Sumo Deadlift (Barbell)
The Barbell Sumo Deadlift is a compound strength exercise performed with a wide stance and hands gripping the bar inside the knees. This variation emphasizes the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps while placing slightly less shear force on the lower back compared to conventional deadlifts.
Since heavy deadlifts place high demand on the central nervous system, the AI analyzes your HRV and recovery data to determine if you are ready for maximum intensity or if volume should be regulated. By tracking RPE and bar speed trends over time, the app learns your leverage advantages and can suggest the Sumo variation if your biomechanics or history of lower back pain make conventional pulling suboptimal.
Form Cues
- Set your feet wide with toes pointed out at roughly 45 degrees
- Grip the bar with your arms hanging directly vertical inside your knees
- Wedge your hips in toward the bar to bring your chest upright
- Drive your feet down and spread the floor apart to initiate the lift
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top to fully extend your hips
- Don't let your knees collapse inward as you push off the floor
- Don't round your lower back or let your shoulders roll forward
- Don't jerk the bar off the ground; pull the slack out first
- Don't let your hips shoot up faster than your shoulders
- Don't lean excessively backward at the top of the movement
Common Mistakes
- Setting up with a stance that is too narrow
- Allowing the bar to drift away from the shins
- Shooting the hips up before the chest rises
- Failing to lock out the knees and hips simultaneously
- Hyperextending the lower back at the top
Muscles Worked
This exercise is a powerhouse for the posterior chain, heavily recruiting the glutes and hamstrings, while the wider stance increases quadriceps activation compared to a conventional deadlift. It also builds significant isometric strength in the erector spinae and upper back as they work to maintain a neutral spine under heavy load.
Primary
Secondary
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