When it comes to full-body exercises that build muscle and strength, no two core exercises get more praise than the back squat and the traditional deadlift. Combined with other exercises, they're sure to strengthen your core and lower body.
So it came as no surprise when Wes Kitts, one of Team USA's top Olympic weightlifters, suggested that these moves should be a key part of everyone's workout routine.
“There will never be a time in your life when you won't need to squat,” Kitts says. Men's Magazine. “We need to be able to use our legs. We need that range of motion. That's probably the most important movement—this and the deadlift. We never need to lift anything.”
Kitts is no stranger to the power of the back squat and deadlift. After all, she is an Olympic weightlifter and is preparing to compete in the Paris Olympics on Saturday, August 10.
But before he made his Olympic debut in Tokyo in 2021, placed 10th at the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships, and set a Pan American record in 2019, he was your typical athlete who played T-ball as a kid, went to the gym with his bodybuilder father, and played soccer throughout high school and college. It wasn’t until he entered his first weightlifting competition after college and started CrossFit that he turned his favorite hobby into a career.
Since Kitts started lifting professionally, he’s replaced back squats and deadlifts with competition lifts like the clean and jerk and snatch. But when he’s far from being one of the world’s best lifters, he coaches clients at Be Somebody Gym in Knoxville, TN, and he’s always adding squats and deadlifts to his routine.
So, learn from a professional weightlifter. Try these two compound movements along with their complementary exercises, and you'll have Olympic-sized legs and a rock-solid core in no time.
1. High Bar Back Squat
James Michelfelder
Why Is It Effective?
No matter your fitness level, back squats are one of the best ways to get bigger, stronger legs. Unlike quadriceps extensions and hamstring curls, which target individual muscle groups, high bar back squats require the majority of your lower body muscles (glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves) to work together. They’re also great for building core strength and can even improve your posture and mobility.
How to do it
- Get under the barbell in the squat rack and place it high To start, place it on your trap muscle at the top of your shoulders.
- Place your hands a few inches outside of shoulder width to hold the bar steady.
- Step back and place your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
- Take a deep breath, then bend your hips and knees to lower your body as if you were going to sit in a chair.
- Aim for your hips to be lower than your knees, with your upper body standing tall and upright.
- Come back up by extending your hips, continuing to push your knees outward.
- Perform 3 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions.
Related: The Best Compound Exercises for Gaining Maximum Size and Strength
2. Conventional Deadlift
Beth Bischoff
Why Is It Effective?
No exercise works your entire body like the traditional deadlift. While research shows that deadlifts are essential for building strength and muscle in your lower body, the benefits go far beyond just bigger legs. Deadlifts can also help you build strength in your upper body, build a rock-solid lower back, and improve your posture and grip strength.
How to do it
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a barbell in front of you. Roll the barbell up to your shins to start.
- Bend over to grasp the outsides of your knees.
- Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, push through your heels and extend your hips, coming to a standing position until you can place the bar in front of your thighs.
- Be careful to keep the bar close to your body throughout the movement.
- Do a few warm-up sets and gradually increase the weight until you reach the heaviest load you can lift for 10 reps.
- Then use the same weight and do 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps.