If you're not squatting you're wasting your time

Lunges, split squats, single-leg RDLs, step ups and the like are all pretty much a waste of time. Just squat.

                              Hey look! It's the obligatory Paul Anderson picture!


I know it's in vogue to praise the deadlift, but how many people can deadlift with any real frequency?
Not many. While the deadlift is an awesome movement, it isn't as useful as the squat in terms of mass building, weight loss or strength. You can train the squat as much as you want. Literally. Ask John Broz about that.
The deadlift is another matter altogether. I've tried high volume deadlifts with no success. Many "Hardcore/Functional/Spartan/lame-ass" gyms like to give the deadlift exorbitant praise because they're probably too incompetent to teach (or perform, themselves) a full squat. It doesn't take a lot of practice to learn, it can be performed day in and day out and it will do pretty much anything you want it to do, be that gain or lose weight.


If you're sitting at your computer reading this, thinking "I can't do a full squat!" then you should probably get a new hobby... or try this stretch that helped me:

 

 I used to hold on to a beam to force myself into a squat.

And don't round your back like this idiot. 

Focus on keeping a tight arch in your lower back.