Deadlift VS lunge

DennisRB

New Member
Should I quit deadlifts and do lunges instead? Or alternate? I have not been doing lunges and tried some, and my legs got some servere doms, which makes me believe they do a lot more than the deadlifts. I don't want to add them as I already have a lot of exercises.
 
I would never replace the deadlift with lunges, but it depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

If size and strength are your goals, forget about lunges. Just look at the weight you can use on each exercise. If your weight in the lunge is within 200 pounds of your deadlift it only means your deadlift needs to be worked harder.
 
You think lunges do more than deadlifts because you got severe DOMS from lunges? I'm sorry, no offense meant, but you don't seem to understand what DOMS means. There is nowhere in this universe where lunges will be more productive for absolute strength and mass than deadlifts. DOMS is not indicative of growth.

If you don't believe me, take two pink dumbbells. Do 60 curls. The next day you will have DOMS but those 60 curls still didn't do jack for growth.
 
Doing any exercise for the first time will probably produce DOMS.

With the exception of the leg press, focus on compounds that permit you to lift the heaviest load through a full ROM for the muscles involved.
 
Agreed! Cannot replace deads for growth! Alternate the lunges, rather use them after a good set of squats as a superset, then it will be more meaningfull!
 
<div>
(Fausto @ May 24 2006,03:35)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Agreed! Cannot replace deads for growth! Alternate the lunges, rather use them after a good set of squats as a superset, then it will be more meaningfull!</div>
Yawn. What I meant is if the lunges caused doms, it meant I may be excersising muscles that never normally get trained by my other excersises. If these muscles were being trained I would not have got doms. I have read all of Brian Haycock's articles relating to doms.

I din't mean &quot;I got doms so it must be good&quot;. I meant &quot;I got doms because maybe these muscles are not being trained well by other excersices&quot; If you get my drift. Obviously after doing them for a while I wont get doms anymore.

Anyway. You reckon that deadlift is the way to go. So I will alternate as I believe the lunges are working leg muscles that the deadlifts arn't.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">So I will alternate as I believe the lunges are working leg muscles that the deadlifts arn't.</div>
When your deadlifts are heavy enough there won't be a single leg muscle that isn't involved to some degree. If you do deep squats and deadlifts you will hit everything in your legs as well as you need to for growth. However, deep lunges will give you a good stretch that might be impossible with either of the other two movements. This can lead to more DOMS and might help with flexibility. SLDLs have helped lengthen my hammies so that I can now put my palms on the floor when I lean forward.

In the end though, whilst lunges are a good exercise, if you want to lift the greatest loads for HST purposes, squats and deads are the way to go.
 
<div></div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Anyway. You reckon that deadlift is the way to go. So I will alternate as I believe the lunges are working leg muscles that the deadlifts aren't. </div>

I use lunges too with squats, as I believe they have their place, but certainly do not substitute for either the deadlift and/or the squat.
 
I've deadlifted 500, I'm not aware of any muscles in the legs (or lower body) the deadlift does not work. All I do for legs are squats and deadlifts and my calves grow pretty steady and are 17.5. My olympic lifting is too light to contribute to calves at this point.
 
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