I am wondering why programming usually includes much more squatting than deadlifting. I’ve picked up heavy things from the ground before, and even carried heavy things on my shoulders. But other than a barbell, I’ve never put something heavy on my back and squatted up and down several times. On that same note, I hear about people getting injured because they have weak hamstrings and/or glutes. But I never hear about injuries because of weak quads and/or glutes.
Would I be making a mistake if I substitute deadlifts for squats, even at a reduced volume (i.e. 3 days per week)?
Anyone who pinpoints the singular cause of injury to a “weak” muscle is a bullshitter.
You are, of course, welcome to do whatever you’d like with your training. While we recommend training the squat, it is certainly possible to live a long and fulfilling life without squatting.
I don’t think the point of training is to mimic real life movements exactly, otherwise we’d never bench either. The big compound lifts make you overall stronger in general which makes other movements, like everyday ergonomics you mentioned, much easier. Squatting makes the hip and knee joints stronger, which are used in almost all everyday human movement. Including picking stuff up off the ground, and carrying things around on your shoulders. It’s also useful for things like running or sprinting, where powerful quads and knee extension is a huge advantage. The list goes on, really. Squats also train the hamstrings and glutes, a lot. But as Austin said, a muscle weakness is not the sole cause of any injury anyways.
Sure you could deadlift 3x a week and never squat and be just fine, but if your goal is to be the strongest human you can be, I think you should squat 3x a week too
