

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You can absolutely can squat and deadlift on the same day.

A good program that has this setup is Jonnie Candito’s 6 week intermediate program. Check it out.

Jason

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Didn’t we literally have this conversation sometime in the past week?

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Yes and No

Let take a look as some method that are effective and ineffective.

Squatting and Deadlifting Same Day

  1. Light Squat Then Heavy Deadlift: This allows you to do some Squat Training on your Deadlift Day.

A Light Squat program essentially is a Warm Up for your Heavy Deadlift.

  1. Heavy Morning Squat, Heavy Afternoon Deadlift.

This method allows you to go heavy on your Squat, the be more recovered for your Heavy Deadlift.

I used this method for a while. It works. However, I found two a days while having a job mentally draining.

Back To Back Heavy Squat and Heavy Deadlifts

  1. In a Powerlifting Meet, the Squat is separated from the Deadlift by a few hours. Thus, if you really want to replicate a Powerlifting Meet with a Squat and Deadlift, perfoming Heavy Squats in the morning and Heavy Deadlifts in the afternoon is going to be the most effective way to simulate it. \

  2. Performing Heavy Back Squat followed with Heavy Deadlifts in the same Training Session does not replicate a Powerlifting Meet.

Performing Heavy Squats followed with Heavy Deadlifts ensure…

a) Less Strength will be developed in your Deadlift. The same muscle groups are employed in the Squat and Deadlift. Exhausting yourself in the Squat means you will use substantially less weight in training your Deadlift.

It also means your Deadlift Technique isn’t going to be good due to muscle fatigue.

Technique is optimized when an exercise is preformed first in your program, when the muscle are fresh.

Thus, the lower down the exercise is in your training program, the less Strength and Technique you are able to develop.

Other Options

  1. Separate Squat and Deadlift Days

Think training them on separate day as you with by having an Upper Body Push Day (Pressing/Pushing Movements) and a Upper Body Pull Day (Lats. Biceps).

The Lower Body works in a somewhat similar way.

Squats are a Quad/Anterior Chain Movement; it overload the Quads and works the Glutes. The Hamstrings are limited in the movement, the Back performing an Isometric Action so you can maintain an upright position.

Deadlifts are a Hamstring, Glute, Back/Posterior Chain Movement. The overload places on those muscle groups with some involvement from the Quads.

The amount of Quad Movement is dependent on which Deadlift your perform; Sumo is reliant more so on the Quads with the Conventional is less.

Thus, Squat Only Days and Deadlift Only Days are similar to Upper Body Push/Pull Only Days.

  1. Every Other Week Training

Another method that some lifter employ is alternating the weekly training of the Squat and Deadlift. Work the Squat on week, the Deadlift the next week, then repeat.

I tried this method but did’t care for it. However, I know lifters who swear by it.

Thoughts, Opinions and Recommendations

Those are mine. Experiment and see what might work for you.

Kenny Croxdale

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Thanks so much! I’m doing upper/lower twice a week. One heavy day one light day. On the light day I do squat and deadlift variations like pause squat or sldl. Do you think I should put heavy squats on the light day instead of the heavy day before deadlifts?

This is what I have been doing for the last while and it’s working well. I feel that I need to squat at least twice a week to maintain consistent technique, and for novice lifters this is definitely a good idea if you aren’t going to do full body workouts. What I do is 5 sets of 2 with 60% of my squat max and then start deadlifting.

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What sort of program are you following? I doubt you need a light day at this point.

It’s similar to Jonnie Candito’s novice program. My “light day” is more of a higher volume bodybuilding type day

My personal preference is a main squat day with some deadlift assistance work like RDLs or GMs and then light squat before deadlift, but another setup that some people use is to do light squats after deadlifting. Personally I don’t like that at all, but you could give it a shot and see if it works for you. The only way I have had success with that is on a full body program that had me benching in between, otherwise my squat just feels off.

As far as heavy squat and deadlift on the same day, the only way that can really work is if you don’t do much volume on that day, or at least not for squats.

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so one day is squat and squat accessories like pause and front squat and the other day is light/speed squat then deadlift, then deadlift accessories like sldl, pause deadlift, rdl

I do RDLs on my main squat day, but yes that is basically the idea.

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Squat-Deadlift Combinations

  1. Heavy Squats combined with Light Deadlifts.

This method allows you to increase your Squat Strength and perform 'Active Recovery" for your Deadlift.

Active Recovery means performing a light exercise which increase blood flow to the muscle and tissue. Increased blood circulation delivers nutrients to the muscle and takes out the “Metablolic Garbage”; both increase recovery.

Passive Recovery means sitting around doing nothing. Passive Recovery isn’t as effective as Active Recovery.

  1. Light Squats combined with Heavy Deadlifts

To reiterate from a previous post, Light Squats performed berfore Heavy Deadlifts allow some Squat work and provide a Warm Up for your Heavy Deadlift.

The main issue that many lifters have with a Light Squat combined with a Heavy Deadlift Training session is being…

Overly Ambitious

Overly Ambitious Lifters believe that “More is better.” They turn their Light Squat into a heavier training session that it should be or performing too many set and repetitions.

Chip McCain Light Method

McCain was one of the great Dealifter of the late 1970’s and 1980/s, pulling a World Record 799 lbs/362.5 kg at a body weight of 198 lbs.

McCain Deadlifted one day a week; alternation a heavy week with a light week. McCain’s Light Deadlift Training Weeks loads were inconsistent.

In interviewing McCain, I quizzed him on why his Light Deadlift Training Loads were so inconsistent, with no apparent reasons.

McCain stated, “I make my Light Days Light.” He didn’t go by poundage. He went by how heavy the weight felt. He’d go up until the weight began to feel a little heavy, then stop.

That method today is referred to as…

Autoregulate

In plain English that means, “Listen to your body”; a common trait amount advance, good athletes.

Football Analogy

Autoregulation amounts to a Quarter Back calling an Audible at the line of scrimmage, changing the play called in the huddle based on something he sees for feel that defense is going to do.

The Take Home Message

Make your Light Days Light. This promotes faster recovery which translates to being stronger in your next Heavy Training Session.

Kenny Croxdale

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Thanks so much for such an in depth answer!