Sumo Deadlift: The Ultimate Guide

Reduced Range of Motion

The wider stance and more upright torso position typically decrease the distance the barbell travels, which can allow for heavier loading with less mechanical work.

Decreased Lumbar Stress

The more vertical back angle generally reduces shear forces on the lower back compared to conventional deadlifts, potentially making it more accessible for those with back concerns.

Improved Leverages

For many lifters—particularly those with longer torsos, shorter arms, or greater hip mobility—sumo mechanics provide advantageous leverages that better suit their individual anatomy.

Quadriceps and Adductor Emphasis

The wide stance increases recruitment of the quadriceps and inner thigh muscles compared to conventional deadlifts, offering different muscular development benefits.

Carryover to Conventional Strength

Training the sumo variation can improve conventional deadlift strength by developing overlapping muscle groups while providing novel stimulus and technique refinement.

Technical Precision

The sumo stance often requires and develops greater technical precision, body awareness, and position sensitivity than conventional deadlifting.

Setup

• Approach the barbell with feet significantly wider than shoulder width—typically 1.5-2 times shoulder width or wider.
• Position feet with toes pointed outward at approximately 30-45 degrees.
• Align the middle of the foot under the bar, with the bar positioned over the midfoot when viewed from above.
• Hinge at the hips to lower your body while maintaining a neutral spine position.
• Grasp the barbell with a shoulder-width grip inside your legs—either double overhand, mixed grip (one hand over, one under), or hook grip.
• Set your grip securedly without lifting the bar.
• Pull yourself into position by "setting the lats"—imagine pulling your shoulders back and down, creating tension across the upper back.
• Drop your hips to a position where your shins are close to vertical and your torso is more upright than in a conventional deadlift.
• Ensure your shoulders are positioned directly above or slightly ahead of the bar.
• Take a deep breath into your diaphragm and brace your core, creating 360-degree tension in your midsection.

Pull

• Initiate the movement by simultaneously driving through the floor with your legs while maintaining a rigid torso position.
• Focus on "wedging" your hips into the bar by driving your feet outward against the floor, as if trying to spread it apart.
• Keep the bar close to your body throughout the entire pull, dragging it up along your shins.
• Maintain a neutral spine position as the bar rises, avoiding both excessive rounding and overarching.
• As the bar passes the knees, focus on driving the hips forward to meet the bar.
• Continue extending the knees and hips until you reach a fully upright position with shoulders back.
• At the top position, stand tall with hips and knees fully extended, shoulders back, and chest up.
• Avoid excessive hyperextension of the lower back at the top of the movement.

Descent

• Begin the descent by hinging at the hips first, pushing your buttocks backward while maintaining a neutral spine.
• Allow the bar to travel straight down, keeping it close to your body throughout the lowering phase.
• Control the descent with your hips and hamstrings rather than simply dropping the weight.
• As the bar passes the knees, begin to bend the knees more significantly to lower the bar to the floor.
• Return the bar completely to the floor before beginning the next repetition.
• Either maintain tension at the bottom for touch-and-go repetitions, or reset completely between repetitions for maximum strength development.
• Take a fresh breath and reset your bracing before initiating the next repetition.

Starting with Hips Too Low

Beginning the pull with a squat-like position causes the hips to rise before the bar breaks the floor, wasting energy and compromising leverage. Find the optimal hip height through experimentation—typically, your hips should be high enough that your shins are nearly vertical when viewed from the side, but not so high that your shoulders are behind the bar. Focus on feeling tension in your hamstrings and adductors at the setup position. Practice finding the position where as soon as you begin pulling, the bar breaks from the floor without your hips rising first. Film yourself from the side to analyze hip position and movement patterns if possible. Remember that sumo deadlifts are primarily a hip hinge, not a squat, despite the wider stance.

Knees Caving Inward

Allowing knees to collapse inward during the pull reduces force production and increases injury risk. Focus on actively pushing your knees outward in line with your toes throughout the entire movement. Cue yourself to "spread the floor apart with your feet" to engage the hip external rotators and maintain proper knee position. Consider temporarily using lighter weights while establishing proper motor patterns. Strengthening the hip abductors and external rotators with targeted exercises like banded side steps, clamshells, and glute bridges can address underlying weaknesses. Using a resistance band around the knees during warm-up sets can provide proprioceptive feedback to reinforce proper knee tracking.

Bar Drifting Forward

Allowing the bar to drift away from the body reduces leverage and increases lower back stress. Focus on keeping the bar in contact with your body throughout the entire pull by engaging your lats to actively pull the bar into you. Think about "protecting your armpits" by pulling your shoulder blades down and back before initiating the pull. Use the cue "drag the bar up your legs" rather than thinking about lifting the bar upward. Check your setup—the bar should start over mid-foot, not too far forward. If needed, consider wearing long socks or using shin guards to make the bar-on-shin contact more comfortable during heavy pulls.

Rounding the Lower Back

Allowing the lumbar spine to flex during the pull increases injury risk and compromises force transfer. Develop and maintain proper bracing techniques—take a deep breath into your diaphragm and create 360-degree pressure around your midsection before initiating the pull. Ensure your setup position allows for a neutral spine—if you cannot reach the bar while maintaining a flat back, your stance may be too wide or your hip mobility may be insufficient. Consider temporarily using a higher starting position for the bar (such as blocks or rack pulls) while developing the mobility and strength to maintain proper positioning from the floor. Core strengthening exercises that target anti-flexion (like planks and ab wheel rollouts) can improve your ability to resist spinal flexion under load.

Pulling Too Far From the Body

Gripping the bar with arms angled outward creates inefficient leverage and excessive stress on the back. Set up with your arms hanging straight down from your shoulders or slightly angled inward, not outward. Focus on positioning your feet wide enough that your arms can comfortably fit inside your legs without pressing against your thighs. Experiment with grip width—typically a shoulder-width grip works well for most lifters, but individual proportions may require slight adjustments. Remember that in the sumo deadlift, the arms are simply connecting links, not active pulling mechanisms—they should be positioned to create the most efficient transfer of force from the legs and hips to the bar.