A Fresh Look at the King of Lifts

The Sumo Deadlift

If you strength train, you have likely seen or performed a standard deadlift . With its emphasis on core stability, back strength, and clean technique, it is powerful and effective, and often the first Olympic lift people learn. Less common is the wide-stance, or Sumo deadlift, which shifts the emphasis to the legs and glutes. This, my friends, is the true King of lifts. It defines what functional, full-body strength is all about. The primary muscles used in this version of the deadlift are the erector spinae, gluteus maxiumus, adductor magnus, hamstrings, quadriceps and soleus while the rest of the body provides stabilization – it is a serious full-body move.

In this video, B3 Trainer Devan Campbell shows us what the sumo deadlift looks like in motion.

Are You Ready For it?

In order to perform a sumo deadlift correctly, you must be able to recruit, or voluntarily activate, your deep abdominals and trunk muscles. In particular, recruitment of the transverse abdominous muscle provides a corset like brace around the trunk, helping to protect against injury.

Smart Move

Start with your legs out just wide of shoulder width, and reach your arms down inside of your legs toward the bar, mimicking a Sumo wrestler. Toes should be turned out.

Make sure your back is flat and strong. Never let your back start to round, and remember to keep the corset-brace with your abdominals.

Grab the bar and bring it up close to your shins. Keep your chest up, your arms straight and your shoulder blades actively drawn down and back.

With your head up, looking straight ahead, sink your butt down and draw in your abs. From here, stand up slowly, keeping everything as straight and tall as possible. Remember to keep your back flat, hinging at the hips.

Finish tall and strong at the top, with your shoulders back. No need to shrug or arch here, just get those hips and knees in line.

Ok. Now we have to get the bar back down to complete the move (with control!)

Start by moving your hips back, without letting the bar collapse down. Keep your shoulders back and your chest high.

When the bar is close to knee-height, bend those knees into a squat-like position, and set the bar down.

Take another look at the video above to see how it all comes together!

Common Deadlift Errors

Hips Too High. This is not a stiff-leg lift, so use those knees! Put the bar against your shins with the shoulder blades directly over the bar.
Hips Too Low. The deadlift is not a squat. Put the bar against your shins with your shoulder blades directly over the bar.
Bending Your Back. Increases the pressure on your spine thus increasing risk of injury. Keep your chest up at all times, and look forward.
Hyper-extending Your Back. As bad as bending. The deadlift ends when your hips & knees are locked. No need to arch at the top.
Rolling the Shoulders. Dangerous and inefficient. Your hip muscles move the weight, not your shoulders. Extend your knees and hips at the top, and then stop.
Shrugging at the Top. Unnecessary. If you need more trap emphasis do shrugs or power cleans.
Pulling with Bent Arms. You could tear your biceps by pulling with bent arms. Keep your arms straight, tighten your triceps.

May, 2010, Chad Drummond, B3Group Training Director

Back to B3Smart Home

Personal Trainer Squat with Kettle Bell