Why the Sumo is better than the Conventional Deadlift

Found this video useful? Consider buying me a coffee: tinyurl.com/y59axw3d
The single reason that sumo is so mechanically advantageous over the conventional technique when deadlifting.
Turn your knees out and BACK so that you can flex the knees without pushing the bar forward!
edit: I'm not stubbornly claiming that the sumo technique is absolutely always better than the conventional technique. Rather - I'm explaining what makes the sumo such a potent technique when compared to the conventional. Of course there are many other factors that will dictate which stance is optimal on a personal level and these things should be teased out individually with a good coach.
City Strength - www.citystrength.com.au
5trong T shirt Fundraiser - www.citystrength.com.au/collections/stronger-is-better
Contact me - [e-mail]
IG - @5trong
facebook - jpcauchi
"Luck is for the underprepared"

[@perman07]

I like the fact that you acknowledge the clickbait up front. So many youtubers try to act as if they are paragons of integrity and actually try to make their clickbait titles appear legitimate, but really the integrity comes from being up front about what you do.

[@SupremeSportsPT]

The outtakes are my favorite part. Good info, thanks JP!

[@MarkMacqueen]

Interesting perspective jp!

[@Logan-dk8of]

this is an underrated channel, i know this video is pretty old, but a lot of the other older videos on this channel gave a lot of great tips that I haven't really seen anywhere else

[@StrengthAesthetics1]

This is a very good video JP. Very informative.

[@99civicsi]

Good stuff! Thanks JP!

[@immortalpersian]

Great video as always !!!

[@TheDtrain1974]

Great Video JP! Just wondering how you would recommend someone transitioning from conventional to sumo? Also if you've got any mobility suggestions, as I'm not very flexible and don't find the sumo stance comfortable. Thanks for taking the time.

[@Yalashaska]

I tried sumo but I farted a couple times so Im never gonna try it again in a public gym. And I never really fart in the gym, squats and conventional ar not an issue

[@DeanAdventure]

I know why lol!

[@lort6022]

your asshole is loose.

[@Emresinho]

😂😂😂

[@SuperSaiyanPhysique]

Great video JP. Would love to hear tips on keeping neutral spine for sumo and conventional.

[@HANMINK1M]

this clip is really helpful , thx man!

[@Damien567777]

Can pointing toes out (more, to a certain degree) minimise shin angle and therefore bar distance in the conventional deadlift? And would you advise this?

[@ColinDeWaay]

Team need to push my knees out more on sumo deadlift club checkin in haha Good stuff man!

[@FlowState194]

Thanks. This will help me!

[@kv8824]

Thanks for the tips, those are things I have heard about my friends who are also powerlifter too. However, even when I open my knee, I still don't feel like I have any power to initiate the push. My inner thigh doesn't feel firm and strong enough, is there any exercise or tips on improving it. Also I torn my ACL before and so my right knee doesn't feel strong, it has some weird feeling. i had surgery but still, it is no longer strong, do you think sumo is better for my case or just stick to conventional? Appreciate your help

[@Knud451]

As you work on getting your knees out and back, should you, over time, aim to increase your stance width?

[@michaelbaeyens9178]

Good cue: "knees out is actually knees back, which is not the same as the 'knees out' in a squat". Cheers!

[@DYTM23]

Knees back is a bit interesting, does that stop being useful say if a person is pulling from a stance where their heels are pointing at each other? Also what is your opinion on pulling straight up compared to an almost diagonal back/up pull?

[@patricknunez2398]

Thank you john💪🏽👊🏻

[@SJ-tm1ud]

What about the pressure put on the hips from heavy squats and heavy sumos? Wouldnt this contribute to injury in the long run? Any experience with this? I myself experienced tons of hipflexor pain and problems from squatting and pulling heavy sumos at the same time. Now I am squatting and pulling conventional and the hipflexors gets a chance to recover and stay in good shape.

[@Dluu22]

JP would you recommend front squat or high bar squats more as an assistance for helping the sumo deadlift, since they both use quads?

[@jakecullen1999]

Any info on mobility or drills to open up the hip and adductors to get into the correct sumo position would be greatly appreciate mate

[@sunnysideup5826]

Great! Thank you. Subscribed.

[@damonwalker2324]

What has contributed to your speed off the floor for sumo???!

[@winsontom8411]

How pointed out should your toe angle be?

[@Theguywiththeark]

jp have you done or do you do any mobility drills to help with sumo stance?

[@churde]

more videos m8 youre both informative and entertaining

[@ramirenunez3654]

Great video thank you JP, I have a question, I'm not feeling well in sumo because it really hurts my low/medium aductor more than it should. It seems like the weight is on my aductors and not my quads. What would you recommend ? (Sorry for english)

[@lionelroland2250]

You think it's a pulling exercise its not push with your legs drive your hips and lock out use your legs your arms are only holding the holding the bar

[@zaksims9920]

I’ve had all types of problems with my back had surgery and everything and I’ve pulled my back a few times doing normal deadlift with light weights , do you think sumo deadlift would be better for my lower back ? because I have my own home gym and sometimes I struggle picking up the Weights of the floor comfortably since of my back problems in the past like yesterday I pulled my back just from picking the weight off the ground doing a deadlift type movement!?

[@gee_ray]

Hi JP, turning the feet out to be able to use the quads makes a lot of sense. What are your thoughts on someone like Amir Fazeli? Amir's sumo stance is with his feet a little more straight. His knees even point slightly forward of the bar when he initiates the lift.

[@adaptivestrengthperformanc93]

any specific hip mobility exercises you would suggest for sumo pull?

[@subzero4579]

Amazing - can you do an analysis of the frog deadlift?

[@clementinho04]

Totally agree on the premise, JP. Lifters who have strong quads and can cue that external rotation effectively, and who feel better pulling sumo, will definitely find it benefits them. If they can't achieve proper ER, they might experience valgus at the knee as you've demonstrated. If their posterior chain and lower back are stronger, or if they don't have the proper ROM, conventionals would be better and stronger.

[@thebigdogg9765]

Can you please address torso position/angle throughout the sumo Deadlift as well as hip height at the start of the movement.Cheers mate

[@NickFennema]

awesome, never looked at it from that angle :)

[@6reps]

Does deadlifting sumo and conventional with Oly lifting shoes have a place in powerlifting? Accessory? How would it change the muscle activation and physiology aspect of deadlifting.

[@kotallysavage6496]

6reps deadlift with flat or no shoes.

[@mfa-FH]

the blue mat looks like a carpet? or just color blue rubber mat?

[@gingsSon]

I've used both lifts extensively and my form seems to be on point for both. But for some reason I am always stronger conventional. Any reasons why? I'm guessing it's just because my posterior chain (specifically lumbar) is dominant.

[@refugee211]

could be a few reasons, hip mobility, leverages, such as leg length, torso length, etc. also sumo is very technical so it takes a while to really master the technique, where as conventional you can get away with using technique that isnt perfect

[@SnakeC666]

I can not use sumo deadlift because my adductors are very stiff, I can not seem to put on wide feet..

[@danielnator]

Movility and stretches for Sumo

[@robo__cop8154]

the main reason i don't do sumo is bcz i round my upper back and lift .can't do it as much in sumo .even though i might do well in sumo .

[@lutfi911]

Lamar Gant pulled conventional with a super flared feet. Do you think that is what contributed to his world record pull?

[@chrisdart1665]

I can get this same effect by pointing my toes out 30 degrees in a close stance conventional.

[@lionelroland2250]

I agree totally being 6'6" I won't do conventional without a trap bar!

[@seanle3400]

it's all about leverages though

[@fareedsyed2289]

Video title of this video?

[@trainingben7543]

What does bedda mean?

[@TopDoggyRobby]

Thats why behind the back deadlifts and trapbar deadlifts are the best

[@obits3]

Ed Coan would pull semi-sumo at meets, but most of his year was still training conventional. Also, the top two deadlifts ever pulled were done using conventional form...

[@lewsaboy1645]

Tom Forge guessing yury belkin doesn't count :/

[@nktrainingsystems]

Is that Cam Mackenzie at the end?

[@abraxis20]

As someone with a long back and short arms, sumo is definitely better for me.

[@MaxwellJErwin]

abraxis20 same man

[@TrustNJesusChrist]

Yea and I have back pain and nearly 40. I am thinking sumo and hex bar deadlifts are better at this point for my body. I can always target my lower back some other way without unnecesary stress.

[@Tryingmybestsince1999]

if i flare out my knees that much when doing sumo my abductor hurts :_(

[@phoenixfitness700]

Still love me a good conventional deadlift

[@billtachtsis]

Does wearing a SnapBack backwards contribute to the lift at all?

[@Kookaburra19]

+100kg

[@3Q2HFNILQHF]

My quads do get extremely sore from conventional deadlifts though... Same for sumo.

[@jazzthewayyoulikeit]

Quads are totally active in the DL

[@garrettnp5]

my only question is how did you go from shorts to underwear so fast?

[@emieloldenkamp2976]

Hey JP, with the major quad involvement in the sumo deadlift compared to conventional, how come some very quad dominant squatters (John Haack for example) still opt for the conventional pull? Seems to work out great for him. I'm in a similar situation in the squat and also for me conventional just 'feels' better. Keep up the great videos!

[@brownky3]

I'm going to sit here on this bench doing nothing until I get a phone call, then I'll start loading plates.

[@GodmyX]

I think in sumo it's not just quadriceps, but adductors that do lots of work... not an interesting exercise at all. Sumo deadlift is an uninteresting exercise, because it shifts most of the work to quads and adductors, while you already have quads and adductors exercises elsewhere (e.g. squats), but the conventional deadlift is the only exercise that really engages very heavily the whole posterior chain (it targets is preferentially, unlike sumo) and the whole body with it.

[@DKriticos]

I believe that you have missed a few important points with your analysis and that is with respect to body structure, lever arm lengths, flexibilty and comparitive joint heights. E.g. You are typically a shorter/stockier lifter with your knees a lot closer to the bar vertically than a much taller/lanky lifter who's knees would be positioned right over the bar as he bends down to pick up the bar. So yes you should be in a better more efficient position to pull sumo at the standard power bar height. But for taller ppl or longer levered ppl, they probably be more efficient pulling conventional.Also simple force analysis with respect to generating force through the legs to the floor between conventional and sumo. Conventional forces are generated mainly in a vertical straight line. While a sumo stance is generating both a vertical and a horizontal force through the floor. So using Pythagoras Theorem for e.g. if the angle between the floor to the heel of your foot to your hip joint is 45 degrees at the beginning of a lift, you would need to generate 1.4 times the force through your legs necessary to break the weight off the floor as opposed to a conventional puller pulling the same weight. This is one of the main reasons why most sumo deadlifters lifting a weight just above their max miss it at the bottom of the lift, whilst conventional pullers would lose the weight towards the knees or lockout.

[@HomicidalDavid]

I think I can maintain my form way better on sumo deadlift.

[@Alexisonscope]

A better title might be: "Why things are different"

[@JohnPaulCauchi]

+Alex Lee Dee True, however that is nowhere near as provocative and will not attract viewership ahaha!

[@LUSFNA48]

Amen to that brudda

[@sultanriaz5810]

Mobility Cor hips And hams

[@elliottmarshall1333]

Better as in you can lift more and reduce range of motion. Much like belly benching

[@feelzgoodmane6517]

Just recently switched to a semi--sumo stance and I feel so much stronger in it. Never going back to heavy conventional ever again.

[@luisgerardbaylon9914]

Almost all of the record holders use conventional.

[@alexwilliams5587]

Pretty much opposite until you get into the 105, 120 and 120+ weight class

[@Wo1fLarsen]

#cailerwoolam

[@net200777]

why do I feel so weak off the floor with sumo?

[@MrPieman00]

Thats typically what happens in sumo. Sumo is usually hard off the ground but easy to lock out. While conventional is the opposite,

[@poolkrooni]

MAsterTroll You need to be patient off the floor with sumo.

[@patrikm833]

your form is good :) sumo is very patient from the floor but easy at the lockout...every rep that leaves the ground I can lockout ..it can be grinder but if it leaves the ground i know i can lock it

[@nguyentran378]

Patrik M for real doe. But it can sometimes throw me off mentally during the pull. I still feel safer doing sumo than conventional doe

[@damienarvo8184]

Because the moment arm working against the quads is 3 times that of conventional and sumo actually works against good biomechanics in favour of improving leverages. Studies that have been done have shown there to be about 5% difference between the stances. At the most elite levels many sumo pullers swap to conventional because it becomes so hard to maintain a flat back at such heavy weight, whereas a round back deadlift becomes an advantage if done skilfully with conventional. All this sumo vs conventional stuff is such bullshit when you dig deeper.

[@gminasyan]

Having vertical shins in a conventional deadlift isn't a disadvantage if you have stronger hips. Andy bolton pulled over a 1k twice with vertical shins. Also note that pretty much every 900+ deadlift in history is conventional other than like 2 instances of sumo. I personally pull sumo though. A lot of records with both in the world.

[@DeanAdventure]

One thing to keep in mind is that a wide stance develops strength in the stance itself AND in conventional, but not the other way around. So deadlifting sumo WILL help your conventional , but your conventional will never help your sumo. What it comes down to is anthropometry and what feels more natural or "easier" to your body. Many do not have the hip strength to dlift or squat wide stance, as it is very demanding on the hips as well as the leg extensors

[@Antimonky]

i would be very interested in a mobility routine for the sumo! most people lack of a proper hip mobility to perform your way of pulling sumo.

[@thatfatasiankid5701]

I would pull sumo if I was stronger sumo, sumo looks dope.

[@lort6022]

@@diesertyp7822 no it does not.

[@jonathandixson1424]

@@diesertyp7822 They're both deadlifts, they both look pretty damn cool

[@ccax74]

I'm sure you're aware of this, and though I'm not denying that sumo is indeed better for many lifters, it is obviously not generally "better". If you ordered the heaviest deadlifts by descending weight, at which position would the first sumo deadlift be? Probably not in the top 20, not even in the top 50 if you allowed for straps (thereby including Strongmen).

[@JohnPaulCauchi]

+ccax74 Agreed that Sumo isn't entirely and always "better" (see my "edit" in the description) In my defence though, the best IPF deadlift atm pound for pound is 372.5kg at 93kg (820lb at 205lb) which was done sumo. Conventional favours bigger superheavyweights who naturally lift more on absolute terms too

[@Tcchatting]

+John Paul Cauchi jesse pulled 825 conventional under 93 in a usapl meet, a lot cleaner than Krzysztof as well

[@Tcchatting]

+John Paul Cauchi appreciate the video tho

[@Pontus95]

+Tom Chang (Changtraining) but on a deadlift bar right?

[@Tcchatting]

PSTraining no, stiff bar. full USAPL rules, just not eleiko plates

[@claudiamarianidamato9499]

It’s superior for you because you are short with short legs. Long leg short torso people benefit from conventional

[@DaLooseGoose11]

manliest shorts i ever seen..lmao

[@liamhoughton4914]

Conventional is bettah brah

[@hairulaidil4343]

But if we're talking in a functional movement, Conventional has a lot of carry over to lifts like Farmers walk, Frame Walks whereas Sumo probably it would be more for power stairs and duck walks.

[@jarude87]

Quadriceps.

[@florentfa1783]

Inb4 "sumo is cheating"

[@Researching4U]

👌🏽helpful✝

[@DumbGrunt.0311]

i have the absolute worse leverages for sumo

[@SCKMusic]

because deadlift is a fucking pull exercise not a push, that's why we dont use quad as much as sumo...

[@abramlittle7102]

SooChan Kwak deadlift is a fullbody excersize. pull and push

[@Rex_Smashington]

Why isn't there any sumo in strongman? Cause strongmen don't sumo.

[@enisatomaic4780]

It isnt

[@ianmasinde7781]

the world record is conventional; so i say there's no 'superior' style

[@preeam108]

That's why KHALEESI recommends that we do the SUMO DEADLIFT

[@xjpablobrx]

Closah is bettah

[@ghantakha5568]

Sumo is not a deadlift , its girls exercise . Go conventional if u r a real beast

[@saurelius5217]

I guess beasts do not know how to write a proper sentence.

[@justpeter9551]

...

[@georgeyu7987]

not agree. conventional deadlift is difficult because upper body is more leaning forward thus increase resistance moment arm, have nothing to do with quads. in fact, quads at conventional deadlift is more likely to contribute to the lift. If you examine the anatomic position and line of pull of quads muscle, this conclusion is not hard to get. While in sumo, hip joint is more abducted and external rotated, the line of pull deviate its optimal position. Physical therapist test the strength of quads at knee forward position, if what you said is true, shouldn't we test it in a knee outward and hip widely abducted position?

[@andrews2280]

The video has some good tips but in doing that you pretty much admitted sumo is "easier" to do. And that's why people are leaving these comments.

[@Kookaburra19]

But it's powerlifting.. You want to do the easiest way to pull the most weight. Why would you make it harder for yourself

[@andrews2280]

+Haley57 I'm not criticizing him at all. All I said is that he said what's easier for him and people and leaving comments because of that.

[@marshallore6869]

Conventional Deadlift is definitely more VMO because your knees are generally more bent at the start.

[@hitmarkersareawesome]

1) No they aren't 2) No such thing as VMO

[@cellulosenuggets415]

Easier because it's not a deadlift.

[@lort6022]

why it's allowed in comp then. newb.

[@ericscheerer4138]

It’s only allowed in powerlifting comp, which is bullshit

[@Jake_maguire1990]

All the heaviest deadlifts ever pulled have been pulled conventional......

[@Dyldayas24]

so why is sumo considered cheating?

[@Dyldayas24]

is that because their arms are shorter?

[@comeoniknoweverything8227]

Yeah that is because those are the biggest dudes, if you look at it p4p generally all the Heaviest DLs does by lighter dudes like Cailer, Yuri, Green etc. Are always conventional

[@nealtheall7236]

I would imagine pulling sumo for all the heavyweights is way harder than conventional due to lack of mobility.

[@xgreenbaynationx9812]

Sumo is more for your legs while conventional is more for your back. Best to do both!!

[@44556613able]

show us the girl recording the video....she sounds pretty 🔥

[@chriss4711]

Stoppped watching at "what makes conventional so difficult?" As long as sumo pullers know conventional is harder

[@SvupperZ]

It isn't

[@JohnPaulCauchi]

and a conventional puller would argue sumo is harder.. otherwise why would you compete conventional lol

[@TheMetalheadextreme]

Majority of coaches that I talked to always told me sumo deadlifts require you to make your technique much more precise compared to the conventional. It's gonna depend from person to person depending on the lengths of their limbs and their mobility. Whatever someone is comfortable with he is going to pull more weight in that and the other way would look more difficult to him. Simple

[@lort6022]

conventional is not harder, that's why most records are done conventional. most are strongest in conventional stance. i can do 620 conventional but only 490 sumo. doing sumo actually increased my conventional numbers... sumo technique is harder to master than conventional, which is easy. 9 out of 10 guys won't be able to pull as much using sumo stance, so forget about conventional being harder.

[@Gates2Aion]

Psss all you need to do is lean back so the bar can be closer to your shins, doing so, your activating quads a lot better, you get tighter and less likely to feel the weight moving away from you, sorry bro your giving a bad example

[@JohnPaulCauchi]

Funnily enough, I just posted about this

[@noxuss7654]

"dislike" :V

[@richardsolorio5910]

no one should listen to this guy about Conventional Deadlift....