should dead lifts be used for hypertrophy or just strength

Deadlifts can indeed be used for both hypertrophy and strength, depending on how they are programmed into your workout routine.

1. Hypertrophy: While deadlifts are predominantly known for their strength benefits, they also induce significant hypertrophic effects on the muscles involved. The sheer load and the isometric tension placed on the muscles during deadlifts contribute significantly to muscle growth. Deadlifts engage multiple muscle groups, including the back, glutes, hamstrings, and even arms through isometric contractions 1 2. Additionally, varying rep ranges and incorporating them into different phases of your training can lead to muscle growth, as seen when focusing on increasing strength also resulted in noticeable hypertrophy 3.

   
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   Deadlifts and Muscle Growth
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   Deadlifts and Back Growth
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   3
   Building Strength for Hypertrophy
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   5
   Deadlifts vs. Curls
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2. Strength: Deadlifts are unparalleled in their capacity for building raw strength, primarily because of the substantial loads that can be lifted and the recruitment of numerous muscle groups. Emphasizing lower rep ranges and heavier weights in training will improve overall strength 1 2. Deadlifts also involve significant skill, and proficiency in this lift can lead to improvements in other lifts due to enhanced overall body strength and coordination 4.

Therefore, deadlifts should not be confined to either hypertrophy or strength training exclusively. They are a versatile exercise that, when integrated effectively into a workout program, can contribute to both muscle growth and increased strength 3 5.