Leg Blasters vs Barbell Squats and Deadlifts: When Each Works Best

By Rob Shaul, Founder

How to MTI’s bodyweight Leg Blasters stack up against traditional barbell lower body lifts like back squats and deadlifts?

Both are staples in our system, but they are distinct tools for different physiological objectives. Here’s my take, based on years of programming, research, and field-testing.

What Leg Blasters Train

Leg Blasters are a specific, high-repetition bodyweight complex. They are deceptively simple, brutally effective, and require zero equipment. Here’s what they do and why we use them.

1. Eccentric Strength

This is the standout benefit. Leg Blasters are our primary tool for training eccentric strength—the “lowering” or “braking” strength required as your muscles lengthen. This is the exact adaptation needed for high-impact activities like downhill hiking and skiing.

One of my biggest programming mistakes was using back squats and deadlifts to train for ski season. It didn’t work. Those lifts are concentrically focused and failed to build the specific eccentric strength our athletes needed. Leg Blasters filled that gap.

2. Concentric Strength (To a Point)

Leg Blasters also develop concentric (extending) strength. In fact, MTI  research comparing them to heavy front squats found they produced similar gains in concentric strength in the first four weeks. However, bodyweight alone has its limits. For long-term, high-level strength, you must eventually add external load.

3. Strength Endurance and Utility

As a bodyweight protocol, Leg Blasters are our go-to lower body strengthener for limited equipment and bodyweight-only programming. Their high-rep nature builds crucial leg stamina and muscular endurance.

A note: We used to load this complex with dumbbells (the “Quadzilla Complex“) but discontinued it. We had concerns over “Garbage Reps”—reps where form breaks down—and the potential long-term impact on knee cartilage.

What Barbell Movements Train

When the goal is building maximum, top-end strength, classic barbell lifts are the gold standard.

1. Max-Effort Concentric Strength

Barbell lifts are the optimal method for developing max effort concentric strength. Because you can add load in small, precise increments (e.g., 5 pounds), the barbell allows for the continual progressive overload necessary to get truly strong.

2. Midsection and Core Training

This is a critical difference. Heavy barbell movements demand intense midsection stabilization. On a maximal squat or deadlift, an athlete’s midsection will almost always fail before their legs do. This provides a core training stimulus under load that Leg Blasters simply do not.

3. Posterior vs. Anterior Emphasis

We categorize the lifts by their primary stimulus:

• Posterior Chain: The Deadlift and Loaded Walking Lunges are posterior-chain dominant, heavily targeting the glutes and hamstrings.¹
• Anterior Chain: The Front Squat is primarily an anterior (quad) dominant exercise.²
• Comprehensive: The Back Squat and Trap Bar Deadlift are great all-around lifts that engage both the posterior and anterior chains.

If You Can Only Do One Exercise…

So, which is better? It’s the wrong question. They are different tools for different jobs.

But if you forced me to choose—if you could only get in the gym once a week and do one exercise—my answer is the Back Squat.

We crowned the Back Squat the “King” of total body exercises following an MTI research study comparing back squats to deadlifts and thrusters. And for the most effective protocol? Do MTI’s Super Squat progression. It’s a killer.

Final Thoughts

There is no single “best” lower body movement. The right tool depends on the objective.

• Use Leg Blasters to train eccentric strength, build strength endurance, and for bodyweight-only training.³
• Use Barbell Lifts to build max-effort concentric strength, train core stability under load, and achieve long-term progressive overload.

Every strength coach will have a different answer for this. Don’t take this as gospel. It’s just my opinion – and it won’t hurt my feelings if you disagree.