Sumo or Conventional

[Sergeant]

I am new to P.L. but have always done Conventional. Recently have started doing half my sets Sumo. I feel the Sumo is more like a half squat. Are there any benefits to either? What stance are the bigger lifts being attained with? If I use the Sumo do I have to worry more about overtraining along with the squat? Should I stick to one stance or are there benifits to training both stances?

Sorry for all the questions.

 

[powerlifterjay]

I dont think you can go wrong with either. Both work. I would experiment with both and which ever feels more comfortable use it. I have tried both and i think sumo would be easier but it just feels awkward to me. With sumo its harder to get moving and easier to lockout. Conventional its the opposite.

 

[Cubanito17]

From what I've heard sumo puts more strain on the inner thigh. Therefore if your legs are strong all around then you can easily do all type of deadlifts if you feel that your doing less weight with convesional then do those, if not then do sumo's.

 

[bubba2k]

Don't forget

There are also variations in sumo stance. Ed Coan used to pull a narrow stance sumo, with his legs about out to his squat stance width(+/- a couple of inches). And did quite well.

One of the guys who inspired me when I started training was Steve Scialpa and he pulled some great numbers(~800 at 198 or 220) with a wide stance sumo. You can do it either way.

Honestly I have thought of doing sumo stiff leg dls. Seriously. Might be a good assistance exercise for glutes. Worth trying when you feel like screwing around in the gym someday.

Personally I would probably be better suited to a stiff leg Gary Heisy(his 900+ pulls are damn near stiff leg) type stance if my back wasn't fucked up. So I pull sumo for my fubar back. Though I may change that this year. If I can get reverse hypers up to 300(*6-12 reps) then I might start pulling conventional. I only have about 100 pounds to go this year. Need to get my ass in gear to hit it, but it is doable. Need to get my rack pulls up by about the same amount. So I have some big doable goals this year.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Keep at it. I too am now focusing on deadlift. I didnt dead lift at all in 2001. But now i am on it. Need for a total.

 

[The mann]

powerlifterjay,good luck this weekend big n'..................

 

[powerlifterjay]

Thanks The Mann. I am going big! If something goes wrong oh well i will settle for no less then my opener as a new meet PR. Then the next 2 will be big!

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

I do a very wide sumo and will never go back to conventional for my maxes. I have my toes maybe an inch away from the plates. I have almost caught them a few times on max sets on the way down. Scary shiat.

 

[powerlifterjay]

When you pull that wide how in the hell do you getthe bar moving with any speed? I mean if theres a way i am listning. I can pull sumo decently till i get over 500 and it just slows down. If i could get a good snap off the bottom it would work fo rme.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Well, I'm not up that heavy yet, but I have hit 405@150 lbs on 3 occasions now.


A tip I got from a friend is to chalk up and get my self psyched up for the lift. I tighten my belt and then walk over to the bar. I first put my right foot in position, then I move my left in. I get both feet nice and wide, toes pointed out and I'm ready to rock. I'm still in a standing position and I take 3 breaths, the last one the biggest and I hold it. Take a quick dip about half way down, then back up quick and then I do my 3 favorite things:

Dip
Grip
Rip


My friend pointed out the fact that he sees many lifters get down and work their grip into the bar and they stay in the bent-over position for too long. He felt this took him out of his zone and took too much out of him. Also, the initial little dip you do before you go down to grab the bar is supposed to somehow do something with kinetic energy that will help your pull off the floor. I don't know if any of this makes sense to you, but since I have made these adjustments my dead has gone up and it just seems easier.

 

[bubba2k]

Good point

Sometimes I just think too much and forget to just lift the damn bar. You can over do your technique and set up.

 

[Cubanito17]

ID Rather BE DL. That's a good point you made about thinking about it too much and staying down there. I've seen that happen to me not only on deads but on Power Cleans If I approach the bar on cleans and stay there setting up my stance I won't be able to explode from the ground now if i keep left leg under preparing myself snap the right leg in the explode then it's easier.

 

[powerlifterjay]

Well i dont know how much you guys are pullin but if grip is a factor you better set in your hooks befor eyou pull. A quick grip and rip is nice with 400 but 600 needs more thought and 700...well shit i cant even see at this point how someone can even hold it.

 

[I'D RATHER BE DEADLIFTING]

Yeah, that's a good point. I've seen this guy pull 560 off the floor with that method, but no higher. I'll keep with it until it causes a problem.

 

[Arioch]

I am a die-hard conventional deadlifter (long arms and legs, short torso) and the thing that helped me the most in hanging on to a big deadlift is rack lockouts. They do not really help me in any other way, as I stick on the deck and always will. I started out as an OL'er and have always had a strong second pull, so now my deadlift speeds up as I get closer to lockout. Speed being relative to the weight, of course.

My wife pulls sumo, and she has to time her dive with her hips when pulling or she sticks on the deck. If her timing is off, she winds up with bar out in front of her, and you can pretty much guess what happens here.

One exercise that really helped her learn to keep her torso closer to vertical when pulling was to set up in her deadlift stance, then do overhead squats to a box set at the same height where her hips would be when initiating a deadlift.

 

[DR. NOE]

I perfer doing the sumo. I can lift a lot more weight and my back does not round nearly as bad as conventional lifting. Bottom line, lift in which ever style allows you to lift more.

 

[Sergeant]

Thanks for all the info. Have decided to go the sumo way. Conventional feels uneven side to side for me. I guess to with my short legs and average length torso and arms it is the inevitable choice.