Sumo Deadlift 101 Video Tutorial
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Exercise Synopsis
Target Muscle Group
Hamstrings
Secondary Targets
Abs, Adductors, Calves, Forearms, Glutes, Lats, Lower Back, Quads, Traps, Upper Back
Execution
Compound
Force Type
Hinge (Bilateral)
Required Equipment
Barbell
Fitness Level
Beginner
Variations
Alternatives
Timer
Hour
Minute
Second
Stopwatch
00:00:00:00
Overview
The Sumo Deadlift is a compound strength exercise that primarily targets the hamstrings, while also engaging several secondary muscle groups including the abs, adductors, calves, forearms, glutes, lats, lower back, quads, traps, and upper back. This exercise is performed using a barbell, with a wide stance and feet positioned outside the shoulders. The wider stance places greater emphasis on the inner thighs and hips compared to the conventional deadlift. The movement involves lowering the hips, gripping the barbell, and lifting it by driving through the heels, maintaining a neutral spine throughout the motion. This exercise helps to build overall lower body strength and stability while promoting core activation.
How to Perform
Set Up the Barbell: Place the barbell directly over your shoelaces with your feet positioned wider than shoulder-width apart, depending on your hip structure and leg length.
Hinge at the Hips: Push your hips back and bend forward at the hips, keeping your torso nearly parallel to the floor. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
Grip the Bar: Reach down and grasp the bar with a double overhand grip, hands positioned about shoulder-width apart.
Engage Your Lats: Before lifting, take a deep breath, slightly pull up on the bar, and allow your hips to drop. This motion, known as "pulling the slack out of the bar," helps engage your lats. Visualize squeezing your armpits to activate the muscles in your upper back.
Position Your Armpits: Make sure your armpits are directly over the bar, ensuring your upper body is in the correct starting position for the lift.
Drive Through Your Feet: Focus on pushing through the entire foot—heels, toes, and the outer edge—while maintaining even pressure. This will activate your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.
Lift the Bar: As you extend your hips and knees simultaneously, keep the barbell close to your body, making sure it moves in a straight line upwards.
Lockout at the Top: Once you’ve fully extended your hips and knees, stand tall and engage your glutes, locking your hips at the top of the movement.
Reverse the Motion: To lower the bar, push your hips back and hinge forward at the waist, maintaining control over the bar and keeping your back neutral.
Reset and Repeat: Once the bar reaches the floor, reset your position and repeat the movement for the desired number of reps, ensuring your form stays consistent throughout each repetition.
Tips
Find Your Ideal Stance: The width of your stance will vary based on your body structure. Instead of overthinking it, experiment with different widths to see what feels most comfortable and powerful. For some, a moderately wide stance works best, while others may prefer having their toes almost touching the plates.
Focus on Hips and Bar Position: In the sumo deadlift, the goal is to "wedge" your hips into the bar, getting them as close as possible. This differs from the conventional deadlift, where the hips start higher. Keep your hips lower than your shoulders for optimal positioning.
Engage Your Lats: To prevent the bar from drifting away from your body, activate your lats by imagining squeezing something like oranges under your armpits. This will keep the bar close to you and help it move in a straight line. Visualize "putting your shoulder blades in your back pockets" to engage the upper back properly.
Knee and Foot Alignment: Ensure your knees track out over your feet during the lift. If you struggle with this, focus on pushing your feet apart as you push into the floor. Think of trying to open a crack in the floor by pushing your heels away from each other, which will also help activate your glutes and stabilize your knees.
Maintain Proper Arm Position: Keep the crease of your armpits directly over the bar, with your midfoot in line. This ensures the bar travels vertically, preventing any unnecessary deviations that could affect your lift.
Neck and Head Position: Neck positioning is individual. If you have an athletic background and tend to extend your body, keeping your chin tucked may work best. If you have a more flexion-dominant posture, such as in the upper back, looking slightly up may help drive extension and improve form.
Shin Angle and Foot Pressure: Ideally, your shins should be vertical during the sumo deadlift. Also, focus on pushing through the entire foot—heel, big toe, and little toe. This will ensure better recruitment of your quads at the start of the lift, making you faster off the floor.
Grip and Shoulder Position: Avoid retracting your shoulder blades as this shortens the range of motion and makes the lift less efficient. Always wrap your thumb around the bar, ensuring a secure grip and squeezing as tightly as possible.
Bar Path and Shin Position: While scraping the shins is not always necessary, the bar should travel in a straight line. As your knees extend, your shins should naturally move out of the way, especially if your armpits are in the right position.
Control During Descent: For single reps, you can drop the bar from lockout, but for multiple reps, lower the weight with control to avoid over-fatiguing your spinal erectors.
Training Weak Points: If you struggle with the lockout, incorporate exercises like rack pulls or Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) to target the upper back and glutes. If you're weak off the floor, try paused or deficit deadlifts to build strength in that range.
How Not to Perform
Avoid Starting with a High Hip Position: Don’t begin the lift with your hips too high. This can place unnecessary strain on your lower back and reduce the effectiveness of the exercise. Instead, set your hips lower, keeping them aligned with your shoulders for a more efficient lift.
Don’t Round Your Back: Avoid rounding your lower back during the lift, as this can lead to injury. Maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement, keeping your chest up and your back straight to prevent excessive strain on the spinal erectors.
Don’t Use Momentum to Lift the Bar: Do not jerk or swing your body to get the bar moving. This wastes energy and can lead to improper form. Focus on a controlled movement, driving through your legs and using your glutes and hamstrings to lift the weight.
Don’t Let the Bar Drift Away from Your Body: Keep the bar as close to your body as possible during the lift. If the bar drifts away, it can throw off your balance and place undue stress on your lower back. Engage your lats by squeezing your armpits and pulling the bar in a straight line.
Avoid Locking Your Elbows Early: Don’t allow your elbows to bend during the lift. Ensure that your arms stay straight throughout the movement. If you bend your elbows, it can affect the efficiency of the lift and put stress on your biceps.
Don’t Let Your Knees Collapse Inward: Avoid letting your knees cave inwards during the lift. This can destabilize your body and increase the risk of knee injury. Focus on pushing your knees outward, in line with your toes, as you drive through the floor.
Don’t Focus Only on Your Heels: While it's important to keep your weight on your heels, avoid neglecting the rest of your foot. Not engaging the entire foot (heel, big toe, and little toe) can limit the activation of your quads and glutes. Push through the whole foot to maximize power and stability.
Avoid Overextending at the Top: Don’t lean back excessively at the top of the lift. Overextending your hips can place unnecessary strain on your lower back. Stand tall with your glutes and core engaged, but avoid pushing your hips too far forward.
Don’t Use a False Grip: Never use a false grip (where your thumb is not wrapped around the bar). This reduces grip security and increases the risk of the bar slipping. Always wrap your thumb around the bar to maintain a firm grip.
Don’t Let Your Chest Drop: Avoid letting your chest drop or your back round when lifting. This can throw off your posture and increase the risk of injury. Keep your chest lifted and engage your lats to maintain proper positioning throughout the lift.
Don’t Rush Through the Descent: Don’t drop the bar quickly after reaching the top. Lower the bar in a controlled manner to prevent excessive strain on your spinal erectors and ensure a safer, more effective movement. This also helps maintain good form for the next repetition.
Avoid Wasting Energy on Excessive Reps: Don’t push yourself to do too many reps if your form is breaking down. Quality over quantity is key. Focus on maintaining proper technique to target the hamstrings and glutes effectively, rather than exhausting yourself with excessive repetitions.
Variations
Variations of fitness exercises refer to different ways of performing a specific exercise or movement to target various muscle groups, intensities, or goals. These variations aim to challenge the body differently, prevent plateaus, and cater to individuals with varying fitness levels.
Alternatives
Alternative exercises in fitness refer to different movements or activities that target similar muscle groups or serve the same training purpose as the primary exercise. These alternative exercises can be used as substitutes when the original exercise is unavailable or challenging to perform due to various reasons such as equipment limitations, injuries, or personal preferences.
