Sumo Deadlift

The sumo deadlift is a frequently used variation on the traditional deadlift and with the exception of foot and hand placement, the lifting techniques used for sumo and conventional deadlift styles are pretty similar. Many powerlifters use a sumo deadlift technique, because it allows them to lift more weight than the conventional deadlift.

To perform the sumo deadlift in competition, a powerlifter pulls the weight until the lifter is upright with the shoulders back and the knees are locked. During the deadlift, the powerlifter must lift the weight without stepping backwards or forwards.

There are two commonly used styles of deadlift. In the “conventional style”, the legs are positioned at shoulder width or narrower, and the arms are hanging outside the legs. The conventional style deadlift works the lower back muscles far more than the “sumo style” and makes it popular with bodybuilders. In the “sumo deadlift” variation, the legs are spread out wider than the shoulders with the arms positioned between the legs.

The sumo deadlift technique tends to put much less stress on the lower back but more stress on the hip muscles. Many powerlifters feel the sumo deadlift is safer than the conventional deadlift. If you are using a sumo deadlift technique, it is important that you train your hip muscles and make them strong. The sumo deadlift works pretty much the same muscles as the traditional deadlift but because you spread your legs wider during the sumo deadlift, it means that the bar has less distance to travel, in theory allowing you to lift more weight.

As a powerlifter, your main goal is to lift as much weight as possible, and by shortening the range of motion, the sumo deadlift gives you a mechanical advantage over the traditional deadlift.

I find it much easier to maintain a straight back during the sumo style deadlift, making it safer when lifting heavy weight. The style of deadlift you use will mostly depend on your body shape and proportions. There are great powerlifters who practice sumo deadlifts and great powerlifters that use conventional deadlift technique. As always, experiment with the two different styles and see which one works best for you.

There are a few things you can think about that will help you when practicing the sumo deadlift technique. As with all exercises you need to be patient and persistent, making sure you practice good form at all times. Here are some of the main points to think about when using the sumo deadlift technique.

Hips

The first thing to think about when performing a sumo deadlift is your hip muscles. If you have a machine for working your hip muscles in your gym then you should use it to help develop your muscles.

Over-training

Over-training can be the enemy of every bodybuilder and powerlifter. If occurs when your body cannot recover from the stress of exercise and is usually down to doing too much and not allowing enough time for your body to recover. Make sure you are not over-training the deadlift. Both the sumo deadlift and conventional deadlift put an enormous strain on your entire body, and you need to make sure that you have fully recovered before training heavy. I generally recommend training the deadlift heavy ever other week. This should give your body enough time to recover from the stress of the sumo deadlift exercise.

Lower back strength

Although the sumo deadlift puts much less stress on your lower back, you still need to work this area to make sure it is strong. Make sure your train your lower back with good mornings and hyper-extensions during the weeks that you are not performing the sumo deadlift.

Abs

You will need a great deal of abdominal strength to maintain good forum when sumo deadlifting so try and practice weighted abdominal exercises.

Good form

Think about your form. Nothing is more important to the sumo deadlift technique than good form. Get someone to watch you to make sure you are doing the movement correctly, keeping your back as straight as possible to prevent injury.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the sumo deadlift. Make sure you work hard on your form and see if this style of deadlifting is for you. Many people find they can lift more using the sumo deadlift than they can with the conventional deadlift. Give it a try and see if the sumo deadlift is for you.