Other Squat Assistance Exercises

[Alex Bond]

I had questions about two squat assistance exercises that aren't mentioned at all in either SS:BBT or Practical Programming: the overhead squat and the lunge. I was wondering what your thoughts were on the utility of these two exercises for the intermediate trainee.

Opinion seems to generally be pretty split on the overhead squat. Some people think it is a great exercise for working midline stabilization and developing the ability to apply force to objects in awkward positions. Other people think that once you have developed the core strength and flexibility to do the overhead squat at a moderate load, working them further provides very little benefit.

The lunge isn't really an assistance exercise for the squat, but it is a commonly performed leg workout, especially among those who are too scared to squat. I'm not really sure what the specific benefit of the lunge is, but they do make you tired.

What are your opinions on these two exercises? Do they have a place in an intermediate training program? Obviously, that depends somewhat on what your training goals are, but in general, are these exercises useful or not? Thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Both overhead squats and lunges are interesting exercise that require balance and control. I like overhead squats (I've got a kid doing them right now, in fact) for Oly lifters, and we use them in CF workouts quite a bit. They are not heavy enough to be considered a lower-body strength movement for anybody, but rather they are used as "core" work and upper-body support strength work for lots of different sports. Lunges, on the other hand, are usually done with light weights, and even done correctly so that they are not hard on the knees are still ineffective as a strength exercise because they are unilateral. Would you rather get your squat up to 405 or your lunge up to 135, and which would make you stronger? Hell, reading the questions on this board makes me tired, but I don't get to write it down in my journal. Lunges make you sore, I know, but that is not a criterion for an effective exercise.

[rebecca]

please pardon my ignorance here, but i'm very curious about your comment (...unilateral exercises are not good for strength development?) i understand that the amount of strength gained from a unilateral ex would pale in comparison to the amount gained from a bilateral, but i'm not sure that's what you mean. could you explain why they're not effective for building strength?

MANY thanks!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Would you rather get your squat up to 405 or your lunge up to 135, and which would make you stronger?

This is what I mean. They are not effective for building strength relative to a heavy bilateral exercise due to the loads that can be handled.