Sumo deadlift: how to do it
Main muscles: Gluteus maximus, Rectus femoris, Hip adductors (inner thigh), Erector spinae (lower back). Helpers: Hamstrings, Upper traps, Forearm flexors. Below: step-by-step form, common mistakes, a muscle map, reps and rest, and what to swap it for.
Equipment
Barbell
Reps
6–10
Rest
150 s
Muscle group
Legs
How to do it
- Feet wide, toes turned out, hands inside the knees, bar against the shins.
- Hips lower and chest higher than in the conventional pull; back flat.
- Push the floor apart with the legs and drive the hips forward at the same time.
Common mistakes
Hips rising before the chest, knees caving in, the bar drifting away from the legs.
Muscles worked
primary·secondary
- Primary
- Gluteus maximus, Rectus femoris, Hip adductors (inner thigh), Erector spinae (lower back)
- Secondary
- Hamstrings, Upper traps, Forearm flexors
A secondary muscle gets roughly half the stimulus of a set — that is also how the log’s stats count it.
Alternatives: similar exercises
Back squat
Barbell · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Deadlift
Barbell · Erector spinae (lower back), Gluteus maximus, Hamstrings, Semitendinosus
Good morning
Barbell · Hamstrings, Erector spinae (lower back), Gluteus maximus
Goblet squat
Dumbbells · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Bodyweight squat
Bodyweight · Rectus femoris, Vastus lateralis (outer quad), Vastus medialis (teardrop), Gluteus maximus
Romanian deadlift
Barbell · Hamstrings, Semitendinosus, Gluteus maximus
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