Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift High Pull
- Level
- Intermediate
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Movement
- High pull
- Tracks
- Weight & Reps
Works
Glutes Traps Hamstrings Back Quadriceps Adductors Forearms Shoulders Abdominals
How to do it
- Stand with feet wider than shoulder width, toes turned slightly out, dumbbells on the floor between your feet.
- Hinge at the hips and bend the knees to grip the dumbbells with arms straight, inside your knees.
- Drive through your heels and extend hips and knees together, keeping the dumbbells close to your body.
- As the dumbbells pass mid-thigh, snap the hips forward and shrug the shoulders up.
- Pull the dumbbells to collarbone height with elbows high and outside, then reverse the path to the floor.
Common mistakes
- Bending the arms early and turning it into a biceps curl.
- Letting the wrists rise above the elbows, which makes it an upright row.
- Rounding the lower back during the setup or the descent.
- Letting the dumbbells drift away from the body on the way up.
- Letting the knees cave inward instead of tracking over the toes.
Safety
Load the spine progressively; heavy loads with a rounded back risk lumbar injury.
Avoid if you have shoulder impingement or wrist issues, since the high pull stresses both.
Tips
- Keep the dumbbells tracking close to your legs so the bar path stays vertical.
- Let the hips finish before the arms bend; the pull is a follow-through, not a start.
- Keep elbows above the wrists at the top so it stays a high pull.
- Brace the core and hold a neutral spine from setup through the descent.
Details
- Base movement
- High pull
- Load position
- dumbbell held between feet
- Arms
- Both
- Legs
- Both
- Hand orientation
- Neutral (palms facing each other)
- Stance
- Wide
