Sumo Deadlift: A Complete Guide

By Dr. Krishna Athmakuri, Co-Founder & CEO of Clearcals

The sumo deadlift is a powerful deadlift variation that targets multiple muscle groups, making it a favorite among fitness enthusiasts aiming to build strength, improve posture, and reduce stress on the lower back.

If you’re looking to enhance your deadlift performance, the Pro Workouts feature in the Hint app can guide you through perfecting your form, tracking calories burned, and optimizing your workout routine.

With a Hint Pro or Hint Premium subscription, you gain access to a personalized gym diet plan for muscle gain, advanced nutrition tracking, and unlimited consultations with expert dietitians who can design a high-protein diet plan to support your muscle-building goals.

Whether your goal is muscle building, fat loss, or general fitness, Hint provides the tools you need to succeed.

Sumo Deadlift Form

To perform the sumo deadlift correctly:

1. Stance: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward. The barbell should be positioned close to your shins.
2. Grip: Bend at your hips and knees, keeping your chest up and back flat. Grip the bar inside your knees, using either a double overhand or mixed grip.
3. Lift: Drive through your heels and push your knees outward as you pull the bar upward. Keep the bar close to your body, and extend your hips at the top of the lift, standing tall.
4. Lowering the Bar: Control the descent by pushing your hips back first, keeping the bar close to your body, and bending your knees once the bar passes them.

Sumo Deadlift Muscles Worked

The sumo deadlift activates multiple muscle groups, including:

• Primary Muscles: Glutes, hamstrings, quads
• Secondary Muscles: Lower back, traps, and core

Thanks to the wider stance, the sumo deadlift emphasizes the glutes and inner thighs (adductors) more than the conventional deadlift.

Sumo Deadlift High Pull

The sumo deadlift high pull combines a traditional sumo deadlift with an explosive upward pull. After performing the sumo deadlift, pull the barbell up to your collarbone while keeping your elbows high.

This exercise engages the traps, deltoids, and upper back, making it ideal for building power.

Barbell Sumo Deadlift

The barbell sumo deadlift is the standard form and is ideal for lifting heavier weights. The wider stance reduces stress on the lower back, making it a safer option for those with back concerns.

Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift

If you don’t have access to a barbell, the dumbbell sumo deadlift is a great alternative:

• Form: Hold a dumbbell vertically with both hands between your legs, maintaining the same wide stance and movement as the barbell sumo deadlift.
• Benefits: The dumbbell variation works the same muscles but allows for easier control, making it perfect for beginners.

Kettlebell Sumo Deadlift

A kettlebell is another excellent tool for sumo deadlifts:

• Form: Stand over the kettlebell, hold the handle with both hands, and perform the same wide-stance deadlift motion.
• Advantages: Easier to control and better for conditioning or high-rep work.

How to Sumo Deadlift

Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to performing the sumo deadlift:

1. Position yourself properly.
2. Grip the barbell inside your knees.
3. Engage your core and drive through your heels.
4. Lift the bar while maintaining a neutral spine.
5. Control the bar as you lower it back down.

Sumo Deadlift vs Conventional

• Sumo Deadlift: Focuses more on the glutes and quads due to the wide stance and shorter range of motion, reducing strain on the lower back.
• Conventional Deadlift: Primarily targets the hamstrings, lower back, and posterior chain with a longer range of motion.

Choosing between the two depends on your goals and your body’s mobility.

Is Sumo Deadlift Easier?

Yes, many lifters find the sumo deadlift easier because the wider stance shortens the range of motion and reduces the stress on the lower back.

However, good hip mobility is essential, so it may not feel easier for everyone initially.

Sumo Deadlift Alternative

Some alternatives to the sumo deadlift include:

• Trap Bar Deadlift: This engages similar muscle groups and is easier on the lower back.
• Leg Press: A machine-based alternative that focuses on the quads and glutes.
• Goblet Squats: An effective bodyweight alternative with a similar movement pattern.

Calories Burned in Sumo Deadlift

For a more practical example, a 75 kg male performing sumo deadlifts with 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, and 8 reps can burn approximately 20 calories in total. This is a realistic measure for a typical strength training session, as sumo deadlifts are generally performed in sets rather than continuously for an hour.

To burn more calories for fat loss or weight loss, you can increase the number of sets or reps, reduce rest periods, or pair sumo deadlifts with other high-intensity exercises such as kettlebell swings or burpees.

This will increase the overall intensity of your workout, helping you burn more calories while maintaining muscle mass.

Pro Workouts and the Hint App

The Pro Workouts feature, available exclusively to Hint Pro and Hint Premium subscribers, lets you track your sumo deadlift performance, log workouts, and monitor calories burned.

With access to 300+ strength training exercises, the app offers instructional videos to guide you through each movement, ensuring proper form and progression.

By upgrading to Hint Pro or Hint Premium, you also get personalized diet plans and advanced nutrition tracking to optimize your training.

The Hint Premium subscription also includes unlimited consultations with dietitians who can help tailor a high-protein diet plan for muscle gain, ensuring you get the right nutrition to fuel your progress.

Incorporating sumo deadlifts into your workout routine will help build strength, improve posture, and efficiently burn calories.

The Hint app offers all the tools you need to track your progress, get personalized guidance, and achieve your fitness goals.

About the Author

Dr. Krishna Athmakuri is the Co-Founder and CEO of Clearcals, where he leads the development of data-driven health technology through the Hint app.

With a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, New York, his expertise spans analytics, protein chemistry, and biotechnology.

Earlier in his career, he developed biotherapeutics for diabetes and metabolic diseases at companies like Aurobindo Pharma and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories.

At Clearcals, he now applies that scientific rigor to build personalized fitness tools, including Hint Pro Workouts, nutrition tracking, and real-time metabolic insights — helping users make smarter health decisions through technology.

🔗 Connect with Krishna on LinkedIn