If you tried to replicate this forward lean for sumo deadlifts it would be highly inefficient. Choose the dominant style and see if it feels more comfortable to you. Medicine Science Sport Exercise, 34(4): 682-688. You'll end up wanting to try to pull conventional in a sumo stance such as using more lower back then you should, which is why you'll see a lot of rookie sumo pullers pull with their lower back to mid back, which … However, the data below is just too interesting not to mention. For the sumo deadlifts, you’ll have greater knee extension, which places more loading demand on the quads. If you're towering over the other gym-goers, the rules are different when it comes to heavy pulls. The sumo deadlift relies on recruiting the hips, glutes, and legs to initiate the first portion of the pull, while the conventional has a more equal balance between the … It's easy to look at the conventional barbell deadlift and think it's the weight room's great equalizer. He weighed in at 98kg. What muscles you’re looking to train; Your hip structure/ flexibility: this actually plays a greater role than your height / proportional limb length; It’s primarily a question of comfort: conventional pulls place a great … Both highly respected coaches within the world of powerlifting. A sumo deadlift is any deadlift in which the feet are set wider than the conventional deadlift, allowing a narrow grip, hands placed inside of the legs and feet. According to a study in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise , sumo deadlifts are more effective at activating the vastus medialis , vastus lateralis , and … When it comes to the sump vs. conventional deadlift, both exercises activate your muscles to the same degree, but in different ways. Whether you feel comfortable or not will largely be dependant on your hip structure, so make sure to perform the supine assessment to figure out the natural range of motion of your hips. I've found that it takes years for a lifter to perfect sumo. This is because the angle of your femur and hip is greater. Deciding whether to do conventional or sumo also depends on your overall bodyweight. This makes trap bar deadlifts easier on … One quick note, if you decide to deadlift sumo, you’ll want to make sure you have the proper footwear. For most people, the timing of the hips and knees to finish the movement will happen simultaneously. Deadlift Using The Conventional Stance In most circumstances, based on the Hales (2010) study of limb lengths I mentioned above, a tall person should be deadlifting using the conventional stance. Check out my other article on the Sumo Deadlift vs Back Squat. This is why I use the second point below to determine a lifter’s quad weakness. In addition, the load is next to your feet instead of in front of them. If you’re built with a certain proportion it may allow you to feel more or less comfortable doing one style over another. If you train conventional or sumo simultaneously, doing one session in each stance per week, then over time you’ll recognize a clear winner based on strength. First, I look at their hip structure and proportions, then I look at their bodyweight and muscular strengths. If an athlete is more suited to lift sumo based on their hip structure, proportions, or bodyweight, then I will work on their specific weakness and then begin to experiment with sumo deadlifting once they’re stronger. The exact numbers change over time, but in general, about 2/3 of female lifters and males under 100kg pull sumo, and about 2/3 of male lifters over 100kg deadlift conventional. In the late ’90s, on the other hand (at the national meet where Escamilla gathered his data), 70% of the lifters deadlifted conventional, including 85% of the lifters above 83kg, and 55% of the lifters … To understand why, we must examine a variety of components related to Deadlift performance. Therefore, there is greater mechanical work for conventional deadlifts; and vice versa, less mechanical work for sumo deadlifts. However, without this article turning into a ‘how to deadlift’ guide, the key differences for the conventional vs sumo deadlift are the shoulder positions. When I refer to the “length of your limbs” or “proportions” I’m talking about the length of your torso, arms, and legs in relation to each other. The pelvis, hip socket, and femur (upper leg bone) are going to differ on an individual basis. In a general sense, the deadlift can be broken down into 3 basic zones; Off the floor; The dead zone (the area between the top of your foot and your knee) The lockout Both are highly technical lifts if you want to do do them well. In the image above, the angle on the left will be more naturally built for conventional, the angle in the middle may be suited for either conventional or sumo, and the angle on the right will be more naturally built for sumo. Conventional deadlift = shoulders over the bar in the start position. Second, can the athlete keep the bar and their hips rising at the same tempo out of the hole? (2002), shows that the vastus medialis (inside of the quad), vastus lateralis (outside of the quad), and tibialis anterior (outside of calf) had greater muscular activation in the sumo deadlift. While this is not always the case, it might mean they have a quad weakness because when the knees are in full flexion the quads are working the hardest. Practically speaking, you’d also likely have greater glute activation in the conventional deadlift; however, it depends on where your hips are in the start position in relation to the barbell. While the trendline is still similar in women, you’ll have a higher percentage of either lift at each end of the body-weight spectrum. By “average,” I mean lifters at least six or seven inches shorter than I am. While these are just semantics, an important difference to note is that during a conventional pull the hands are outside the legs (see photo above), while on a sumo pull the hands are inside the legs (see video below). What this will look like is that the hips and knees lock at the same time. It’s important to recognize that while the two deadlift styles look different there are two main similarities. Then be sure to sign up to our newsletter to keep you updated on the latest news. Therefore, there is greater mechanical work for conventional deadlifts; and vice versa, less mechanical work for sumo deadlifts. This is referred to as anthropometrics, which means the measurements of an individual. Conventional deadlifting uses a narrower stance with hands outside the legs, whereas sumo uses a wider stance with hands starting inside the legs. Training, Workouts, Nutrition, Mindset and Supplements. Arm length: Start at the shoulder joint (humeral head) to the tip of the middle finger. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the sumo deadlift will automatically feel easier for you. As listed below, here are some key differences where these compound exercises differ: The … Another consideration for choosing conventional or sumo deadlifts is based on the relative length of your limbs or proportions. PowerliftingTechnique.com also participates in affiliate programs with Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, and other sites. Pulling conventional is pretty badass however I was thinking about switching to sumo as that would have lot more … The first way to decide is to understand which style feels the most comfortable throughout the entire range of motion. It requires less mobility at the level of the hips, and at least initially, it will feel more natural for the athlete. If you find the measurements suggesting you can deadlift either conventional or sumo, then a semi-sumo deadlift stance might be more appropriate for you. Both Jason and Matt give a lot of credit to how athletes feel after trying both styles. As a result, my sumo is about 75% of what my conventional deadlift is. As they progress into heavier loads and form begins to break down, I encourage them to employ the stance where they can execute consistently and efficiently while simultaneously taking advantage of their unique leverages to lift the most weight possible. While the trendline is still similar in women, you’ll have a higher percentage of either lift at each end of the body-weight spectrum. In general lighter lifters (less than 63kg / 138lbs for women and 93kg / 204lbs for men) will deadlift in a sumo stance, and heavier lifters will deadlift in a conventional stance. You can see how Jason doesn’t take too much stock on the recommendations based on proportion sizes. Less work against gravity requires less overall energy output to complete the lift. Just like Jason, as the athlete becomes stronger, Matt recognizes there may be a style of deadlift that allows them to maintain a more precise technique under heavier loads. Both will give you plenty of bang for your buck. Let’s now talk about the next consideration for deciding whether to do conventional or sumo deadlifting. Other determining factors that make conventional or sumo deadlifting a better choice are based on your hip structure, limb length, body weight, and muscular strengths and limitations. In the image above, the angle on the left will be more naturally built for conventional, the angle in the middle may be suited for either conventional or sumo, and the angle on the right will be more naturally built for sumo. Sumo Or Conventional Deadlift: Which Should You Do? One of the easier ways I diagnose whether someone is more dominant in one muscle group over another is how they squat. As such, you should use the same approach. When I first took up powerlifting four decades ago, I was working hard on my deadlift and it seemed to be stalled out at 345 lb. As a result, your typical deadlift assistance movements that will have a very high degree of carryover to your sumo deadlift, even if you do them with a conventional stance. Sumo deadlift = shoulders in line with the bar in the start position. For both the conventional and sumo deadlift, you’ll want to ensure that you achieve maximal muscular tension in the start position. As you get higher in bodyweight, the fewer sumo deadlifts are being represented with more conventional pulls. It's a different type of movement. For example, I found that once I trained sumo along with my conventional, my conventional got stronger. This trend is a bit more prominent in men. Sumo deadlift = shoulders in line with the bar in the start position. But there are exceptions to the rule. Related Article: Jefferson Squat: How-To, Benefits, & Should You Do It? 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