Sumo Deadlift
Correctly performing the sumo deadlift may be difficult for some. Not everyone is a sumo puller. I converted over to the sumo lifestyle once my SI joints wouldn’t allow me to push past a certain % in my conventional. The 5 most important ques I drill into my trainees are “elbows down, shoulders back, chest up, hips down and vertical shins”. If you can correctly incorporate these few ques, you’re well on your way to a technically sound sumo pull. If you are pulling sumo and you get stuck at the quads, it may be because you aren’t setting those shoulders correctly from the floor. Sumo, your lockout STARTS from the floor. Think about this. If your shoulders round once you begin your pull, it is almost impossible to not hitch at max effort. If you set those shoulders back, turning your elbows down to engage those lats, you will stand straight up and the hips will finish the lockout. A suggestion I would tell someone who wants to try it for the first time or is new at it coming from a traditional stance, is to start with a “Frog” stance. “AKA” Eddy Coan stance. It takes time for your body to adjust and hip mobility to improve to where you can do a wide sumo stance. Only a fool would say sumo is cheating 😉
