Sumo deadlift

4 × 6-10  ·  Equipment: No equipment, Barbell & plates

Muscle groups: Back · Legs & glutes

How to do sumo deadlift

1. Stand with your feet wide and toes slightly out, with the bar over the middle of your feet.
2. Squat down gripping the bar with your hands inside your knees and a closed grip.
3. Brace your back: chest up, shoulder blades back and abs engaged.
4. Push the floor with your legs as you lift the bar while quads and glutes work together.
5. Extend your hips and knees until you stand tall with the bar close to your body.
6. Lower with control sliding the bar near your legs and do 6-10 repetitions.

Mistakes to avoid

• Do not round your back as you lift: keep the neutral curve with your chest up throughout the movement.
• Do not jerk the bar off the floor with yanks: the lift comes from pushing the floor with your legs.
• Keep your shoulders behind the bar and do not let your knees collapse inward.
• If you feel sharp low back pain, reduce the weight and work on technique with a light load or a pike position.

Progression

• Start with 4 sets of 8 with a comfortable load: when you complete 10 clean reps, add 10-12 lbs.
• Increase the weight progressively every 1-2 weeks, repeating each rep with a neutral spine and braking.
• You can also add 2-second pauses at the top or lower the bar over 3 seconds for more effort.