Photo: Family SOK (Shutterstock)
A deadlift, where you pick up a barbell from the floor and use it to stand up, is one of the easiest and most difficult barbell exercises. But what happens if you do the lift with your feet outstretched to your sides? Does that make it less powerful?
To hear tearful commenters on Instagram talk about it, sumo deadlifting is a scam because spreading your legs gives you less distance to lift the bar. Less ROM or range of motion means you’ll make lifting easier. It makes sense in theory.
But does a sumo stance actually make lifting easier? And if so, is that enough to cheat it?
Let’s look at the deadlift rules
Remember that the concept of cheating only makes sense in the context of rules. So what are the rules?
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In the large powerlifting associations, the breadth of your posture is up to you. Here is the USA powerlifting rulebook, for example. There is a weight training association called “Power Lifting” that bans sumo but also holds powerlifting meetings, and If they do, sumo is allowed.
Strongman does not have consistent rules, although the sumo stance is usually not allowed at deadlift events. However, this is the responsibility of the organizer. When you show up for a strongman meeting, ask if sumo is allowed if you prefer to draw sumo. Sumo wouldn’t exactly be a cheat as there is no way to get away with it for a secret advantage; it would just get you a no-rep.
However, is one of these positions easier than the other? There is an easy way to answer this question, and the answer is a resounding “no”. Check out only the best powerlifters and world records in the deadlift. Hell, if you look at average weight lifters, you get the same answer. Some draw sumo, some draw conventionally. If you could pull more weight in the sumo deadlift, everyone would be pulling sumo.
Here is an example of what you would see if a posture had a general benefit: When lifting weights, people would “spread” one leg forward and the other backward. When lifters figured out how to squat snatch with their legs folded, they found it was more effective when exercising and lifters could move more weight. These days, both split and squat styles are legal, but almost everyone does squat snatches. This is what happens when two styles are legal but one is clearly superior. Powerlifting just hasn’t seen deadlifting pose.
What are the pros and cons of sumo drag?
As some respondents will be happy to point out, a great advantage of sumo is that it reduces the distance the bar has to cover – if only by a few inches.
This reduced ROM is most noticeable on shorter lifters, which include many female competitors. I believe that Bozos like to insist that sumo cheat because they are looking for a way to discredit women’s elevators. (Another common insult is that sumo is “gay”.)
But sumo also has its downsides. You are in a less advantageous position for the early part of the elevator as it lifts off the ground. For most people, sumo deadlifts are harder and easier to complete from the floor; Traditional deadlifts (feet together) are a little easier to start, but can be more difficult to block.
The truth is, the choice of posture for strength athletes depends on preferences and body proportions. One theory is that Strength athletes with short arms or long torsos are usually better at sumo; those with the opposite are better with conventional ones. Another argues that it is more to do with the shape of your hip joint. In any case, it differs from person to person.
So you get the best of both worlds
As with anything in the gym, the best way to find out what works for you is to try it out. Get a coach or check out some good tutorials conventional and Sumo Deadlift techniques and spend some time exercising which you normally don’t. After a while, consider switching. Chances are that one of these will work better for you than the other. If the two are about the same, congratulations, you can flip a coin – or just pick based on your sports. (Do you keep an eye on strongman competition? A solid conventional deadlift is a good investment for you.)
So you are free to deadlift however you want, and please don’t tell anyone who takes the opposite posture that they are doing it wrong. If you pull conventionally and are jealous of others’ sumo pull, give sumo a try! But if you can’t lift more weight than you can with a regular deadlift, that should be an indication that sumo isn’t really cheating. Maybe you’re just jealous.
