Sumo dead lift form 405 pounds @ 150 bodyweight

[Justkasey135]

Looking to compete in a powerlifting competition so I've been focusing on my squats, deads, and bench press recently. Hit a milestone PR for me today of 405 pounds at 150 pound bodyweight. Had my buddy film it so I could post it and get some form critiques as well as maybe some good accessory lifts for improving any weak points that you may see.

I do sumo style because traditional style causes my lower back to round a bit, and I can't lift as much traditional. So I warm up traditional style, then do 1 set of sumo to warm up a bit, then go into my sumo working sets. Need to work on my grip strength, so right now I'm using straps to give my back the heavy weight it needs and going double over with no straps as well as over under with no straps as long as I can. Then I add straps when grip is slipping.

Let me know how the form looks and what my weak points seem to be from the video. Thanks for the feedback.

https://youtu.be/djX2esml5ag

[davisj3537]

Drive those knees out and get closer to the bar. Right before the weight breaks the floor if you pause it and look in the mirror you can see that your knees are well inside your toes. That's a lot of internal rotation that you don't need. You either need a narrower stance or keep the knees out...your hip mobility will tell you which.

In competition you need to lock out your knees...you never did. I do the same thing when not thinking about it.


I'm not the best at sumo critiques; surely some other dudes will chime in.

[MyEgoProblem]

For a meet? 3 reds from me buddy...

Didn't lock the knees and dropped the bar. (im deliberately ignoring the straps :-P)
Id like to see a video of a lift that isnt rpe 11 maybe a solid double?

Because everything I say onwards may not even be the case, and you may have just picked a weight that is just outside your actual strength level and ability and might have this all on lockdown when pulling in your limits.


Things I see..
You need to open those hips up and rotate them out more to get closer to the bar. Looks more like a muscled up conventional than a Sumo.

The bar dangles out in front of you, telling me your lats arent 'on' and pulling it into your centre line. Stressing the back more.

Soft knees, you need to flex the hell out of them and lock them out. And looks like a bit of ramping.

It was too much back, compared to hams, ass and quads... You know this by your hips shooting up, and you back getting pulled into flexion and having to "un Curl" your torso to try and finish. .

A lot of weight muscled up for your bw, no doubt! I couldn't claim it my self as a PR tho (maybe a gym lift, but I've never pulled a PR I couldn't double instead) as it wasnt finished and locked out. Seems like I've just been a **** but if you want to conpete...you need to hear it.. Strong guy tho, dont let this dissuade you..

TLDR; need to get tighter with your bracing and get closer to the bar with knee out more. And work in your current limits for clean form

[Justkasey135]

For a meet? 3 reds from me buddy...

Didn't lock the knees and dropped the bar. (im deliberately ignoring the straps :-P)
Id like to see a video of a lift that isnt rpe 11 maybe a solid double?

Because everything I say onwards may not even be the case, and you may have just picked a weight that is just outside your actual strength level and ability and might have this all on lockdown when pulling in your limits.


Things I see..
You need to open those hips up and rotate them out more to get closer to the bar. Looks more like a muscled up conventional than a Sumo.

The bar dangles out in front of you, telling me your lats arent 'on' and pulling it into your centre line. Stressing the back more.

Soft knees, you need to flex the hell out of them and lock them out. And looks like a bit of ramping.

It was too much back, compared to hams, ass and quads... You know this by your hips shooting up, and you back getting pulled into flexion and having to "un Curl" your torso to try and finish. .

A lot of weight muscled up for your bw, no doubt! I couldn't claim it my self as a PR tho (maybe a gym lift, but I've never pulled a PR I couldn't double instead) as it wasnt finished and locked out. Seems like I've just been a **** but if you want to conpete...you need to hear it.. Strong guy tho, dont let this dissuade you..

TLDR; need to get tighter with your bracing and get closer to the bar with knee out more. And work in your current limits for clean form

Hey man, not being an a** at all! And not taken that way in the slightest! That's what I needed to hear for sure. I had no idea I wasn't locking out my knees and that is part of the competition rules. I'll definitely have to work on doing that from now on.

My shoulders definitely fall forward, and my hips come up before my chest, so it definitely felt like more back than I'd like to use. I'm thinking maybe a better set of pullups before the attempt will help engage my lats and upper back more. This was the last thing I did today, after doing pendley rows 5 sets of 2 around 90 percent and I did my working sets of deads before this too. I did 4 sets of 365 for 2 reps, then on the fifth set as many as I could do which was 6 reps. So 14 reps at 365 and the 15th rep was this 405 PR. Definitely a gym PR, but still feels pretty good because 365 was my max about 5 or 6 weeks ago, and it was all I could do to get it started. My lower back has bulging discs, so I try and focus on keeping a strict straight back, and that's also why I do sumo style.

Think my weak point before was my leg strength so the bottom was tough getting started. Been squatting twice a week lately, and really working on squat form and improving strength there and I can tell it's making a big difference in the bottom of my dead. Just need to sit back into the lift more and keep my hips in instead of pushing them up and away.

Thanks for taking the time to critique the form and helping me out. Here's a video of the 6 reps at 365 I did right before this. Maybe that will help you with more suggestions. Thanks again!

https://youtu.be/lQ5lhaE5JFQ

[MyEgoProblem]

Back rounding is much less an issue suggesting the 405 was just too much that day!

Still the knees arent locked so that is something definitely to work on and it seems your trying to lockout by leaning back / hyperextending when you really want to squeeze your ass as hard as possible and "**** the bar" and push the hips forward so to speak. Think doing a barbell hip thrust!

Definitely much better at that weight. This is just my view on how I pull and have taught people. I'm no pro, so take as given :-D

[Justkasey135]

Back rounding is much less an issue suggesting the 405 was just too much that day!

Still the knees arent locked so that is something definitely to work on and it seems your trying to lockout by leaning back / hyperextending when you really want to squeeze your ass as hard as possible and "**** the bar" and push the hips forward so to speak. Think doing a barbell hip thrust!

Definitely much better at that weight. This is just my view on how I pull and have taught people. I'm no pro, so take as given :-D

Awesome advice. Thanks for the time watching the videos and responding. I noticed after watching my 365x6 video that I only lock the knees on a couple of the reps. I think you're right about hyperextending my back instead of squeezing my glutes. I'll have to work on that too.

Thinking I need to slightly narrow the stance, and point my toes out a tiny bit more to get my hips closer and lower down. On the lift I need to focus on keeping my knees over my feet by spreading the floor, and pulling my lats and upper back in like a row better, to keep from rounding the upper back. At the top I need to focus less on hyperextending the back, and more on squeezing the glutes and bring the hips under me in order to lock out the knees.

Sound like the main adjustments that might help? What about accessory lifts to help improve my form and weak points? Read a bit ago that trap bar deads are a good lift for improving sumo style. Maybe I'll add some of those?

[davisj3537]

I know ego is a fan of doing squats and various exercises with a band around his knees. It helps him remember to push them out or also commonly called opening the hips. This may be something you can work into sumo, but I expect your arms may get in the way. I'd venture to guess that narrowing the stance to the point where your knees are out and then slowly reaching wider as you see fit. Eventually your knees will fail to keep up with the feet again.

I'd be tempted to possibly work in box squats. Not touch and go BS and not rocking box squats. Sit back and deep into the box. Make those hips pull you up instead of rocking forward Watch how Mark Bell does them. It'll be a whole lot easier to rock forward...these will humble you so I'd start with 135 or less.




You know what else is great for sumo pulls? Conventional pulls


Take that for what it's worth to ya. I'm not a great sumo puller.

[Justkasey135]

Yeah, box squats might be a good option. I'll look into those.

I do a few sets of traditional desds every time I do sumo, just not really any working sets. Maybe I'll incorporate some working sets in. I usually just warm up with traditional until the weight is too heavy for me to keep my back straight. And sort of rounded lower back can be terrible for me because one wrong pull with my back bent, and I'm out of the gym for two weeks. Bulging discs are not fun to work around, and I'm always walking that very thin line between being able to lift, and being injured.

Bands might be an interesting addition to squats too. All 3 good suggestions. Thanks!

[Justkasey135]

Did my 5 sets of working weight today on dead lifts after squats. Did 4 sets of 5 reps and 1 set of 6 reps at 325. Then I decided to try 405 again after working on my form all session with 325. Overall I think it was better. Back still looks a little weak, but not terrible I don't think.

Let me know what you guys think and if I improved at all. Thanks!

https://youtu.be/ncbGQvQ_XRQ