Fitness
Squat vs. Deadlift: Which Is Better for Your Workout?
THE BACK SQUAT and the conventional barbell deadlift are two of the most renowned exercises in the gym for packing on lower body muscle and strength. But, if you had to only pick one, which should you prioritize?
“Welcome to the gym equivalent of Godzilla vs. King Kong,” says Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., MH fitness director. “The reality is, both of these movements sit atop of the exercise food chain as moves that challenge multiple large lower body muscle groups, and let us move major weight.”
You won’t always have time for both in your workout, though. The decision of which to prioritize depends on your body type and your goals. You might also find that you’re better at one or the other, so you’ll naturally gravitate toward your strengths.
Here’s why both exercises deserve a slot in your weekly routine—and when you should start to emphasize one over the other.
How Squats and Deadlifts Are Similar
One thing is for sure: both the squat and deadlift are going to significantly improve your strength. With both exercises, “as long as you’re pushing yourself, you’re using nearly every muscle in your body,” Samuel says.
They also heavily load your spine, which can improve your bone density. But, that also means they’re heavily fatiguing on the central nervous system—meaning you’ll need to plan adequate rest time in between training sets.
How Squats and Deadlifts Are Different
The main difference between the squat and deadlift are the main movers of each lift (a.k.a. the muscle group that drives a majority of the exercise). This will depend on what variation of each exercise is being done, though—a sumo squat is going to utilize a few different muscles than a conventional stance, for example. For the sake of this discussion, let’s focus on the most prevalent variations of each movement: the conventional barbell deadlift and barbell back squat.
The barbell deadlift is a hip-dominant movement. The glutes and hamstrings are the main drivers in pushing to extend the hips. Your big back muscles (lats, rhomboids, and traps) also play a significant role, as you stabilize the spine through the movement.
The barbell back squat is a knee-dominant movement. Your quads, hip adductors, and glutes work together to extend the knees and the hips at the same time. Like the deadlift, your back muscles attribute to the movement as well—your low back extensors shorten at your extend through the hips, and your mid-back muscles work to stabilize the load.
Squats vs. Deadlift: Which Lift to Pick
“In the long term, for strength and physique balance, you’ll want to master and dominate both of these moves,” Samuel says. “But how you prioritize them in your program will change based on your goals and other factors.”
Who Should Prioritize Deadlifts
If your goal is glute, hamstring, and back gains, the deadlift should take the top spot. Yes, the squat utilizes these muscle groups too, but the deadlift places more of an emphasis through the posterior chain than the squat does.
If your goal is to improve athleticism, the deadlift strengthens muscles that work in the hip extension mechanics that power movements like running and jumping.
The deadlift also generally has more carryover into “real-life” movements, too. Think about how often you bend over to pick up something heavy off the ground, like your groceries. The deadlift trains us for more day-to-day actions you wouldn’t typically think of as exertions of strength.
Who Should Prioritize Back Squats
If you have a small window of time in the gym but you want to get better at both exercises, prioritize the squat. The squat trains the same muscles you use in the deadlift, but through a greater range of motion, according to Samuel. The strength you build in a squat will carry over into the deadlift. The same will be true for carryover from a deadlift to a squat, but not to the same extent.
Squats will also be superior to the deadlift if your main muscle-building goal is to grow your quads. They’re one of the main movers of knee flexion and extension, which is the chief mechanic in squats.
Many Olympic lifts, like the power clean and snatch, originate in a squat. So if you’re looking to get better at these powerful movements, you’ll want to emphasize the squat in your routine.
Overall, Samuel emphasizes that this should not be a case of only doing one of these exercises on a regular basis. Your emphasis might be a matter of preference—but if you want to be truly strong, you’ll make time for both.
Cori Ritchey, NASM-CPT is an Associate Health & Fitness Editor at Men’s Health and a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. You can find more of her work in HealthCentral, Livestrong, Self, and others.
Fitness
Steffie Bryant, Alistair Brownlee to Share AI, Performance Insights at European Congress – Health & Fitness Association
From artificial intelligence to elite sport, the HFA European Congress keynote speakers will explore the forces reshaping health and fitness around the world.
By Lia Palazzo, Manager of Public Affairs
Steffie Bryant and Alistair Brownlee are set to offer the two keynote addresses at the 2026 HFA European Congress.
Artificial intelligence and high-performance leadership will take center stage at the 2026 HFA European Congress, where Keepme.ai President Steffie Bryant and two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee will headline the annual gathering of fitness industry leaders.
The Congress, scheduled for September 24-26 at London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will bring together executives, operators, suppliers, investors, and innovators from more than 35 countries to explore the trends shaping the future of health and fitness.
Bryant will open the event on September 24 with a keynote examining how artificial intelligence is transforming fitness businesses. As president of Keepme.ai, she has helped clubs adopt AI-driven tools to strengthen member engagement, improve operations, and drive sustainable growth. Her session will focus on how operators can leverage emerging technology while maintaining a people-first approach. Her keynote is sponsored by Keepme.ai.
Brownlee will headline the second day of the Congress, sharing lessons from Olympic competition, entrepreneurship, and health innovation. The only athlete to win two Olympic gold medals in the individual triathlon, Brownlee is also founder of sports nutrition company truefuels, an investor in health and wellness companies, and co-founder of the Brownlee Foundation, which promotes youth participation in sport.
The speaker lineup reflects this year’s Congress theme, One Vision. One Voice., which focuses on the role innovation, collaboration, and leadership will play in the next chapter of the global fitness industry.
In addition to the keynote presentations, attendees will hear from more than 40 speakers from the fitness sector and related industries addressing trends, GLP-1 usage and exercise, emerging markets to watch, investment opportunities, retention, payment ecosystems, corporate wellness, community initiatives, and more. The full schedule can be viewed here and includes time to connect with suppliers in the Sponsor Marketplace. On September 26, attendees can participate in club and studio tours across London. The club tours can be added at the time of registration.
Presented in partnership with ukactive and hosted by industry leader David Minton of EVOLVE, the HFA European Congress is the industry’s premier European event, offering business leaders insight into emerging trends, new technologies, and opportunities shaping the future of the industry.
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR THE SIERRA FRONT... * Affected Area...Fire Weather Zone 420 Northern Sierra Front including Carson City, Douglas, Storey, Southern Washoe, Western Lyon, and Far Southern Lassen Counties. * Winds...West 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. * Humidity...Afternoon minimums of 12 to 20 percent. * Duration...2 to 5 hours Friday with 3 to 8 hours Saturday. * Impacts...The combination of gusty winds and dry fuels can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires. Follow local fire restrictions. Check weather.gov/reno for updates and livingwithfire.info for preparedness tips. &&
...LAKE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR WASHOE LAKE... * WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph for Washoe Lake. * WHERE...Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area. * WHEN...Until 11 PM PDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds may briefly subside tonight before increasing again early Saturday morning. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Check lake conditions before heading out and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind. &&
In 2025, the global Virtual Reality fitness market was estimated to be worth between $30 – $50 billion dollars and by the mid 2030’s, it is likely to be estimated to be worth up to 400 billion dollars. Big name companies like Meta, Apple, Sony, Samsung and Nike, are investing a lot of money into the field.
One 2025 study by the University of Victoria found that more people utilising VR fitness programs were exercising for longer periods of time. VR based fitness users actively worked out sessions that were an average of 34% longer and VR fitness users were also 2.2 times more likely to complete weekly physical workout requirements than users of traditional home workout equipment.
The real question is, how viable is the market and how much of an opportunity is there for VC-funded startups that are working on the future of fitness technology?
Why Virtual Fitness is Worth Watching
VR fitness is built to solve the problem of the dropout of users of home fitness programs. According to studies, traditional home workouts suffer from dropout rates of 50% within three months. Repetitive workouts become boring and are a drain on motivation.
However, exercising in VR allows fitness to be gamified and VR fitness studies have uncovered an important phenomenon: users perceive their heart rate and effort to be lower than it is and are likely to work out even harder than in traditional settings.
Can You Actually Become Fitter With VR Fitness?
There is no shortage of virtual fitness games out there and yes, you can actually become fitter through a faster heart rate and all while ‘playing a game’ that might not seem so exhaustive when compared to the gym. Active VR games can create an effective aerobic workout and burn calories on par with biking or light jogging.
These games produce real results and the research backs it up. Active VR workouts consistently produce heart rates in the aerobic zone. Game examples include Beat Saber, Supernatural, Les Mills Body Combat VR and Thrill of the Fight.
Opportunities to Expand into Mental Well-Being Through VR
VR fitness isn’t just about physical output. Immersive environments have documented effects on stress and mood, exercising in a virtual forest or on a clifftop coastline produces different psychological responses to a gym mirror.
This mental wellness dimension is opening a new product category: VR fitness platforms that blur into mindfulness apps, targeting the significant overlap between corporate wellness programmes and mental health investment.
What Are The Limitations of Virtual Fitness?
Currently the biggest weakness in VR fitness is the lack of options for strength training. The types of movements that build and maintain muscle mass, like squats and deadlifts, can’t be effectively done in VR without some added equipment. One of the few companies that have started to tackle this problem is Black Box VR, which offers gyms combining VR and cable resistance.
Startups Worth Keeping an Eye On in The VR Fitness Sector
There are a handful of innovative startups in the VR fitness industry that are worth watching in 2026 and beyond- from subscription-based fitness tools to interactive challenges that help increase stamina and even strength:
Supernatural
In 2023, Meta completed its acquisition of Supernatural and integrated the VR fitness platform into the expanding Meta Quest ecosystem. The service offers users daily workouts set in immersive real-world locations, enhanced by licensed music and guided instruction.
As a subscription-based platform, Supernatural has consistently demonstrated some of the strongest retention rates in the consumer VR market, highlighting the viability of the VR fitness subscription model. In 2026, Meta announced that Supernatural would be spun off into a new independent company, Supernatural Health, led by the platform’s original founders. Supernatural Health is expected to relaunch in autumn 2026 with higher subscription pricing, reflecting a renewed focus on growing the platform as a standalone fitness business.
Black Box VR
Purpose-built VR gyms seem to be the focus of Black Box VR. Combining resistance machines and immersive environments is an interesting approach, especially with the existing VR home ecosystems providing frictionless workouts. Black Box VR’s franchise model suggests that they believe the hybrid VR/gym model will bring an edge over the competition when compared to only a software solution.
HOLOFIT
HOLOFIT is a virtual reality fitness platform developed by Holodia that transforms cardio workouts into immersive experiences. Using a VR headset, users can row, cycle, run, or perform bodyweight exercises while exploring virtual worlds and completing interactive challenges.
The platform connects with rowing machines, exercise bikes and ellipticals, making workouts more engaging and motivating through gamification, virtual coaching and online competitions.
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