RepSenseiSumo Deadlift Form
The sumo deadlift uses a wide stance with hands inside the knees. It keeps the back more upright than a conventional deadlift and puts more work through the hips, glutes and adductors. Getting into the right stance and hip height is the hard part; once set, the pull is short.
Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your sumo deadlift reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.
How to do it
- Stand with feet wide, often near the inner rings of the bar, toes turned out about 30 to 45 degrees, shins close to the bar.
- Grip the bar shoulder width apart, hands inside your knees, arms straight.
- Push your knees out over your toes and drop your hips until your shins are close to vertical and your chest is up.
- Pull the slack out of the bar, brace, and push the floor apart with your feet.
- Drive up with hips and chest rising together, keeping the bar close, then squeeze your glutes to finish standing.
Coaching cues
Spread the floor
Pushing out through your feet keeps your knees from caving and gets the hips working.
Hips close to the bar
The closer your hips, the more upright your back and the shorter the pull.
Be patient off the floor
Sumo pulls often start slowly; keep pushing rather than yanking.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Stance too wide
Too wide for your hips makes it hard to get down to the bar and to push the knees out. Fix: Start moderately wide and adjust until your shins are close to vertical.
Knees caving in
The knees drift in as you pull, taking the hips out of it. Fix: Push the knees out over the toes and spread the floor.
Hips shooting up
The hips rise first, turning it into a stiff-legged pull with a wide stance. Fix: Use less weight and push through the legs while keeping the chest up.
Bar away from the shins
A forward bar pulls the back out of position. Fix: Start with the bar touching or very close to your shins.
Rounding the back
Losing tension makes the spine bend under the load. Fix: Brace and pull the slack out before every rep, and reset on the floor.
Muscles worked
Main: Glutes, Quads, Inner thighs. Also: Hamstrings, Lower back, Traps, Forearms.
Who should take care
Sumo needs decent hip mobility; if the stance pinches your hips, narrow it or use a conventional or trap bar deadlift. Any sharp pain means stop and see a doctor or physiotherapist.
Variations
- Plie Dumbbell Squat: Easier: learn the wide stance with a single dumbbell.
- Trap Bar Deadlift: Easier: a more balanced, centred pull.
- Barbell Deadlift: Alternative: the conventional stance.
- Sumo Deadlift with Bands: Harder: bands add load at lockout.
Filming your sumo deadlift
Film from a front-diagonal angle at knee height, two to three metres away, so you can see both your knee path and the bar. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.
Questions
Is sumo deadlift cheating?
No. It is a recognised style in powerlifting. It shortens the bar path but has its own demands on the hips.
Sumo or conventional, which is better?
Whichever suits your build and feels strong. Try both with moderate weight over a few weeks.
How wide should my stance be?
Wide enough that your shins stay close to vertical at the bottom. For many people that is with feet just inside the plates.
See the Sumo Deadlift exercise guide with a 3D figure.
More form guides
General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.
Track your sumo deadlift with your camera
Free, with no account. Open it in your phone browser, or get the Android app.