For quad growth
For quad growth, trap bar deadlift and walking lunge score the same.
Trap bar deadlift is easier to progress; walking lunge keeps more of the work on the quads.
Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed. (Fonseca et al., 2014; Costa et al., 2021)
The research score comes from these, scored by hand from the studies. Lifter scores appear once an exercise has 10 ratings. How scores work
For hybrid & fitness racing, the two are close. Trap bar deadlift rates slightly higher: more injury protection. Walking lunge is easier to learn and fit in.
For quad growth, trap bar deadlift and walking lunge score the same. Trap bar deadlift is easier to progress; walking lunge keeps more of the work on the quads. Both are good choices, and they train the quads differently. Using both across your week covers more of the muscle than either alone: in studies, varied exercises grew parts of a muscle that one exercise missed.
About the same: both are easy to learn.
Trap bar deadlift needs a trap bar, so for most people it’s a gym exercise. Walking lunge needs dumbbells, so a home gym covers it.
Trap bar deadlift: it rates Strong for joint and recovery cost in our research rubric, against Good for walking lunge.