With no weights, a deadlift is basically "bending over to pick up an imaginary object from the floor". *g*
Actually, I belatedly realized that this is a good example: imagine you've dropped something lightweight on the floor. Your basic "reach down and pick it up" move is pretty much a deadlift.
Now imagine that you've strained your back: in that case, you'll (rather gingerly) squat all the way down, pick up the object, then stand up with it. That's your squat movement.
Another way of thinking about it is to focus on the centres of gravity in the movement. In a squat, any extra weight (whether it's a barbell on your shoulders or dumbbells held down by your sides) has its centre of gravity acting right down through your centre of gravity, throughout the whole movement.
With a deadlift, you start with the weight's centre of gravity in front of yours; the action of the deadlift is pulling it up and "onto" your centre of gravity. If that makes any sense at all.
Unlike squats, deadlifts tend not to be done with bodyweight alone. However, a single-legged deadlift can be a pretty fun balance and stability exercise, even with no weight or a light weight:
no subject
Actually, I belatedly realized that this is a good example: imagine you've dropped something lightweight on the floor. Your basic "reach down and pick it up" move is pretty much a deadlift.
Now imagine that you've strained your back: in that case, you'll (rather gingerly) squat all the way down, pick up the object, then stand up with it. That's your squat movement.
Another way of thinking about it is to focus on the centres of gravity in the movement. In a squat, any extra weight (whether it's a barbell on your shoulders or dumbbells held down by your sides) has its centre of gravity acting right down through your centre of gravity, throughout the whole movement.
With a deadlift, you start with the weight's centre of gravity in front of yours; the action of the deadlift is pulling it up and "onto" your centre of gravity. If that makes any sense at all.
Unlike squats, deadlifts tend not to be done with bodyweight alone. However, a single-legged deadlift can be a pretty fun balance and stability exercise, even with no weight or a light weight:
http://gubernatrix.co.uk/2008/10/improve-weaknesses-with-unilateral-exercises/