Sumo or Conventional Deadlift? - Joe Matthews

In a balanced strength training program, you may cycle through using both of these deadlifting techniques; however, most powerlifters tend to favor one style over the other.

The main differences between the two styles are that the conventional deadlift is considered a hip hinge movement that focuses mainly on the muscles around the hips and your spinal erector muscle group. The sumo deadlift focuses on these same muscles but with more emphasis on the quadricep and adductor muscle groups. The reason for this is that you will tend to start the sumo deadlift with a more closed-off knee angle than the conventional deadlift.

For most people, the range of motion is also significantly different between the two styles. With the conventional pull, your stance will be closer—i.e., knees under hips and ankles under knees—with more forward lean over the bar than the sumo. With the sumo pull, your feet are placed much further apart, bringing your hips closer to the bar and your torso more upright. This can reduce the RoM by up to 25% compared to the conventional pull. Irrespective of style, you should aim to position your shoulder blades directly over the bar and flatten out any unnecessary excess curvature of your spine before you begin your deadlift.

As far as deciding on which style you should be using, I would suggest trying out both over time and choosing the one that feels most comfortable for you. Usually, this will be the style that suits your levers best as the weight gets heavy. For example, people with a long torso and short arms tend to suit the sumo style better than people with a long torso and long arms, who might suit the conventional style better. There are many other combinations, as well as different formulas that can be found online to help guide you on your leverages and what style might suit you best; however, one of the best indicators is how the movement feels for you.

Have a chat with your coach about some of the nuances associated with the different styles, or shoot me an email with any further questions that you might have.

See you in the gym!