However, without this article turning into a ‘how to deadlift’ guide, the key differences for the conventional vs sumo deadlift are the shoulder positions.Ĭonventional deadlift = shoulders over the bar in the start position. There are other subtleties to each of the lifts, especially when it comes to the angles of the hips and shins in relation to the bar. On the other hand, in the sumo deadlift, your shoulders should be directly in line with the bar: Sumo deadlift start position: Shoulders in line with the barbell If you tried to replicate this forward lean for sumo deadlifts it would be highly inefficient.Ĭonventional deadlift start position: Shoulders slightly in front of the bar In the start position, this will look like your shoulders being slightly in front of the bar if you were to draw a straight line down to the floor. In the conventional deadlift, you will have approximately 5-10% more forward lean. The angles of your body in relation to the bar are going to be different for conventional versus sumo deadlifts. But wider, doesn’t necessarily mean better. The wider you stand, the less range of motion that is performed. We’ll cover that in more detail later.Ĭheck out my complete guide on how wide should you sumo deadlift. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the sumo deadlift will automatically feel easier for you. Therefore, there is greater mechanical work for conventional deadlifts and vice versa, less mechanical work for sumo deadlifts. With the wider stance, the sumo deadlift is 20-25% less range of motion when compared with the conventional deadlift. There are three main differences between conventional and sumo deadlifts: Range of Motion Let one of our coaches help you get stronger Differences Between Conventional vs. If you’re wanting to improve your deadlift lockout you can read about my 10 tips. Lockout position: Knees and hips should lock simultaneously for both conventional and sumo deadlift There are some exceptions to this, especially for advanced athletes, but for most people starting out this is the timing you’re wanting to achieve. What this will look like is that the hips and knees lock at the same time. Timing of LockoutĪnother similarity between conventional and sumo deadlifting is the timing of the lock-out.įor most people, the timing of the hips and knees to finish the movement will happen simultaneously. If you don’t have muscular tension before lifting the bar, both your conventional and sumo deadlifts will be inefficient off the floor. To build up tension, you’ll want to grab the bar in a strong grip, set your back by squeezing your lats, engage your glutes and hamstrings by actively pulling them into the start position, maintain a neutral head position, and drive your feet into the floor.
Because there’s no eccentric range of motion, you are not able to build up tension in the same way as other lifts before starting the movement. Building Muscular Tensionįor both the conventional and sumo deadlift, you’ll want to ensure that you achieve maximal muscular tension in the start position. It’s important to recognize that while the two deadlift styles look different there are two main similarities. Coaching Perspectives on Deciding Between Conventional vs.Sumo Based On Muscular Strengths & Weaknesses I also share some pragmatic tips from my own experience working with powerlifters and interview other coaches on the topic. I’m going to cover each of these factors in more detail, which will give you a step-by-step process to choosing whether conventional or sumo will maximize your strength potential. Other determining factors that make conventional or sumo deadlifting a better choice are based on your hip structure, limb length, body weight, and muscular strengths and limitations. As such, you should train both conventional and sumo for a period of time to see if you have a personal preference. The first way to decide is to understand which style feels the most comfortable throughout the entire range of motion. Neither variation is going to be naturally easier or harder as it depends on certain individual differences. Every time I give workshops on powerlifting technique at least one person always asks whether they should deadlift conventional or sumo.
0 kommentar(er)
