deadlift stance question

[Sub-Zero]

I just read an article on what physique's favor which stance. I think the jist of it was:

long arms, short torso = conventional
short arms, long torso = sumo

Something about being able to keep the bar close to the hips.

I use sumo now but will go back to conventional eventually. I think I'm long arms long torso

I used to do a lot of Romanian deadlifts so I think that helps me at lockout. It's getting it off the floor where I struggle

got that from another thread. and what is better for gains?, sumo style or conventional.

or does it even matter?

 

[bignate73]

gains where? both have different leverages and thus different muscles are more and less active.

 

[curgeo]

What kind of hains are you looking for? Strength?

Sumo's are a good lift and easy when the weight is lighter (50percent), but it is a technical lift and when the weights get heavier it is harder to do. Sumo's stress your hips, groin, hamstrings and glutes alot. The low back also gets stressed to a degree. I like pulling sumo as it seems more comfortable to me, but my best pulls are done conventional.

Convential deads a little less technical, but they stress the quads, hams, glutes and the lower back a lot. My lower back is pretty strong so it works really well for me.

For strength you can do either in my opinion. Muscle growth I tend to think that conventional hits more muscles, but I like doing both myself.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Same article says conventional works the erectors more, sumo works the quads more (I personally feel it in my glutes)

They also provide a formula based on arm length, trunk length and lower body length that 'suggests' which method might be biomechanically more efficient, with the caveat that the final decision is based on personal preference.

I plan on continuing to do both.

 

[curgeo]

Purepowermag.com has an issue just on pulls. I recommend it.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Purepowermag.com has an issue just on pulls. I recommend it.

That's 'the article'

Great read, chock full o' pulling information from anatomy to technique, interviews etc.

 

[blut wump]

I have longish arms and long torso, short legs. I tried sumo initially and it felt very much like a squat and almost all legs. I did feel more comfortable in the sumo but it let me down on a lift just trying to get the weight off the floor once and I switched to conventional and never went back.

 

[musketeer]

I think that you should decide whether you want to lift for the muscle development or the numbers. Either is fine, but you need to know what you want from the exercise. I did sumo for years because I thought higher weight would be better. Now I find pulling from the conventional stance is much more effective at getting me sore.

The wider you grip the bar the more force is applied to your traps and the longer (up) you have to pull the bar.

 

[Sub-Zero]

I think that you should decide whether you want to lift for the muscle development or the numbers. Either is fine, but you need to know what you want from the exercise. I did sumo for years because I thought higher weight would be better. Now I find pulling from the conventional stance is much more effective at getting me sore.

The wider you grip the bar the more force is applied to your traps and the longer (up) you have to pull the bar.

yeah i have been deadlifting conventional style, and i put my pinkeys on the rings, and i was looking at my back in the mirror lately (double mirror, i dont really see my back everyday so im not used to it) and it is so much bigger than it ever has been.

i was just wondering cause i saw the post and it said to go sumo if you have a longer torso and shorter arms (which si what i have,) and i wanted to make sure it would continue to hit my back hard. but from what ive read from you guys ill stick with conventional.

thanks alot forthee help

 

[musketeer]

Try gettting good at both.

I still do sumo now and again for a different feel, but as a bodybuilder I'm into conv.

ALSO

Rack deadlifts are great because most guys can lock out a lot more than they can pull from the floor. Try doing like sets of 10 with your maximum single weight from the floor, with the bar starting from a point aroung the top of your patella.

The next time you try your maximum it wil feel light - AWESOME!
Awesome!

 

[Sub-Zero]

Try gettting good at both.

I still do sumo now and again for a different feel, but as a bodybuilder I'm into conv.

ALSO

Rack deadlifts are great because most guys can lock out a lot more than they can pull from the floor. Try doing like sets of 10 with your maximum single weight from the floor, with the bar starting from a point aroung the top of your patella.

The next time you try your maximum it wil feel light - AWESOME!
Awesome!

thats interesting.

maybe

 

[wayneboard1]

Do any of you guys have the link to this article on the ins and outs of deads? I am short 5'9" and have a short torso and short arms (at least I think that is how I am built) so how does that change for me? I keep feeling like I am not flexible enough to do a dead correct as I feel like I am having to first pull back and then up and do not ever want to hurt my back. Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I couldn't find it online http://www.purepowermag.com/ so I'll type up a summary of the part about choosing your style:

-stand up straight and measure from your shoulder to the floor = total body length

-with arms hanging down measure from shoulder to end of your arm (making a fist) = total arm length

-measure from shoulder to where your thigh rotates in the pelvis (this point is determined by raising your thigh) = trunk length

-subtract trunk length from total body length = lower body length

Perform the following calculations:

-divide trunk length by arm length (1)

-divide trunk length by lower body length (2)

If (1) < 0.82 and (2) <0.55 it says to consider conventional; if (1) and (2) are >0.82 and >0.55, respectively, consider sumo.

Anyway it's all interesting reading, I haven't tried it myself.

Re: deadlift form the article doesn't say too much more than what's stickied here.

 

[curgeo]

Jim....isn't that magazine great for a strength athlete?

muketeer, soreness does not necessarily mean muscle growth. Usually soreness occurs whenever the negative is stressed. It means you worked the muscle, but is not a clear cut signal for hypertrophy. One of my training partners who switched over from bodybuilding to powerlifting can't get that out of his head. He says he is never sore powerlifting, but he has put on 10lbs of muscle and has gotten stronger very quickly.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Jim....isn't that magazine great for a strength athlete?

Yeah I just started a subscription and they sent me the Jan pulling issue - it's really great (even for a recreational shmoe like me just trying to get stronger) and it's nice not to have to sift through all the Nitrotech ads looking for articles Hopefully the upcoming monthly issues are of equal quality.

Love their motto, too: 'No brain, no gain'

 

[curgeo]

They have an issue on the squat. If you haven't read it already, check it out:

http://purepowermag.com/samples/pdf/squat1to39.pdf

 

[Jim Ouini]

They have an issue on the squat. If you haven't read it already, check it out:

http://purepowermag.com/samples/pdf/squat1to39.pdf

Thanks! I just bookmarked it.

Love that cover, too.

 

[musketeer]

Jim....isn't that magazine great for a strength athlete?

muketeer, soreness does not necessarily mean muscle growth. Usually soreness occurs whenever the negative is stressed. It means you worked the muscle, but is not a clear cut signal for hypertrophy. One of my training partners who switched over from bodybuilding to powerlifting can't get that out of his head. He says he is never sore powerlifting, but he has put on 10lbs of muscle and has gotten stronger very quickly.

Thanks, yeah I know, I just swapped over from HIT to a more powerlifter type routine. I used to be sore all of the time (like 4-5 days for thighs) and I was wondering if it was really right that I could hardly ever walk or feel strong beacuse I always hurt somewhere! I'm growing really well now! I get a bit sore, but have plenty of submaximal days.

I was just emphasisng the effect of roman vs sumo is more effective at stimulating my muscles. The closer grip from Sumo allows more weight but does not necessarily cause me to grow.

 

[blut wump]

Thanks, yeah I know, I just swapped over from HIT to a more powerlifter type routine. I used to be sore all of the time (like 4-5 days for thighs) and I was wondering if it was really right that I could hardly ever walk or feel strong beacuse I always hurt somewhere! I'm growing really well now! I get a bit sore, but have plenty of submaximal days.

I was just emphasisng the effect of roman vs sumo is more effective at stimulating my muscles. The closer grip from Sumo allows more weight but does not necessarily cause me to grow.

I've been there. I remember telling my wife once that the only time I actually felt strong out of the gym was during a layoff. The rest of the time I always had about half my body feeling sore and the other half about to be sore.

curgeo, thanks for squat. The squat article that is.

jim ouini, I was looking through Muscle and Fitness yesterday and even most of the articles seem to be adverts. I decided to try a subscription to Purepower. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

[anthrax]

I prefer conventional with shoulder wide stance

but from time to time I change either the stance (wider) or switch to sumo which seems to be easier on the knees

 

[Jim Ouini]

jim ouini, I was looking through Muscle and Fitness yesterday and even most of the articles seem to be adverts. I decided to try a subscription to Purepower. Thanks for bringing it up.

We get M&F and it's kind of funny I can flip through the magazine in about 5 minutes now (we also get 'In Touch' magazine )

I think I've learned more about 'muscle and fitness' in the past several weeks of reading this forum and some of the links posted here than in the past year of M&F (I do like some of their recipes, though).

That one issue of Pure Power I actually I had to sit down and try and wrap my brain around some of the info.

 

[blut wump]

Lucky that it's a bi-monthly then. Plenty of time to read it

I'm looking forward to reading the article on pulling.