The problem is that I can only go so wide with my stance when it comes to the sumo deads because my knees start to want to go inwards if that makes sense? I also want to have a wider squat stance but cant for the same reason. Feels like its inflexibility in my Groin, Hips and Glutes.
What will rectify this?
Thanks
Post a video if you can, could be just going to wide for your hips. Obviously mobility work will help but only to an extent.
Are you saying that you can’t keep your knees out regardless of your stance width or that there is a stance width you can work with but you want to go wider? Does it change as the weights get heavier?
If it’s the former then it’ll take time to gain mobility and strengthen your hips. If it’s the latter then I don’t see a reason to go wider than you can handle. You can move the stance width out over time as your body changes/adapts to the lift. Like cparker said, trying to maximize your leverages to make a lift easier can only help so much because it still takes muscle to move the weight. Going to the extreme can sometimes work against you.
x2 on the video.
I think it’ll be a case of mobility/strengthening the hips but as i’ve never had to work on that I wouldn’t know where to start.
And im not trying to go really/too wide or anything, i’d say its just a typical sumo stance, if I had to compare it i’d say its the same stance width as a powerlifter called Zane Geeting takes on his sumo pulls. But obviously he can ‘drop his nuts’ ontop of the bar, but I have no choice but to drop my hips back rather than down because of mobility, plus as I said my knees tend to come in
Kelly Starrett has sumo specific mobilityWODs plus infinite ones on hip mobility.
YouTube has them all.
We really need a video. This could be a few things.
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Simply standing too wide for your build. What may be a standard width for me or some one else may be too wide for you.
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Simply just aren’t moble enough
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Are to weak in certain areas to maintain “active mobility” and position.
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Any mix of all 3 above.
[quote]tsantos wrote:
Kelly Starrett has sumo specific mobilityWODs plus infinite ones on hip mobility.
YouTube has them all.[/quote]
x2
OP: Do what you can for mobility work and it’ll improve over time. If you’re doing sumo now, just use a stance that allows you to force your knees open with your hips throughout the lift. It’s more important to get your hips involved rather than going as wide as possible just for the sake of it. As your hip strength increases over time, you might be able to open it up a bit more, although that may not guarantee a stronger position.
There’s a good drill called Rocking Frog (I think it’s a DeFranco one).
I have a long list of things that help. I rediscovered this again recently and it is an easy way to do a harder stretch:
