Sumo Advice Please

OK hello friends…

You may remember me from such threads as squat depth worrying and DL form advice …
But now something new…

I am freaking out about my sumo form

Here is my “max” sumo @250.

Now sumo feels very easy to me, but I could be doing it fairly wrong because I am new to it.
I find that because I have super short legs and long monkey arms that I pull best with my hips set a bit higher, but I am wondering if there’s anything else major that needs adjusting ?

Thanks for any help and feedback

You’re fusing conventional and sumo, which is a normal error for those that are bridging from conventional to sumo.

You need to be lower with a more vertical torso if you want to reap the benefit of the sumo. You’re basically pulling conventional with a sumo foot stance.

Open your feet up, shove knees out, squeeze down into position, while working your torso up vertical.

It’s not going to be comfortable for awhile since you’re used to a horizontal back angle / conventional.

Hello again; always a way with words! I’ll second IronO; stuck between the two. I’ve done the same thing. I mentioned Ed Coan vids before; good cues for all pulling. Dan Green is another favorite; yes, both elite level lifters, but it’s the descriptions and just watching the set up/ execution of the lifts that really helped me. Especially with Dan G., shot from the side and slightly in back, gives a great look at where his feet, knees, hips are set…lower back angle ect.
Not saying I look/lift the same way, but it’s the example of his setup/execution that really clicked for me as something to try. And he’s just an overall Beast to watch; Never a bad angle of D.G.:slight_smile:

Great shirt, great shoes, just great work as always; you look awesome.
ERIC D.

ok thanks for the advice guys!!

And I agree about Dan green. Watching him lift is part of my pre workout ritual every damn day, Lol. Guys my hero, for real.

Super excited to try widening my stance.

Same here. One cool vid is his “eight days of deadlifts”; I think that’s it. Block pulls, sumo, deficits…everything. “Art of raw powerlifting” is another. I’m sure you’ve seen them.

So, closer camera, from the side while slightly in front or back (back is better imo). Had a lifting pal film this way; shows you so much. It’s worth a try.
Up, up, and away!!!

Is there a specific reason you want to pull sumo? I suggest you play around with it an find what works best for you. Traditional ‘sumo’ may not actually be what is strongest for you. It doesn’t have to be one of the other. I used to think I was a sumo deadlifter but it’s more of a conventional style with a wide stance and hands inside my feet, like a hybrid. That’s what I found works best for me.

My advice is to try different things. Don’t feel compelled to try and force a certain technique because that’s the way it’s supposed to be. You may find that the reason you are stronger like that is that the leg and foot position give you more drive off the floor.

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best post!! Thanks for that :D!

I actually pull sumo and conventional

One workout I focus on lighter sumo and do DL deficit
and then the other workout I do heavy conventional and heavier sumo

I decided to start doing both because I couldn’t for the life of me decide which way I wanted to pull, but I feel a lot stronger doing sumo, even though it’s a hybrid like others have said.

For example, I pulled 240 for a double without a smidgen of self doubt doing sumo, and 235 for two name near killed me, Lol.

I find it really hard not to compare my form with other people’s, but I gotta keep reminding myself that being 5’0 changes my leverages a fair a bit and maybe things aren’t going to look quite the same.

Everyone agrees with doing what works best. Not trying to be confrontational, but that’s common sense. Sometimes you do need to make adjustments.

Wide stance with a horizontal torso is typically a weak position to pull from. An unnecessary long lever arm, hence why I suggested the adjustments.

If it’s going up and you’re not getting hurt, don’t overthink it. If you’re pulling sumo in a more semi sumo way, which I’ve been doing recently, you may do well to treat it as both sumo and conventional in that higher hips may be fine as long as you’re behind the bar.

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Listen to this guy. Get your hips low (not squat low) and close to the bar and your torso more upright or pull conventional.

If you’re going for that semi-sumo type of deal, this photo might come in helpful. I personally deadlifted like this for several months (it’s not very long, I know) whilst prepping for a Push-Pull meet I had last year. I personally thought of it as a narrow sumo stance conventional deadlift or as I like to call it, the quasi conventional sumo deadlift. It allowed me to lift more weight than I could conventional so that’s nice. As for your hips, they’re not wrong in saying your hips are set up rather high, it currently looks somewhat like a sumo stiff leg. Do understand that there are a lot of different ways of pulling sumo. Some people tend to use more legs and others more lower back. Do what works for you.

In my opinion, your hips don’t look too high. However, it depends upon your levers and the position at which you’re the strongest. I couldn’t pull effectively in the position shown above having tried it numerous times. What is it about your positioning that makes you think it’s not right?

It looks like a conventional pull. There was more back being applied to that pull than legs and hips.

Sumo you gotta sit down instead of pushing your hips back during the set up. I can’t tell where your stance is from the video.

Keep playing with it.

It’s really quite simple:

You pulled with your back, because you’re used to pulling with your back. Ala conventional. Just because you widened your stance doesn’t make it sumo.

If you want to pull sumo, you’ll need to reset your weight and work on recruiting sumo dominant muscle. Hip, glute and hamstring.

Happy deadlifting!

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K well I didn’t know I was going to have to take 100lbs off my deadlift to work on this, but sadly that’s what I had to do today. :sob:

Let me know what you guys thinks

Thanks all !

Work on setting up by sitting straight down to the bar. This should immediately start to put tension on the hamstrings and hips. Get set into your stance first and work your way down to the bar before grabbing it with your hands. I think you mentioned Dan Green. Look at his set up. Not saying do it just like him, but his set up is what I’m talking about. You may not always have to do it this way but it’ll get you the idea of the correct position.