Sumo Deadlift

The sumo deadlift uses a wide stance — feet turned out 30 to 45 degrees, stance width typically just inside the plates — with the hands gripping the bar inside the knees. The wide stance drops the hips closer to the bar and shortens the distance the bar has to travel, which is why many lifters sumo pull more than they conventional deadlift.

The movement pattern is more of a leg press against the floor than a hinge. The torso stays more upright than in a conventional deadlift, the hips travel more vertically than horizontally, and the primary drivers are the glutes, adductors, and quads — with the hamstrings and upper back still contributing, but less than in the conventional version.

Sumo is a legitimate competition deadlift in every federation that runs drug-tested powerlifting. Which stance is "better" depends on your build: lifters with long torsos and short arms often find sumo mechanically advantageous, while long-armed lifters with shorter torsos tend to pull more conventional. Try both over a meaningful training block before picking — single sessions are not enough data.

In LiftProof, track the sumo deadlift as its own exercise if you program both stances, or as your primary deadlift if you have committed to sumo. The training max from conventional does not translate cleanly — sumo typically feels heavier off the floor and lighter at lockout, and the percentage work needs its own calibration.

• Stance wide — feet just inside the plates, toes turned out 30 to 45 degrees
• Hands inside the knees — grip the knurling, not the collars
• Hips close to the bar — push the knees out over the toes before you pull
• Chest up, lats engaged — wedge yourself down to the bar before the rep
• Drive the floor apart — think "push the legs out" rather than "pull the bar up"
• Finish with hips through the bar — full lockout, no hitching

• Stance too narrow — the hips never drop to the bar and you end up in a half-hinge
• Hips rising before the bar breaks the floor — you are deadlifting stiff-legged, not sumoing
• Pulling with the arms straight but relaxed — engage the lats before you pull, not during
• Cutting lockout short — in a meet this is a missed lift; in training it is rehearsing a miss

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