The Advantages of Sumo Vs. Conventional Deadlifts

[@rednaxofficial]

If you have any kind of back problems or find the deadlift uncomfortable, give sumo a shot. It takes some time to adapt to, but you seriously don't know what you are missing until you try it.

[@immersivecomics1603]

Exactly what I did. I EXCLUSIVELY pulled conventional for a while, but due to having preexisting back issues, could no longer do it. Had to switch to sumo and honestly it feels so much more natural and healthy for my back. It’s a personal preference

[@ObamaSaidHeLikesMe]

@@immersivecomics1603 oh fr? I'm the same exact way. I'm taller, no prior back issues, but also had a lower back pain from conventional.

[@AZANlA]

Will do

[@pap4539]

I think I’m convinced on sumo now. I’ll be trying it on my next heavy deadlift day. I’ve stagnated on deadlifts for months now. Half the time that I’m pulling heavy, my back is sore in a not good way afterwards. I’m a shorter guy (5’7”) with shorter arms. I’ll probably try and lift heavy with sumo, and do more conventional when I’m doing longer working sets of 8, or 10 reps.

[@KnuckleHead1983]

Good to know! I will try this. I have a bad back and I especially find I have some discomfort in my lower back doing conventional. I love the conventional deadlift cause it’s always been one of my strongest lifts although haven’t done it years. But I will give the sumo variation a try I sometimes do sumo squats and like how they feel.

[@RachelReaiah]

I am 5ft 11", I did a workout today, first time doing sumo deadlifts at 140lbs, I fell it in my glutes and I loved it, when I've done conventional deadlifts in the past, my back hurt so much (probably my form was wrong) but I sure got it done today with no back pains

[@NoahGiedroc11]

Never done conventional only sumo, but people in this section are like all saying conventional hurt their back

[@adamraymontero]

Dude in the green jacket makes the best points here. Good conversation all around 👍🏻

[@trxe420]

I think it's totally based on your body type. When I was competing (powerlifting) I started conventional, but hit a wall where I just couldn't go further. I am shorter and squat/bench were always my stronger lifts, so I switched to sumo which was more hip based as you say (my strength) and my deadlift skyrocketed in competitions. I do however agree they work different parts of the posterior chain which is why I still train conventional, specifically to develop my lower back more. I think there is even a place for trap bar deadlifts and explosion.

[@ulisesibarra801]

This pod doesn’t get enough love

[@itsaquah1121]

I stopped doing conventional as soon as I found out about my bad technique, basically even activating my lats and doing the steps I can't stop arching my back, I moved to sumo and I feel improvements, my back is straight. Although I must go from scratch but better that than an injury ☠️

[@itsaquah1121]

Also with conventional i got some injuries before (Fortunately not lower back but upper-mid back)

[@michaelscott5653]

Similar, but instead of sumo I went for trap bar deadlift. Hopefully that will help build the muscle that will allow me to perform conventional better. I'm tall at 6'4" though so that's a big reason I have trouble

[@autavianfields7284]

A deadlift is lifting dead weight off the floor that’s like saying a wide stance squat is different than a narrow stance squat

[@Davidclol]

im 6'3 and doing conventional just feels awkward, hurts my back and glutes with just 225. Gave sumo a try and pulled 365 first day back into deadlifting with no pains at all.

[@MrLeonJunior]

im 6'3..and I just feel... we can't let the short people beat us..

[@michaellynn9763]

I’m the same height and have the same issues at exactly the same weight! I do however, have ridiculously long legs, which I was led to believe suits conventional more, though I tend to disagree. Because of my short torso and legs, I have to hinge quite a lot, which became problematic! Tried sumo after 4 months of not training it and the difference is night and day!

[@anti_hero_660]

Tall lanky does not benefit from conventional my opinion as my legs are long and in the way.

[@yanabi83]

You're doing it wrong then. Long femur people need to lean forward over the bar. It can be done by tall ppl but the positioning is different and needs to be learnt

[@sal1710]

I’m a tall woman and I have an issue with my hip as I have an extra bit of bone on the joint that causes impingement with the socket in certain exercises. The benefit for doing sumo for me is that I can turn my toes out slightly and that in turn helps me avoid that impingement, same deal with squats for me as well.

[@Kurauone__]

Sumo deadlifts are easier on the knees. I prefer them to the regular deadlift on account of my problem left knee.

[@muheed1]

Conv > rackpull

[@xxrngxx5]

Been trying sumo recently. Prefer it over conventional. Esp because less strain on lower back.

[@AnjewGS]

so ur lower back stays weak and untrained?

[@Dlindo8892]

@@AnjewGSDid you even read his comment you clown. I don’t think that’s what he said.

[@nickoalskalivas]

Sumo deadlifts are for bitches

[@lexbraxman9270]

I have long arms. Sumo feels way better and sustainable. First time I tried it today and felt natural. I am staying away from conventional because I feel snap city when I do those.

[@RobertoK_99]

It's preference and how you feel the strongest. I personally doing only conventional, sumo feel kinda strange and powerless for me, Im short and I got very short arms and legs and I found that "grip n rip" conventional is best for me. I got strange leverages and also my squat is almost 20 kg higher than my deadlift.

[@king-nick2023]

I’m 5,6 and regular deadlifts often hurt but sumo’s feel great from my entire body

[@SIickTurtIe]

I couldn’t load my hamstrings worth a shit doing conventional. And when I was able to get to the right position, my t-Rex arms could barely reach the bar. So I put a couple pieces of stall mat underneath the plates to imitate a very, very low (1.5”) rack pull. Worked like a charm! And for me, The way I’m built, I still feel the full range of motion. Prior to this, I’d pull heavy with Sumo, and supplement with high volume SLDL to hit the erectors.

[@peakpotential304]

what have you noticed since pulling los rack pulls?

[@joeyhuebner10]

You could also try trap bar deads if you have shorter arms.

[@FitWithAP]

Amazing stuff per usual 👏🙌

[@farhanhussain_]

Professional powerlifters are good at both. Disparity between the two is just around 10%-15% in most cases. They use the dominant one for competition but practice the other one seriously in off season to overcome the weakness etc. General population should alternate the two after several weeks.

[@arbr_i]

10-15% is so much variation even at lower weights, let alone anything over 400lb

[@farhanhussain_]

@@arbr_i but this is how the things are. If there were no disparity, how would you know which variation is your dominant one for competition purpose.

[@bjornfollin5056]

I know several professional powerlifters who only focus on the deadlift version they actually use. Some examples here on YT would be Russel Orhii and Bryce Krawczyc.

[@farhanhussain_]

@@bjornfollin5056 yes there would be. Sure. But many do practice both. Dan Greene and Cailer Woolam are two good examples I can think of right now. Both approaches are fine. Actually training styles becomes more personalized as we advance. No fixed rule. My initial comment was in a generalized way.

[@anthonycruz5569]

I do both. I feel my LPHC is a lot more stable now.

[@willswanson2145]

try sumo deficit at a lighter weight. that really puts a unique load on the legs.

[@alliseeisW]

Great video and analysis from these guys. True hidden gem channel that deserves love like @elitefts and @athleanx. Once you couple Jamal Browner (strongest sumo deadlifter at 1102 pounds) videos with this analysis, you'll know why sumo is gaining a lot of traction in the power lifting arena. Jamal Browner is the most efficient sumo deadlifter.

[@loganwolv3393]

Well so far i've tried conventional for a handful of times but i'm not very sure if i'm using my glutes or not. I can feel my hamstrings and back, but not glutes.

[@glowingmarshmellowpo]

I started conventional and got up to 405. I switched to sumo because I realized that my gut (at the time) was pressing into my thighs and caused my back to round in the starting position. I was initially weaker on sumo and took about a year to match my conventional. Nowadays I've slimmed down and just alternate both. I'd say I'm 10-15% better sumo. But that's prolly just because I spent so many recent years focused on it.

[@KnuckleHead1983]

How can I do either with dumbbells? It’s all I have right now

[@Shikshame]

Which exercise will target top part of glute?

[@wilsong4096]

I’m way better at conventional but find I can only use a linear program on conventional for around 2-3 months then I start to get some major lower back fatigue as weights get in the 600 range . Moving forward I think I’ll run 8-10 blocks on each then switching to opposite stance . Once I switch to sumo I may use a deficit conventional as an assistance exercise just so I keep some type of motor pattern for the conventional

[@TheDdty]

You don’t have to kept going up in weight in deadlift. My max in 585 but never go near that when training. If 2-3 months gives you pain. Lower the weight work on you muscle endurance and work your way back up. You body can pull heavy weight but it’s getting tired

[@MrSamoannn]

Same other thing too u can do is also extend rest time between reps or sets.

[@shemshem9998]

I've had a exident which caused some back issues, I not have a penminalty shorter muscle on one side of my lower back, so doing regular deadlifts for heavy lifts (anything I can pull less than 10 times during a normal workout) is problematic because it hurts, I can feel the stress on theat muscle for up to a day after doing it, and I will bend my back quicker because of it. So I do 4 sets of deadlifts, 12-10-8-6, with weight starting at 50kgs and going up 20 for each set, my 12-10 are done regular and my 8-6 are done sumo. Is this the right thing to do one not? Would love some advice

[@kladzivar5879]

i think its too much reps for deadlift stay with like 5 to 6 reps,below 5 is the best like 5x5 and every weeek add weights or add weights and grind the 5 reps

[@shemshem9998]

@@kladzivar5879 I do those once a week, I have one day a weekwith a 5x5 set and one day a week with the 12-10-8-6, I'm not focusing on strength, not on hypertrophy, but kinda just inbetween

[@ImHandlingIt]

Update your anabolic at home program. You have exercise demos mixed up. The sumo deadlift has a sumo squat demo. Phase one program says to do a dumbbell stiff legged deadlift, but the video demo is for a single legged deadlift.

[@Samson_Foryesh]

If I want to build my glutes would hip thrust and conventional work or would it not work as well?

[@p.j.witkowski3281]

Absolutely

[@Giopowered]

I like sumo because its less stress on my back. And sumo hits more of the hams n hip more than my butt. I dont want a bubble butt lol so i mostly sumo

[@saltycapers]

Why do so many of you have lower back issues doing conventional? Sounds like your form is off and you’re lifting too heavy. Just my thought.

[@AnjewGS]

they dont strengthen their lower back with back extensions and poor load management + form results in this

[@treali]

Because people have different bone structure and body shapes? I am a paranoid freak who perform exercises with perfect form always since I have experienced hurting my lower back when I was a teenager. Deadlift is the only exercise that never worked as I always felt it straight in my lower back and I tested every stance and position there is. I realized in the end that due to my tall legs I am basically horizontal, and sure people can pull that way, but I am pretty sure that even with perfect form you have a higher risk of injury due to the extra shear force. While it doesn't hurt like a sharp pain, I know the warning signs and they are ringing crystal clear during conventional DL. Sooner or later something will go wrong. Why risk it when I can do sumo and then do back extensions and barbell rows?

[@michaellynn9763]

@@trealiI came to the same conclusion mate. Persistent back pain due to extremely long legs has forced me to go to sumo, though I had to spend a few months squatting and strengthening inner thigh muscles.

[@TerezaBarloon]

Because my arms are so short, it’s like pulling deficit, ALL the time (my fingers end at my hips while standing straight, most peoples end mid thigh). I do weighted hyperextensions and core exercises and all that but it won’t change my leverages. It’s be like blaming non sumo lifters for having weak adductors and quads, but you don’t see that kind of gatekeeping…

[@dinnybam2057]

Conventional deadlifts should not hurt your lower back(although some soreness is fine and to be expected). Almost all of your reps should be well below your actual one rep max.

[@kingofdjembe]

Did sumo for the first time today (I usually do conventional), my knee hurt a bit while doing it. Is that normal?

[@michaellynn9763]

Possibly foot angle and/or lockout.

[@doodiebean4870]

No one was sumo deadlifting 10 yrs ago. Now everyone does cause ppl was to look like they can lift more on social media.

[@bigx5murf]

Ed Coan

[@treali]

The strongest deadlifters are still doing conventional FYI. People are just breaking the stigma where it's "do conventional deadlift or you should not even bother going to the gym broooo".

[@Giopowered]

I like to not have back probkems and not care what people say

[@andimitris24]

Tall people like more the regular? I think that is the other way around.

[@treali]

Well you think wrong.

[@michaellynn9763]

@@trealiI’ve heard that too but would like to know the reason. I’m 6 feet 3 with very long legs so hip position is sometimes problematic.

[@autavianfields7284]

Close grip bench vs average width bench

[@Amy-qt3ks]

Conventional hurts my lower back. Maybe i Don't have good form

[@shane5385]

I met this guy and couldn't even tell he lifted, looks just like a reg guy kimd of like in this video

[@nataliamunoz8625]

Did sumo today.

[@autavianfields7284]

And sumo is heavily quad and glute not just glute. If you aren’t using your quads then y’all never did it right

[@beardy7124]

I love you guys but you pretty much tell us to do every damn exercise ever created. Lol

[@carter90kg]

Buncha people who can’t pull 315 either stance. But then talk shit on people who lift way more just bc it may shorten the ROM by a couple inches lmao People have massive egos

[@omardelagarza2201]

I feel like sumo is the equivalent to having that disgusting arch on bench where they bring the bar down like a couple inches🤣

[@billmurray7721]

Agreed

[@StrongestVersionPSN]

Lol this a foolish comment, alot of people aren't strong in sumo is why they complain

[@omardelagarza2201]

@@StrongestVersionPSN no bc it’s a shorter range of motion

[@StrongestVersionPSN]

@@omardelagarza2201 The range of motion does not matter for single PR lifts. It does matter if you're lifting 10 reps but it doesn't affect your PR.

[@2dgalaxy]

@@omardelagarza2201 ok but people with long arms have shorter range of motion, or people with short legs, its still full ROM for your body and some peoples bodies are better for sumo and some for conventional, same thing with squat foot placement and distance

[@idakwiatkowska2862]

I prefer sumo, on conventional I feel nothing...

[@catedoge3206]

bad take.

[@billmurray7721]

Sumo does not count.

[@explosiveshrimp]

Illogical take

[@PEZ1514]

​@@explosiveshrimp Sumo and conventional should not even be in the same competition category tbh.

[@samuelclemons508]

P-oh -sterior!! Not Pah-sterior !!!

[@usoolofstrengthpt]

d-ga-f

[@dude3278]

@@usoolofstrengthpt Lmfao

[@prisonmike3856]

If you're under 6'0" you have no business doing Sumo Deadlifts.

[@benmarquez7407]

Agreed 👍🏽

[@valfranky]

Probably the dumbest thing I’ve heard today

[@stevenjohnson7442]

You haven't explained why?

[@stevenjohnson7442]

@@valfranky It's even dummer because no explanation is given! I am under 6.ft, and will continue to perform sumo deadlifts.

[@inthebooks3947]

So dumb because people who are 5ft9 can have long limbs too