GlutesBarbellIntermediate

How to Do a Sumo Deadlift

By Bryan Alger, Co-Founder of Gravitus

· Updated Sep 30, 2026

A sumo deadlift is a barbell deadlift with your feet wide, your toes turned out and your hands on the bar inside your knees. Push your knees out, keep the bar against your legs and stand up. It trains the glutes, quads, adductors and hamstrings. Most lifters do 3 sets of 3 to 6 reps.

Sets x reps 3 x 3-6
Median 10-rep weight 245112.5 lbkg men 12557.5 lbkg women
Muscles Glutes, quads, adductors
Vs your deadlift 94%, the median
Sumo Deadlift start and lockout positions
  1. 1Start. Feet wide and toes turned out, hands inside your knees, shins close to vertical and the bar over your midfoot.
  2. 2Lockout. Push the floor apart and stand up with the bar against your legs until your hips and knees are straight.
Watch 3 video demonstrations
Video 1 of 3

Find more video demonstrations in the Gravitus app

Technique

How to do a sumo deadlift

Bracing, the grip and the bar path work as in the conventional deadlift. What changes in sumo is where your feet, hands and hips go.

  1. Stand with the bar over your midfoot, feet about twice as wide as for a conventional deadlift and toes turned out 30 to 45 degrees.
  2. Bend down and grip the bar about shoulder width, arms hanging straight down inside your knees.
  3. Push your knees out over your toes, lower your hips until your shins are close to vertical and lift your chest. Your shoulders sit over the bar or just in front of it.
  4. Brace your abs and pull on the bar with straight arms until you feel the weight, without lifting it yet.
  5. Push the floor apart with your feet and stand up, keeping the bar against your legs. Your hips and shoulders rise together.
  6. Stand tall with your hips and knees straight, then lower the bar the same way, hips back and knees out.
Setup

How wide should your sumo stance be?

FeetAbout twice your conventional stanceWide enough for your arms to hang straight down inside your knees. A semi-sumo stance sits between the two.
ToesTurned out 30 to 45 degreesPoint your toes where your knees go. The wider your stance, the more they turn out.
GripAbout shoulder widthArms hanging straight down inside your knees, a little narrower than a conventional grip.
CheckShins close to verticalIf your shins angle in, go wider. If your knees cave in or your hips pinch, go narrower.

Wide enough that your shins are close to vertical when you grip the bar, and no wider than lets your knees stay over your toes. At a national powerlifting championship, sumo lifters stood with their feet 70 cm (28 in) apart against 32 cm (13 in) for conventional lifters, turned their toes out 42 degrees against 14, and gripped the bar 8 cm (3 in) narrower (Escamilla 2000). Start there and adjust a few centimetres at a time.

Gravitus data

How much weight should you sumo deadlift?

On Gravitus, the median man lifts 245 lb (112.5 kg) for 10 reps on the sumo deadlift, and the median woman 125 lb (57.5 kg).

Men, typical 245 lb for 10 reps
Most lift
200 to 305 lb
Top 10% lift
350 lb or more
Starting out
under 200 lb
Women, typical 125 lb for 10 reps
Most lift
95 to 155 lb
Top 10% lift
190 lb or more
Starting out
under 95 lb
Men, typical 112.5 kg for 10 reps
Most lift
90 to 137.5 kg
Top 10% lift
160 kg or more
Starting out
under 90 kg
Women, typical 57.5 kg for 10 reps
Most lift
42.5 to 70 kg
Top 10% lift
85 kg or more
Starting out
under 42.5 kg
PercentileMenWomen
25th265 / 200 lb125 / 95 lb
Median330 / 245 lb170 / 125 lb
75th405 / 305 lb205 / 155 lb
90th470 / 350 lb250 / 190 lb
 One-rep max / 10-rep weight, rounded to 5 lb (2.5 under 40). From 5,230 men and 2,537 women who log the sumo deadlift on Gravitus, computed Oct 4, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
PercentileMenWomen
25th120 / 90 kg57.5 / 42.5 kg
Median150 / 112.5 kg75 / 57.5 kg
75th182.5 / 137.5 kg92.5 / 70 kg
90th212.5 / 160 kg115 / 85 kg
 One-rep max / 10-rep weight, rounded to 2.5 kg (1 under 20). From 5,230 men and 2,537 women who log the sumo deadlift on Gravitus, computed Oct 4, 2026 (Brzycki). Methodology
These are barbell numbers. Many lifters log sumo as a second deadlift behind conventional, which pulls the typical weights down. Compare yourself to your own log.
Gravitus data

Can you lift more sumo or conventional?

94%Median sumo max vs the same lifter's conventional max
36%Lifters whose sumo max is higher
4,800+Lifters who log both

Most lifters pull more conventional. Among lifters who log both styles on Gravitus, the median sumo max is 94% of their conventional max: 94% for men and 95% for women (September 2026). Only 36% pull more sumo.

Lifters are strongest in the style they train most. Those who log at least twice as many sumo sets as conventional sets pull a median 17% more sumo. Those who mostly pull conventional pull 13% less sumo, and those who train both about equally are within 3%. The data cannot tell whether they picked the style that suits them or got stronger at the one they practised. In deadlift beginners tested in both styles, maxes did not differ (Cholewa 2019).

These figures compare each lifter's best logged set on each lift, converted to a one-rep max with the Brzycki formula.

Anatomy

Muscles worked

GlutesExtend the hip through the whole pull. Hip load was higher near lockout in sumo and conventional than in the trap bar deadlift (Gundersen 2025).
Primary
QuadsStraighten the knee off the floor. Vastus lateralis and medialis activity was higher in sumo than conventional (Escamilla 2002).
Primary
Adductor magnusWorks as a hip extensor. Sumo and conventional deadlifts were both in the top tier for adductor magnus force (Collings 2026).
Primary
HamstringsHelp extend the hip, less than in conventional, where biceps femoris activity was higher (Hanen 2025).
Secondary
Spinal erectorsHold your back flat. The more upright torso cut the load on the lower back by about 10% (Cholewicki 1991).
Secondary
Lats and upper backKeep the bar against your legs.
Stabilizer
ForearmsHold the bar.
Stabilizer
Compare

Sumo vs conventional vs Romanian deadlift

SumoConventionalRomanian deadlift
StanceWide, toes outHip widthHip width
HandsInside your kneesOutside your kneesOutside your thighs
Each rep startsFrom the floorFrom the floorStanding, bar at your thighs
Works mostGlutes, quads, adductorsGlutes, hamstrings, backHamstrings, glutes
Weight vs your deadlift94%100%80%
Verdict

Sumo moves the bar less: bar travel and mechanical work were 25 to 40% greater in conventional pullers (Escamilla 2000). It loads the lower back about 10% less (Cholewicki 1991) and works the quads harder (Escamilla 2002). Conventional works the hamstrings more (Hanen 2025). For more, see sumo vs conventional deadlift and the Romanian deadlift guide.

Research

Sumo deadlift claims the research does not back

Four common sumo claims are wrong or unsupported:

  • You can lift more sumo. Most lifters cannot. The median Gravitus lifter pulls 94% as much sumo as conventional, and only lifters who train mostly sumo pull more with it.
  • Sumo is the inner-thigh deadlift. The adductor magnus works hard in both styles. A 2026 modelling study put sumo and conventional deadlifts in the same top tier for adductor magnus force (Collings 2026).
  • Short arms mean you should pull sumo. In 47 deadlift beginners tested in both styles, arm length did not predict which style was stronger. Only a longer torso gave sumo a slight edge (Cholewa 2019).
  • Sumo works your calves. In sumo pullers the ankle was loaded by the shin muscles, not the calves (Escamilla 2000), and calf activity was higher in conventional (Escamilla 2002).
Programming

Sets, reps and progression

3Sets
3-6Reps
1-3Reps left

5 and 3 are the most logged sumo deadlift rep counts on Gravitus. Stop each set 1 to 3 reps short of failure, before your back rounds or your hips shoot up first. Pull sumo once or twice a week, as your main deadlift or as a second deadlift day.

When every set reaches the top of your range, add 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) and drop back to 3 reps. For muscle rather than a bigger max, sets of 6 to 10 work too.

Form

Common mistakes

Variations

Sumo deadlift variations

Semi-sumo deadliftA stance between conventional and full sumo, hands still inside your knees. A good start if a wide stance pinches your hips.
Paused sumo deadliftPause for 1 to 2 seconds just off the floor or below the knee. Builds the start, where sumo is hardest.
Deficit sumo deadliftStand on a low plate for a longer pull from the floor.
Sumo block pullThe bar starts on blocks at or below the knee. Trains the lockout with more weight.
Dumbbell sumo deadliftOne dumbbell held between your legs. A lighter way to learn the stance.
Conventional deadliftFeet hip width, hands outside your knees. Most Gravitus lifters pull more with it.
FAQ

Questions people ask

What does sumo deadlift target?

The glutes and quads, with the adductor magnus and hamstrings helping extend the hip. Your spinal erectors hold your back flat and your lats, upper back and forearms hold the bar. Compared with conventional, sumo works the quads harder and the hamstrings less (Escamilla 2002, Hanen 2025).

Is sumo deadlift easier?

The bar moves less, but most lifters do not lift more with it. Bar travel and work were 25 to 40% greater in conventional pullers (Escamilla 2000), yet the median Gravitus lifter pulls 94% as much sumo as conventional. The start off the floor is usually the hardest part of a sumo pull.

How wide should my sumo deadlift stance be?

About twice as wide as your conventional stance, with your toes turned out 30 to 45 degrees. Competition sumo lifters stood 70 cm (28 in) wide on average (Escamilla 2000). Adjust until your shins are close to vertical at the start and your knees stay over your toes.

Do sumo deadlifts work hamstrings?

Yes, but less than conventional deadlifts. In 30 experienced lifters, biceps femoris activity was higher in the conventional deadlift, while the vastus lateralis was more active in sumo off the floor (Hanen 2025). For the most hamstring work, add Romanian deadlifts.

Is sumo deadlift safer than conventional?

It loads the lower back a little less. In national-level powerlifters, sumo cut the L4/L5 moment by 10% and the shear force by 8% compared with conventional (Cholewicki 1991). Neither style is unsafe with a flat back and a weight you control.

How much weight should I sumo deadlift?

For 10 reps, the median on Gravitus is 245 lb (112.5 kg) for men and 125 lb (57.5 kg) for women. The strongest quarter lifts 305 lb (137.5 kg) and 155 lb (70 kg) or more.

Gravitus See where your sumo deadlift ranks

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References
  1. Escamilla et al. 2000. Med Sci Sports Exerc 32(7):1265-1275.
  2. Escamilla et al. 2002. Med Sci Sports Exerc 34(4):682-688.
  3. Cholewicki, McGill and Norman 1991. Med Sci Sports Exerc 23(10):1179-1186.
  4. Cholewa et al. 2019. J Sports Sci Med 18(3):448-453.
  5. Hanen et al. 2025. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 13:1597209.
  6. Gundersen et al. 2025. J Strength Cond Res 39(3):281-288.
  7. Collings et al. 2026. Med Sci Sports Exerc 58(8):1751-1763.