10. Deadlift sumo or conventional? Train BOTH!

I started deadlifting around mid 2010. I just loved the idea that picking something up and putting it back down was all I had to do. It was raw and simple in its concept, yet not simple at all in technique. This was a sports event? Sign me up!

Up until late 2015 I'd been pulling conventional. After I hurt my back in October of that year and went from a 530lbs pull in competition to a 135lbs pull in a few weeks' time, I knew I had to switch things up.

I didn't want to switch to sumo. Not because it was "easier" or because Jakabol gym was full of strongmen that moved serious weights with a conventional stance. Also, until that point my back felt bullet proof and conventional really looked like the way one well... Stands.

So it was a matter of me being stubborn. But not as stubborn as the pain in my lumbar spine. I started experimenting with the sumo stance after a failed meet December of 2015 when I benched ok but left before deadlifts since I could barely stand from the pain. The warm-up was a nightmare. I walked out of that meet with my tail between my legs.

That was on Saturday. Sunday morning I was in the gym box squatting and pulling sumo. My article "Confessions: the box squat" explains how much the box squat helped me bounce back since. But I digress...

I wasn't going to stop lifting and I certainly wasn't going to stop competing. It was a matter of needing it, not wanting it. So, early 2016 I'm training and studying other sumo pullers, sharpening my technique. In 2019, after nearly 10 contests pulling strictly sumo, I started mixing it up again. And I haven't stopped since.

The reason was that I competed in 2 Static Monsters contests and these included 2 strongman events, axle bar deadlift and log press for max weight. So in 2019 and 2020 I started doing conventional and sumo sets so I can be ready for both strongman or powerlifting contests.

Athletes can benefit if they utilize both stances, regardless of preference or sport.

First let's look at the things they have in common:

1. Bracing your abdominals before starting to pull

2. Setting the hips in your subjective strongest position, depending on your limb length.

3. Engaging your lats and keeping your chest out, securing the thoracic spine and making sure the bar won't roll away from you at the beginning. It might happen in competition due to adrenaline or because some people tend to pull with their lower back more, straightening their legs prematurely. That tends to bring their shoulders more forward than the optimal starting position.

* The lats' highest point of attachment is at the T7 vertebra (pretty much the middle of your spine). They help "draw" the scapulae down towards your hips. This will have your shoulders shift forward ever so slightly and give you a very small decrease in hip extension since the hips will come forward as well.

It may seem insignificant but reducing the moment arm by a hair when lifting maximal weight will make a difference. The lats also aid in keeping the bar close to you during the pull. 

4. Thrusting the hips forward. That depends on how you begin to pull. Some people use a quick violent thrust like me. Others prefer a slower, more methodical sit-back and pull style. In any case, the hips need to get as close to the bar as possible.

5. Maintaining a neutral head position. An excessive forward bend may jeopardize thoracic resilience as well as cause injury. 

6. Keeping the bar at around mid-foot before you start pulling. It's a bit harder with conventional stance since the shins interfere with the bar path before you start pulling. In sumo, you tend to bend the legs more and point the toes further out, hence having your shins straighter before you start the lift. They're not in the way. 

Regardless of stance, if you thrust your hips forward too violently off the floor, it tends to push the weight forward, swinging it away from you. A good point of reference is keeping the bar 5-10cm/2-4" away from you. 

Now let's look at the differences that separate the two stances from each other.

Sumo deadlift focuses more on:

1. Glutes

2. Quads

3. Adductors

4. Hip flexors

The stance is past shoulder width up to much wider but that varies. Some people barely spread their legs like Ed Coan and some prefer extremely wide stances. Regardless, the hands are inside your legs.

* Push your feet down and out in the sumo stance, as if you're spreading the floor apart.

The upper body position is generally more upright in the sumo stance. Of course it depends on arm length as well.

The chances of straining your hips or adductor muscles are higher with the sumo stance.

Conventional deadlift focuses more on:

1. Hamstrings

2. Spinal erectors

3. Traps and rhomboids

4. Calves

* Pushing your feet down and twisting them outwards activates your hips. This is a little easier with the conventional stance since your feet might be pointing too far outwards in the sumo stance. I like to keep them fairly straight pulling conventional, sometimes I'll point them out by an inch or so.

The chances of your back rounding are greater with the conventional stance. That being said, there are some high level lifters that do round their back due to shorter arms, thicker torso or they've trained so long like this to the point where it's their strongest pulling position.

Still, if you're a beginner you want to reinforce proper form as much as possible. Starting out properly will carry you a long way. Genetics vary among us so tread with caution or you can get seriously hurt. Keep the shoulders, thoracic and lumbar spine neutral. Bracing is key in this case. 

Traditionally, the upper body is tilted more forward in a conventional stance. 

MUSCLES ENGAGED

The muscles that work during a deadlift are too many to analyze individually. Just a quick mention of the most important ones:

Upper body

1. Traps

2. Rhomboids

3. Scapulae

4. Lats

5. Forearms

6. Biceps

Mid section - including muscles of the pelvis

1. Psoas

2. Hips

3. Abdominals/obliques/transverse abdominis

Importance of the 3 psoas muscles: they connect our upper and lower torso. They're the primary flexors of the hip joint, spinal stabilizers and lateral rotators of the thighs. I just don't think they get enough credit.

Lower body

1. Spinal erectors

2. Quadratus lumborum

3. Glutes

4. Piriformis

5. Hamstrings

6. Adductors

7. Quads

8. Calves

WHICH BODY TYPE FOR WHICH STANCE

Regardless of how you WANT to pull, there are some genetic traits that help one stance more than the other etc. I'm not here to tell you NOT to pull with your favorite or strongest stance.

But I will insist on the fact that if you implemented the non-preferred form you would only benefit from it.

Understandably somebody with longer arms who's not accustomed to adding stress to his adductors and hips will not want to sacrifice his main working sets for the sake of experimenting with sumo.

People with shorter arms who prefer sumo will have to face a possibility of a rounded back starting from the floor conventional. Especially if you're a thicker/heavier athlete you'll find it's quite annoying trying to get in position when so many things are against you.

If you have frequent lower back pain (so many athletes do, injured or not) switching to sumo will alleviate stress from your lumbar spine.

If you don't like the way your adductors or hips stretch during a sumo pull, you might want to consider prioritizing conventional.

People will find reasons to avoid experimenting with a different stance and I get it.

Frankly, if you're healthy and don't have any physical limitations, it's a shame not to train your weak stance. And I don't want to hear "I just don't like it". If that's the case, you're limiting your athletic performance. If you have made it this far into the article, you take your training seriously.

Here's what you can do to balance things out:

FOR SUMO DEADLIFTERS

Start doing some light conventional sets after you're done with heavy sumo work. From an empty bar to just a plate. If your conventional stance is out of shape, a plate will make you sore. Don't go nuts, a basic 3 x 5-8 reps should be enough to get you started.

If you're splitting squats and deadlifts into 2 sessions per week you can do lighter conventional sets after your heavy squats and leave your heavy sumo sets for a different day.

If you're squatting and pulling on the same day, do light conventional sets on your second lower body session of the week. Preferably start with them and then switch to accessories like leg press, quad extensions etc.

You can also try different variations like a Romanian deadlift with a barbell or dumbbells. My article "Enhance your Deadlift" goes deeper into the benefits of those variations.

FOR CONVENTIONAL DEADLIFTERS

You can do some light sumo sets right after your heavy conventional work. Again, start with an empty barbell or a plate on the bar depending on your strength level.

If you're not flexible enough, set the bar on plates or blocks for slight elevation so you can set your hips low enough to pull. A few inches off the ground will make it easier for somebody who's never tried a sumo pull.

If you're uncomfortable, stick to 3-4 sets of 5 reps tops. It won't be long until your hips and adductors get used to the stretch and soon enough you'll be able to do light sets of 8 reps etc.

If you're splitting squats and deadlifts into 2 sessions per week, you can add the sumo pulls after your squats. And add back extensions and leg curls after your conventional heavy deadlift day etc.

If you're squatting and pulling on the same day, you can use the second lower body session and start with some light sumo sets for reps. Remember now... You're doing this in order to get stronger, not to annihilate yourself. In other words use sumo or conventional sets as an accessory. Otherwise you'll burn out with 3 squat and deadlift sessions per week combined.

If you have an estimate of how much you can pull with the weaker stance, use 50-60% of that for your supplemental sets.

If you've never done it before, use Rate of Perceived Exertion and don't go above a 5 or 6. Remember, you're trying to strengthen your weak stance. Not test it. Stick to 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps.

Another thing you can do is split your warm ups between sumo and conventional. Up to a comfortable weight that you know is doable. Then carry on with your working sets in your preferred stance. Eventually start doing a working set with your weak stance. Then 2 and so on. I like to split them evenly when training between contests and then prioritize a stance for the meet preparation. 

Don't be surprised if your squat goes up all of a sudden. The sumo stance will work the quads quite a lot and require a more upright torso. The sumo stance adductor stretch also aids in a more stable squat. 

That's how I practiced sumo deadlifting in early 2016 without abruptly losing conventional strength. Kept both stances at a strong level.

After 2016 I realized that training both sumo and conventional will benefit me in so many different ways, not only in terms of maximal strength. But also in terms of injury prevention and being in an all-around trainable state.

My conventional and sumo max pulls are not far from each other. I'd say about 40lbs more in sumo stance. My lower back pain has subsided significantly in recent years and I can still push the intensity and volume.

The femoral neck-shaft angle can affect your sumo stance but there are always variations you can do. Nobody said you should all of a sudden go balls to the wall dedicated sumo pulling freak with State championships under your belt. Place the bar a little higher if your hips are too tight or you fall under the coxa vara hip joint anatomy group.

Understandably that would make a wide sumo stance rather uncomfortable, but if you start with the barbell a little higher, your hips and adductors will eventually open up, making it less stressful. Start pulling from blocks, then from plates and eventually if you can, from the floor. 

Remember, this is just so you can strengthen your quads, glutes, adductors through the sumo stance. Plus you can always stand a little closer. Jamal Browner comes to mind when I think of immaculate form with perfect exploitation of his subjective limb length.

All I'm saying is try it. Same goes for the super wide pullers switching to conventional. All you have to do is close your legs and reach down further. If it's hard to maintain a rigid lower/upper back and your arms are too short, place the bar a little higher so you'll get used to it. And start LIGHT. 

You can also keep your stance shoulder-wide. That's how I pull conventional at 295lbs bodyweight. It's much easier to reach down, especially when you have the belt on and bracing before a set.

I hope that you found this article useful. It took me too long to finish but I came through. Mix it up in training and watch your numbers go up on the platform!

Terry Eleftheriou for Conjugate Iron April 2023, 

revisited in September 2026.

https://linktr.ee/terryconjugateiron