Sumo vs Conventional Deadlifts

Sumo or Conventional? A very big topic for competitive Powerlifters to determine which style of deadlifting allows them to move the most weight. While both have their similarities, there are specific reasons as to why some may prefer one or the other. In this week’s newsletter, we discuss the pros and cons of each and which one may benefit you more as an individual.

Sumo Deadlifts

Sumo Deadlifts are a wider stance variation of a hip hinge. The wider stance allows for decreased load on the lower back muscles and places a higher emphasis on the hips, groin and quadricep muscles. This means that it is a more leg dominant style of deadlifting which could be beneficial for individuals with weaker posterior chains. Due to the wider stance it also decreases the range of motion within the lift and within the sport of Powerlifting, that isn’t a bad thing. The reduced range of motion and the reduced tension on the erector muscles places less strain on the central nervous system, meaning that it could potentially be trained much more often than the conventional deadlift. This also allows other exercises to be trained more such as the Back Squat or Deadlift Variations performed as accessory movements. The potential availability to train and increase in volume or frequency allows for more practice with the exercise, making it easier to be efficient and placing less cognitive strain per session. 

Despite the benefits so far, there are also things to consider such as the load differentiation. As we spoke of the wider stance placing less emphasis on the posterior chain and more on the proximal hip compartment, it is easier for those with weak hips to tear or strain especially within the untrained individual. Muscle groups such as the Hip Adductors or Sartorius which are located on the inside of our leg are placed are a higher degree of contraction, making it less transferable to other exercises in terms of function. While it does take as big of a toll on the central nervous system for many individuals, it could be much harder to learn for some as the technique is a bigger difference from a hip hinge and the wide stance can feel quite unnatural.  

Conventional Deadlift

The Conventional Deadlift is the most common form of the hip hinge performed by many athletes not only in Powerlifting but for power based sports, bodybuilding and general fitness. The Conventional Deadlift is a hip dominant exercise which places a lot of tension on the glutes, hamstrings (at the proximal end) and the lower back. Being one of the exercises with the biggest bang for buck, for most people it is also an exercise that they can move the most weight in. Due to the nature of the exercise, it is much easier to teach from our experience for many individuals compared to the Sumo Deadlift as the narrower stance is a more natural position for our feet. Placing more emphasis on the posterior chain, it can be used to increase overall strength and with the increased range of motion compared to the Sumo Deadlift, there is an overall increase in work, which ultimately can result in an increase in fitness. This can be beneficial for individuals with stronger posterior chains and want to increase performance for other movements.

The downside however is that the Conventional Deadlift places a massive strain on the musculoskeletal and the central nervous system. Shifting heavy load from a Conventional Deadlift takes much longer to recover from compared to other compound exercises due to the fact that the absolute load is much greater. This can impact and cause the reduction of training volume/intensity of other exercises such as the Back Squat or any lower body posterior chain exercise as recovery is a big factor for improving strength. Due to the feet being more narrow, it also means that the range of motion is increased and again within the sport of Powerlifting, it can make it a little harder to finish the repetition if the overall work is increased.

Final Verdict

While each style has their own benefits and cons, they are based off individualisation and what works for you. Following what we have spoken above, you can try them both out and see which one you prefer and which one you feel like benefits you more scientifically and anecdotally. We suggest training both for building a solid foundation but closer to competition, the outcome you want to achieve is to move the most weight so ultimately you should choose the technique that allows you to lift more. 

Coach Matty