Sumo pulled for first time. thinking(typing) out loud

[Dapper817]

I'm kind of tired so I'm gonna try to make this short. Just kind of thinking out loud and welcome any similar experiences or countering thoughts.

Sumo deadlifted for the first time earlier today. I'm a mid 400s conventional lifter, didn't go past 145 with sumo today since it was my first time and I'd rather get a feel for the movement. I have read quite a bit on it and my biggest concerns came true.
First of all, it seems like it's cheating because of how easy it is. Obviously widening your stance (shortening the total distance the bar has to travel) is going to make it easier to lift.

It seemed effortless and I felt far more explosive off the ground than if I were to conventional 145. However, it didn't feel as gratifying. Personally, conventional seems like much more of a "lift" with more technical mechanics, and its a longer process which I feel makes the lockout seem like a bigger accomplishment.

My biggest problem with the sumo was that it doesn't really hit my back. I love destroying my back with the weight I can place on my back with conventional and I wasn't getting that with sumo. (Granted at 145 I can't really feel it that much) But as far as I could tell it hit my hips/glutes/legs which is pretty on par with what i've read and heard about. So it seems like sumo's sole purpose is to be used to lift a ton of weight with out any carry over to physique. Obviously it is beneficial in powerlifting but compare it to the squat and bench which have obvious aesthetic carry over. I guess my point is, I feel like doing sumo I'm cheating myself because of how effortless it feels, but I don't get the aesthetic benefits of the back, which is my favorite workout like I do with conventional.

I'm definitely going to keep playing around with both in different variations. Maybe doing 2 days out of the month conventional and sumo, then a sumo day and a conventional day. Hope to try and get the best of both worlds, and I'm curious just how much more I can lift sumo. Would love to join the 500 club so I'll be looking to do that probably my third time around on sumo.

Hope this all makes sense, pretty tired. Will probably reread and edit in the morning if necessary

anyway, cliffs:
-mid 400 conventional lifter
-sumod first time
-was effortless
-felt like I was cheating myself because it was almost too easy
-sad it doesn't target back the way conventional does
-will play around with variations of both lifts
-will go for 500 club sumo soon

[RussianCali]

I'm kind of tired so I'm gonna try to make this short. Just kind of thinking out loud and welcome any similar experiences or countering thoughts.

Sumo deadlifted for the first time earlier today. I'm a mid 400s conventional lifter, didn't go past 145 with sumo today since it was my first time and I'd rather get a feel for the movement. I have read quite a bit on it and my biggest concerns came true.
First of all, it seems like it's cheating because of how easy it is. Obviously widening your stance (shortening the total distance the bar has to travel) is going to make it easier to lift.

It seemed effortless and I felt far more explosive off the ground than if I were to conventional 145. However, it didn't feel as gratifying. Personally, conventional seems like much more of a "lift" with more technical mechanics, and its a longer process which I feel makes the lockout seem like a bigger accomplishment.

My biggest problem with the sumo was that it doesn't really hit my back. I love destroying my back with the weight I can place on my back with conventional and I wasn't getting that with sumo. (Granted at 145 I can't really feel it that much) But as far as I could tell it hit my hips/glutes/legs which is pretty on par with what i've read and heard about. So it seems like sumo's sole purpose is to be used to lift a ton of weight with out any carry over to physique. Obviously it is beneficial in powerlifting but compare it to the squat and bench which have obvious aesthetic carry over. I guess my point is, I feel like doing sumo I'm cheating myself because of how effortless it feels, but I don't get the aesthetic benefits of the back, which is my favorite workout like I do with conventional.

I'm definitely going to keep playing around with both in different variations. Maybe doing 2 days out of the month conventional and sumo, then a sumo day and a conventional day. Hope to try and get the best of both worlds, and I'm curious just how much more I can lift sumo. Would love to join the 500 club so I'll be looking to do that probably my third time around on sumo.

Hope this all makes sense, pretty tired. Will probably reread and edit in the morning if necessary

anyway, cliffs:
-mid 400 conventional lifter
-sumod first time
-was effortless
-felt like I was cheating myself because it was almost too easy
-sad it doesn't target back the way conventional does
-will play around with variations of both lifts
-will go for 500 club sumo soon

Intersting that you find it easier, do you happen to have short arms in relation to your body? I tried with 165 last week and it went up slower then 225 goes with conventional. I then tried 225, which went up like 315 lol. Altough I think conventional places alot of stress on the back, I prefer it too to hit the back. My back really grew when I started deadlifting and like you say the feeling is way more satisfying of getting that weight up.

If you are into powerlifting, it doesnt matter how it feels asthetic wise, if you can lift more weight with it safely, then it's better.Personally im not built for sumo, so I'm going to stick for conventional. How wide is your stance?

[melDorado]

I know what you mean, idk if I would switch to sumo even if it meant a bigger pull, I'm so in love with conventional. Powerlifters pulling conventional seem to be a rare breed.

[Dapper817]

Intersting that you find it easier, do you happen to have short arms in relation to your body? I tried with 165 last week and it went up slower then 225 goes with conventional. I then tried 225, which went up like 315 lol. Altough I think conventional places alot of stress on the back, I prefer it too to hit the back. My back really grew when I started deadlifting and like you say the feeling is way more satisfying of getting that weight up.

If you are into powerlifting, it doesnt matter how it feels asthetic wise, if you can lift more weight with it safely, then it's better.Personally im not built for sumo, so I'm going to stick for conventional. How wide is your stance?

Thanks for bringing that up, forgot to mention it. I'm 6ft tall, and my wingspan is 6'2" which goes against everything that I've heard about sumo being easier for people with long legs and short arms because it allows them to get the legs out of the way so they can pull easier. Maybe the length of everything was making it difficult. But I see you're taller than I am and you're saying you find conventional much easier for you?
I've considered competing which is why I was researching sumo in the first place, but again outside of competing it doesn't really seem to have much benefit unless you just feel like stroking your ego in the gym. lol

I'm interested in seeing just how heavy I can go as I add on more weight, surprised you see such a big difference between the two lifts.
I should have paid more attention to it since I was just focused on proper form and a comfortable stance. I wasn't too wide though, if I had to guess I'd say my shins were about where the rings are.

[Dapper817]

I know what you mean, idk if I would switch to sumo even if it meant a bigger pull, I'm so in love with conventional. Powerlifters pulling conventional seem to be a rare breed.

Yes, as I write this my whole back lower back included is a little sore from yesterday and that's not a feeling I'm willing to give up lol. I've seen some people start pulling sumo and they never look back, and I just don't get it. I like the new trend of power building that encompasses the best of both worlds. If I did start to compete I would definitely do something like that where I can still get my bodybuilding/physique days in and then have separate days for my strong lifts, essentially alternating between the two lifts for different purposes.

[vampborn]

I'm kind of tired so I'm gonna try to make this short. Just kind of thinking out loud and welcome any similar experiences or countering thoughts.

Sumo deadlifted for the first time earlier today. I'm a mid 400s conventional lifter, didn't go past 145 with sumo today since it was my first time and I'd rather get a feel for the movement. I have read quite a bit on it and my biggest concerns came true.
First of all, it seems like it's cheating because of how easy it is. Obviously widening your stance (shortening the total distance the bar has to travel) is going to make it easier to lift.

It seemed effortless

So you can Deadlift in the 450s, but you try Sumo at 33% of your 1RM. Obviously you can't compare Sumo to Traditional without doing higher weights. No **** it's ****ing effortless at 145lb. Are you going to try a Trap-Bar Deadlift at 145lb as well, and tell us how easy that is?

[Dapper817]

So you can Deadlift in the 450s, but you try Sumo at 33% of your 1RM. Obviously you can't compare Sumo to Traditional without doing higher weights. No **** it's ****ing effortless at 145lb. Are you going to try a Trap-Bar Deadlift at 145lb as well, and tell us how easy that is?

If you actually read my comment I was comparing my sumo 145 to my conventional 145. At least you tried...

[BrooklynBravest]

I have only tried sumo a couple of times. I find conventional far more rewarding also. I think the range of motion makes sumo feel like I am doing block pulls and hence not achieving as much.

I will say however that as a 500+ lb conventional puller, I found sumo difficult. I stopped 385 and failed 405. My next 6 weeks of candito I will focus on sumo to give my lower back a break and crush the legs.

[Yodums]

I'm traditionally a conventional puller, and have been pulling sumo on the side for 3 months now. I don't find sumo cheating at all. I can pull 495 conventional, but failed to pull 455 using sumo last week. Sumo's definitely not going to hit your back as effectively as conventional would, though. I feel it a lot more in my lower body. Lots of quads for the leg drive and hams and glutes for the lockout. I think doing both styles of deadlifts can be very beneficial.

[vampborn]

If you actually read my comment I was comparing my sumo 145 to my conventional 145. At least you tried...

Trust me - I read it like 5 times and it still doesn't make sense. Even with what you say now it doesn't make a lick of ****ing sense. You cannot compare two lifts at 33% 1RPM. It's not the same ****ing lift when you do it heavier and closer to 1RM. I am interested in Sumo versus Traditional comparisons, and I am saying your data is ****ing useless. Go do a Sumo with 450lb, and tell me Sumo is cheating. Do it with 550lb. Is it still cheating? Is is still effortless? **** you.

[Dapper817]

I have only tried sumo a couple of times. I find conventional far more rewarding also. I think the range of motion makes sumo feel like I am doing block pulls and hence not achieving as much.

I will say however that as a 500+ lb conventional puller, I found sumo difficult. I stopped 385 and failed 405. My next 6 weeks of candito I will focus on sumo to give my lower back a break and crush the legs.

Definitely know what you mean with the block pulls comparison. Mirin 500+ club. Regardless of how I feel about sumo, I've been working too hard towards 500 conventional to stop until I reach it. What do you think you find easier with conventional over sumo? or is it just time over bar? Candito is dope, for me I'm the opposite of you. My bench is way behind my squat/dead. Also, mirin that OHP, my press is childish compared to the other three lifts lol

[Dapper817]

I'm traditionally a conventional puller, and have been pulling sumo on the side for 3 months now. I don't find sumo cheating at all. I can pull 495 conventional, but failed to pull 455 using sumo last week. Sumo's definitely not going to hit your back as effectively as conventional would, though. I feel it a lot more in my lower body. Lots of quads for the leg drive and hams and glutes for the lockout. I think doing both styles of deadlifts can be very beneficial.

I think it's the shortest distance the bar travels. Idk, it just seemed so much easier for me. The time and effort it takes for me to do 10-12 reps conventional I did 15+ sumo

[Dapper817]

it doesn't make a lick of ****ing sense.

It's not the same ****ing lift

your data is ****ing useless

Is is still effortless? **** you

sorry I couldn't make it home for dinner tonight sweetheart. I miss you too.

[RussianCali]

Thanks for bringing that up, forgot to mention it. I'm 6ft tall, and my wingspan is 6'2" which goes against everything that I've heard about sumo being easier for people with long legs and short arms because it allows them to get the legs out of the way so they can pull easier. Maybe the length of everything was making it difficult. But I see you're taller than I am and you're saying you find conventional much easier for you?
I've considered competing which is why I was researching sumo in the first place, but again outside of competing it doesn't really seem to have much benefit unless you just feel like stroking your ego in the gym. lol

I'm interested in seeing just how heavy I can go as I add on more weight, surprised you see such a big difference between the two lifts.
I should have paid more attention to it since I was just focused on proper form and a comfortable stance. I wasn't too wide though, if I had to guess I'd say my shins were about where the rings are.

Yeah I find conventional alot more natural then sumo. My form is not perfect, I have some low back rounding which I am working on, and I though of pulling sumo, after seeing how bad I am at it I changed my mind lol. With sumo, you cant just walk up to the bar,grab it, breath and rip it off the ground. I find the more time I spend over the bar to set up, the worst my lift is for some reason.

As far as body length, it's interesting that you seem to have pretty long arms too, but sumo is easier. There are always expections to the rule though, some people with long limbs will still prefer to bench close grip, and etc. The difference I see in the lift is the start and the set up. Once it clears knees with sumo the lockout is a piece of cake, but breaking floor for me is extremely difficult and uncomfortable. The stance you described is the same I tried with. Have you tried yet with heavier weights?

[BrooklynBravest]

Definitely know what you mean with the block pulls comparison. Mirin 500+ club. Regardless of how I feel about sumo, I've been working too hard towards 500 conventional to stop until I reach it. What do you think you find easier with conventional over sumo? or is it just time over bar? Candito is dope, for me I'm the opposite of you. My bench is way behind my squat/dead. Also, mirin that OHP, my press is childish compared to the other three lifts lol

Honestly I have just been doing conventional for 5 years and never did sumo until a couple of months ago. It just took me out of my comfort zone.

[Dapper817]

Hit Deads yesterday. Did both conventional and sumo. I can typically hit 405 conventional 5-6 times and I was able to get 8 on sumo. I didn't go any heavier because I still had squats and some lat/rear delt work to do but I'll definitely see how much I can load on for a triple probably Thursday or Friday. I definitely felt it in my glutes/hips more but I still feel like its cheating. Oh well, I'll just keep loading up both. I'm about to start a cut in a couple weeks though but I may just push it back until I can join 500 club in both conventional and sumo

[llahhsoj]

It very well maybe easier for you because it uses more legs.

[DlackBick]

Hit Deads yesterday. Did both conventional and sumo. I can typically hit 405 conventional 5-6 times and I was able to get 8 on sumo. I didn't go any heavier because I still had squats and some lat/rear delt work to do but I'll definitely see how much I can load on for a triple probably Thursday or Friday. I definitely felt it in my glutes/hips more but I still feel like its cheating. Oh well, I'll just keep loading up both. I'm about to start a cut in a couple weeks though but I may just push it back until I can join 500 club in both conventional and sumo

If you can pull more heavy **** with sumo then do sumo for a while, then switch back to convertional. It may increase

[Dapper817]

Any science behind that? Other than hip strength, they two exercises target different muscles, require different mechanics and everything I've researched before says that there is no carryover.
Would be pretty baller, but I'm approaching them like two different lifts. Plus I do deficits and pause deads as my accessory work.

[Dapper817]

It very well maybe easier for you because it uses more legs.

Stronger legs than back? Btw, good looking out on the free samples