Sumo Deadlift

HOW TO DO IT

1. 1Stand with feet wide and toes pointed out so the barbell crosses the middle of your feet.
2. 2Hinge at the hips and grip the bar inside your legs with arms straight.
3. 3Drop your hips lower than your shoulders while keeping your chest up and back flat.
4. 4Drive through your entire foot to push the floor away and lift the bar.
5. 5Lock out your hips and knees at the top without leaning back excessively.
6. 6Hinge forward at the hips to lower the bar under control to the ground.

COMMON MISTAKES

• Letting the knees cave inward during the pull.
• Rounding the lower back instead of maintaining a neutral spine.
• Starting with hips too high, turning the lift into a squat.
• Hyperextending the lower back at the top of the movement.

TIPS

• Push your knees outward in line with your toes throughout the entire lift.
• Imagine dragging the bar up your shins to maintain a vertical path.
• Take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core before pulling.
• Keep your lats tight by trying to bend the bar around your shins.

SAFETY

• Maintain a neutral spine to prevent disc injury under heavy loads.
• Ensure the bar path stays close to the body to protect the lower back.

DETAILS

Muscles

Hamstrings

Equipment

Barbell

Type

Strength Training

Difficulty

Intermediate

Tracked as

Weight & Reps

TECHNIQUE

Base movement

Deadlift

Arms

Both

Legs

Both

Arms straight or bent

Straight arms

Hand orientation

Pronated (palms down / away)

Body position

Standing

Stance

Wide