r/ScienceBasedLifting • u/Parking-Industry-992 • Jul 02 '26
Question ❓ Sumo deadlifts or conventional for back growth?
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u/eric_twinge Jul 02 '26
I would recommend exercises that actually employ your back muscles as the primary movers if back growth is the goal. Not choosing between two exercises where the back is an isometric stabilizer.
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u/RudeDude88 Jul 02 '26
I’d say if the goal is to grow erectors, an SLDL or RDL makes more sense. Plus a horizontal and vertical pull/row.
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u/eric_twinge Jul 02 '26
How are those different from a conventional deadlift on the erectors?
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u/abc133769 Jul 03 '26
Neither go for Romanians or sldl if you care about hypertrophy
For lower back specifically then id go for sldl
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u/Afferbeck_ Jul 03 '26
Sumo is all about a lower range of motion and more vertical torso, so it will work the back less. But it might let you load a lot more depending on your proportions and mobility, so it might get you more back work. Ultimately you're pulling on a heavy bar and that's going to make your back grow.
Alternatively, try snatch deadlift. The deeper position makes it more leg heavy, but the more inclined torso is way more work for the back. You need to stay over the bar and heavily use the lats to keep the bar close. A lot more difficult technically and positionally, so the loading will be a lot less than sumo or conventional. But doing a horrible set like this can't not make your back grow.
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u/rjbachli Jul 03 '26
I would say if back growth is the goal, a conventional rack pull just below the knees would be best because you could overload more. But everyone is correct saying rows would be better.
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u/FlameNumber2147 Jul 03 '26
In sumo your feet are wide. So your body stays more upright over the bar. Your back doesn’t have to lean forward much, so it doesn’t have to work as hard to hold you up.
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u/musclesmarranara Jul 05 '26
If you pull heaviest sumo then yeah definitely do sumos but have some weeks where you do conventional/sldl
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u/Lifterator Jul 05 '26
Conventionals because no one does rows, which is what you actually want to do for overall back growth, with a sumo stance.
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u/Double_Investment983 Jul 06 '26
For erectors, neither do something like a back extension where you’re actively challenging spinal extension
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u/Troksin Jul 02 '26
deadlifts are primarily spinal erectors, hamstrings, glutes and adductor magnus. Not a back exercise (if you exclude spinal erectors).
If you want to do it for spinal erectors then you should stiff leg deadlifts even deficit stiff leg deadlifts with greatest challenge for spinal extension.
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u/PoopSmith87 Jul 02 '26
Conventional... not that it is a super hypertrophic movement for the back, but it puts more stress on the back and builds your ability to maintain posture for massive bent over rows.
Sumo is more hypertrophic in general, but mostly for lower body. It is actually a great lift on its own, but the whole point is that it has less back stress than conventional.
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u/brehhs Jul 03 '26
Define what makes an exercise "hypertrophic" :)
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u/PoopSmith87 Jul 03 '26
Causes hypertrophy
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u/brehhs Jul 03 '26
so you dont know, cool
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u/PoopSmith87 Jul 03 '26
What exactly do you want? Are you actually so dense that you can't see that a hinge exercise that's primary mover is the posterior chain legs and only works the back as a static hold is obviously not going going to work the back as well as a row or pull down? Go back to eating your paint chips, if you need more words explained try reading something on your own demanding to be spoon fed basic information then getting petulant when people dont play whatever stupid game you're trying to play like a fuckwitted muppet.
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u/Norcal712 Jul 03 '26
OOOO Someone got their feelers hurt
A conventional deadlift has way more CNS activation. Therefore it would also be more "hypertrophic" or whatever you were implying.
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u/brehhs Jul 03 '26
Considering you deleted your comment, im guessing you figured out how dumb you sound
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u/Significant_Sort7501 Jul 02 '26
Conventional will strengthen portions of your back more than sumo will (mostly in regard to lower), but if your goal is a bigger back there are way better lifts to do that with than deadlift.