Can you guys lift more on a sumo or conventional deadlift?

[TheUnderdog83]

After some helpful advice from this forum, I've been working on my deadlift form trying to keep my lower back straighter. Unfortunately, this has also put a stop to any progress I was making toward my goal of a 400 pound DL before summer. I've noticed some people can 1RM a higher amount with sumo, but I've never tried it myself. I'm just wondering how many people on here regularly use sumo vs. conventional, and which they are stronger with.

Thanks in advance.

[shc99]

I only pulled sumo for years and could pull 525 at 175 lbs at 19 years old. just switched to conventional a few months ago and now I'm getting close to my sumo numbers. imo train both, but sumo is cheating cope lift and thats coming from someone who pulled sumo for years.

[Rexotein]

Depends on your body imo. Longer legs/torso, etc.

I have long legs but a shorter torso so I pull heavier on sumo. I hit 455lb raw at 170-175lbs, I couldn’t do that conventional but technique definitely plays a part maybe I didn’t get that completely down.

[BenMcLeodNZ]

Isn't the only point of sumo that it's easier? Never tried it, don't wanna blow a bicep.

[TheUnderdog83]

Isn't the only point of sumo that it's easier? Never tried it, don't wanna blow a bicep.

Why would sumo have anything to do with blowing a bicep?

[Fiction2Fitness]

Depends on a number of things including body type and what you train.

I use sumo as an accessory but compete with conventional. Haven't even tried above 225 with sumo. Then again, I suppose there isn't that much of a difference for me as I'm short, limbs and all, just short. I started with conventional, trained more with it so that's what I'm comfortable with for competition.

[NoGenetics]

Personally my hips hate sumo, it's uncomfortable. I use quite a narrow stance as a preference.

[TheUnderdog83]

Depends on a number of things including body type and what you train.

I use sumo as an accessory but compete with conventional. Haven't even tried above 225 with sumo. Then again, I suppose there isn't that much of a difference for me as I'm short, limbs and all, just short. I started with conventional, trained more with it so that's what I'm comfortable with for competition.

Do all powerlifting competitions allow sumo? I've never been to one.

[anonymous]

705 for both, but sumo needed briefs. I never liked doing it.

[sooby]

Isn't the only point of sumo that it's easier? Never tried it, don't wanna blow a bicep.

sumo has nothing to do with blowing a bicep

lol @ anybody tearing a bicep under a 600 lb deadlift using mixed grip unless they very excessively look like they are trying to curl it.


@ OP, some guys are better conventional, some are better sumo, depends on leverages, hip structure and which of their muscles are stronger.

Sumo is banned from most strongman competitions I believe but it doesn't change the fact that some of the heaviest deadlifts ever recorded were pulled conventional. But you could probably owe that to the strongmen needing to have a very strong back in order to be successful in their sport. Most of the top powerlifters on average will probably pull sumo but there are plenty of very strong conventional pullers, some of which are record holders. However you will notice that guys who pull conventional will almost always have relatively long arms compared to their torso. Guys with short arms will very likely pull sumo or are stronger at it. Guys with long arms tend to be a mix. Yes sumo might have less range of motion, but it is also more technical and tends to have a harder sticking point to overcome where as conventional you can sort of break your form a little bit to muscle it up.

I would say if your lock out is literally up to your balls it might be an indicator that sumo is a better pull for you, train them both for a few months and see which is stronger.

On another note




two conventional world record holders, both have ridiculously long arms where they lock out at their knees.

lookin like

[BenMcLeodNZ]

Why would sumo have anything to do with blowing a bicep?

Thought it did but I guess I'm wrong so never mind.

[Millz12323]

I switched to sumo about 3 and a half months ago.

Best pull conventional 415x3
Best pull sumo in my signature.

I almost immediately noticed it was easier but I wasn't able to translate into a higher 1rm vs conventional. Like with sumo I was able to get 10+ reps with my previous 5rm but I wasn't able to translate into a higher 1 rm until I pulled 460 3 weeks ago.

My hips hated me for 2-3 weeks and I was going to quit because I thought I was developing an injury but the next day hip pain went away after a few weeks.

Learning to pull sumo has helped me with my squat and my conventional pull so if you've never done it then I devote a few weeks to learning the lift and see if it can help you too.

Me = long arms, long legs, short torso.

[FaIIen]

I've pulled 240 conventional and am dedicating an extended period of time to learn sumo and see how well it suits me.

It's too early to tell which one will end up stronger. Sumo doesn't come naturally to me, so I'll have to work a lot on mobility and technique. Pulled 6's @ 170 last session with sumo. Haven't pulled anything above 4 for hard sets in years with conventional, but best semi recent 4 was @ 212.5.

Bigger guys don't usually pull sumo because they have a hard time getting in position. Saying sumo is cheating is ignorant. It doesn't work for everyone.

[TheUnderdog83]

Thanks everybody, I’ll switch to sumo next time and see how I handle it. If it goes well I’ll give it a few weeks/months and see where it takes me. I’ll update everybody. Reps for those not on spread.

[Millz12323]

Finding the ideal stance width and position to pull from takes a while.

I found I was able to pull more with a more upright start position so I could use my quads more and this taught me that I can do the same thing in my conventional and it felt good.

Just for jokes I did 335 conventional x 10 with what I learned from sumo..good luck and make sure to keep us updated with your progress.

Also... I know you pull without straps conventional. Does your grip ever feel like close to failing?

[TheUnderdog83]

Finding the ideal stance width and position to pull from takes a while.

I found I was able to pull more with a more upright start position so I could use my quads more and this taught me that I can do the same thing in my conventional and it felt good.

Just for jokes I did 335 conventional x 10 with what I learned from sumo..good luck and make sure to keep us updated with your progress.

Also... I know you pull without straps conventional. Does your grip ever feel like close to failing?

Only sometimes. After I got above 300 I switched to a mixed grip which helped a lot. I also reset my grip between each rep.

[Fiction2Fitness]

Do all powerlifting competitions allow sumo? I've never been to one.

I've only competed in a couple but I haven't seen any of them ban sumo so far. Fair number of competitors lift sumo though that I've seen at those meets and online that gets posted from IPF on instagram.

[armies]

I only do sumo now because conventional simply destroys my lower back, sumo saves my back. Idk if I can pull more with sumo, I think I can probably pull more conventional style but I stick with sumo for life now, sick and tired of low back pains from conventional, srs

[johndoethethird]

I started off initially with conventional DL as a first exercise on my back day, every time I would be out of the gym due to lower back pain it was from DL due to me having really bad form even though trying to perfect it and many times resetting lower and building back up to iron out things. If I didn't have pain it would basically kill my next few sessions if I didn't have a rest day.

I decided after I hit 5x5 @ 300lbs on conventional to try out Sumo, which came very very naturally for me the first time where I pulled ~310lbs for reps 5-6. My legs are very short for someone my height while my torso is pretty long.

The thing isn't about the more weight I pulled the first time but the more forgiving it was for me on my lower back.

What was mentioned above is very true in terms of how wide your stance is in Sumo, the wider you get the more likely your hips will have some if not a lot of discomfort. If you are looking to try it out start narrow and work your way wider.

I've also swapped it from my the first exercise on my back day to the last of my leg day as the muscles that are worked in Sumo to me personally are more glutes / hams / quads / hips with little to no involvement of lower back.

I've pulled Sumo working sets of 5-6s in the ~310lbs range, a triple for 330lbs and a single for 353lbs all after a very brutal leg day.

[bobbydigitaloa]

I do both.

625x3 conventional
666x3 sumo

Shrug

[Millz12323]

Just out of curiousity... Anyone else find that pulling sumo destroys their traps and hits the lats much harder than conventional?

The day after every sumo session my traps are fried

[armies]

I do both.

625x3 conventional
666x3 sumo

Shrug

I wonder how much you could lift if you were natty 4 life. I guess we'll never know

[armies]

Just out of curiousity... Anyone else find that pulling sumo destroys their traps and hits the lats much harder than conventional?

The day after every sumo session my traps are fried

For some reason I never feel it at all in my traps or lats, at all, whatsoever. The only type of deadlift were I actually felt it in the lats was a conventional deadlift with a wide grip (wider than shoulder width), but I stopped doing those because they damaged my right rotator cuff. Conventional deadlift is almost all lower back for me, sumo is almost all hamstrings for me, and some lower back too but not as much

[bobbydigitaloa]

I wonder how much you could lift if you were natty 4 life. I guess we'll never know

Wonder the same in your court though and if you were lean and how that would change things.

[armies]

Wonder the same in your court though and if you were lean and how that would change things.

I'm lean, leaner than you that's for sure, but I'm natty 4 life, so nowhere near as strong as you are

[armies]

sumo has nothing to do with blowing a bicep

lol @ anybody tearing a bicep under a 600 lb deadlift using mixed grip unless they very excessively look like they are trying to curl it.


@ OP, some guys are better conventional, some are better sumo, depends on leverages, hip structure and which of their muscles are stronger.

Sumo is banned from most strongman competitions I believe but it doesn't change the fact that some of the heaviest deadlifts ever recorded were pulled conventional. But you could probably owe that to the strongmen needing to have a very strong back in order to be successful in their sport. Most of the top powerlifters on average will probably pull sumo but there are plenty of very strong conventional pullers, some of which are record holders. However you will notice that guys who pull conventional will almost always have relatively long arms compared to their torso. Guys with short arms will very likely pull sumo or are stronger at it. Guys with long arms tend to be a mix. Yes sumo might have less range of motion, but it is also more technical and tends to have a harder sticking point to overcome where as conventional you can sort of break your form a little bit to muscle it up.

I would say if your lock out is literally up to your balls it might be an indicator that sumo is a better pull for you, train them both for a few months and see which is stronger.

On another note




two conventional world record holders, both have ridiculously long arms where they lock out at their knees.

lookin like

His arms are sooo long

[bobbydigitaloa]

I'm lean, leaner than you that's for sure, but I'm natty 4 life, so nowhere near as strong as you are

Nope and your 385 is really really bad but you know that.

Anyone else reading this, dude made outrageous claims and it has many rolling lol.

Be well fellas.

[armies]

Nope and your 385 is really really bad but you know that.

Anyone else reading this, dude made outrageous claims and it has many rolling lol.

Be well fellas.

I can do 395 lbs now, I know is poverty compared to your non-natty deadlift though

[WolfRose7]

I wonder how much you could lift if you were natty 4 life. I guess we'll never know

I know a junior who pulls 620 raw natty...

So probably just as much...

[bLinkMoore]

I lift a little more sumo, but I don't really like the feeling of the stance. If I'm not hitting a 1RM, I pull conventional.

It definitely varies from person to person, but I'd say it's definitely worth trying both to see where you're at.