Tip The Lift Everyone Loves to Hate Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Lift Everyone Loves to Hate Stop hating the sumo deadlift Here' s why it' s awesome by Michael Shaughnessy March 2, 2021April 11, 2021 Tags Training The sumo deadlift is one of the best exercises to build a big powerful backside, but lately, it's been getting a lot of flack. Let's address each criticism. The sensation the feeling in the muscles you re getting from it doesn t mean anything When you sumo deadlift with enough weight, you're going to feel a good amount of tension in certain areas. And biomechanics guys love to harp on sensation and the illegitimacy of the mind-muscle connection. But scientific evidence shows sensation matters. Resistance-trained participants in one study increased either triceps brachii or pec major muscle activity during the bench press when focusing on using the specific musculature at intensities up to 60 percent of 1RM. Why should sumo deadlifts be different? EMG results aren't biased toward movement patterns. Muscles are muscles, and the mind-muscle connection is a very real phenomenon. It s not a glute exercise it s an adductor magnus exercise Sure, the adductor magnus plays a huge role in the sumo deadlift. But so what? Most people have undertrained and underdeveloped adductor magnus muscles. Training this big inner-thigh muscle can help make all other lower body lifts stronger. It can also make your legs bigger and make you a faster sprinter. Who doesn't want that? Plus, if you cue the sumo deadlift correctly, you'll definitely feel your glutes engage, which will incite growth and strength there too. But even so, not every exercise has to be done for bigger glutes. It s a cheat for lifting as much weight as possible in powerlifting Simmer down. The sumo deadlift actually requires a lot more "breakaway" strength than the conventional version. And if your technique is off, you won't be able to lift the weight. So don't think going sumo gives you that much of an advantage. And if we're talking about cheating, it's pretty easy to cheat your way through a heavy conventional deadlift. Just make your back look like a fishing rod. One could argue (not me, but someone out there) that the conventional deadlift is a "cheat" lift considering that you're essentially creating a giant lever out of yourself to lift it. For the sumo deadlift, you've got to create a ton of tension at the bottom. The lift is much slower off the ground and speeds up toward lockout. The sumo requires more power out of the glutes and less low back versus the conventional, which uses more quads and low back. If you're properly engaging the lats in either case, low back strain should be minimal to non-existent. The point? Both lifts have their pros and cons. It comes down to preference, or if you have an injury that's not been properly dealt with. If you have a hip or groin injury, stay away from sumo. If you have a back injury, stay away from conventional. Strength and hypertrophy training is a matter of preference and doing what works for you. It doesn't pay to be an absolutist and shun lifts just to ruffle a few feathers. Editor s Note Need a quick sumo technique refresher? Check out this video from Jason Brown: Related: Two Sumo Deadlift Myths – Destroyed Related: Are Sumo Deadlifts Cheating? Reference Calatayud, Joaquin et al. "Importance of mind-muscle connection during progressive resistance training." European journal of applied physiology vol. 116,3 (2016): 527-33. doi:10.1007/s00421-015-3305 Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training The Eight Keys - Part 2 In this segment, Tate covers the strength portion of the Westside program. Powerlifting & Strength, Training Dave Tate June 13 Training Tip Master Any New Exercise or Skill Faster Learning a new Olympic lift or any athletic movement? Just do this after you practice and you'll accelerate motor learning. Athletic Performance, Tips, Training, Weightlifting Chris Shugart July 31 Training Tip Something Dumb Personal Trainers Do Either they're trying to look more advanced than they are or they're just trying something they saw on TV. Either way, this is bad business. Fat Loss Training, Tips, Training Christian Thibaudeau January 31 Training Unconventional Workout - Abs Still doing three sets of crunches for abs before leaving the gym? Check out this article for a new approach to the coveted six-pack. Abs, Training Nick Tumminello June 14