So this was my first day back trying deadlift after being off it for like a little over a month-various reasons- well the conventional for whatever reason was starting to hurt my lower back more then I remember-I did do a lower body 2 days ago- I just had trouble getting my chest up and body low enough.-I do have shity basketball shoes though, maybe I should use my oly lifting shoes?!-
Now I’m a pretty tall lifter, and I’ve heard taller lifters have more success pulling sumo. I’m also more interested in sumo since it utilizes the hips more-I may be mistaken- and since I’m a thrower hips are very important so this would be a plus.
Now I squat pretty wide also since its a lot more comfortable and I can get lower, so would sumo be a better choice for me to deadlift?
Wonder if any of you pull sumo and what do you think of it, I know the world record is conventional but I would think sumo could be better for more power.
I prefer sumo. I seem to be built better for it (long femurs and arms).
I also have a disc herniation in my lower back, and I feel safer in the sumo position vs conventional.
However, I can still get into position for a conventional pull (and i pull conv. from time to time), and if i couldn’t I’d think I had some major mobility work to do.
Pull barefoot, in socks, or in flat soled shoes. If you are lifting in a garage gym you can do the first two, otherwise see if you can get some Chuck Taylors, Dunlop Volleys or similar. I’ve tried pulling in cross-trainers, and it puts more stress on your hips. Kinda feels like they’re being dislocated when I pull heavy.
So definitely change the shoes!
Pulling sumo is more technical, the general sticking point is close to the floor for most people, and has less low back involvement. You may find it better once you get the hang of it since a wide squat stance does tend to help develop the pull. If you aiming to do the movement more explosively, sumo lends itself better as sub-maximal weights are generally faster and easier.
I enjoy pulling sumo, and I believe that in most cases (for normal limb lengths and lighter weight classes) it is better as it is a shorter stroke and the bar stays closer to your body, so your low back is less of a limiting factor. But I’m not sure if it will be the best for you. You are 6’7" and 300lbs according to your profile, which is a hell of a lot of leverage to get the bar moving using conventional. You can’t “use” your weight and height to the same extent sumo.
A bigger problem, however, is that you won’t be able to get proper foot placement unless you have access to a 7’6" or probably more likely an 8’ bar. I am 6’ with size 13 feet and I’m about an inch from the plates on a 7’ bar with my stance.
By all means give it a try and see if it works for you though! I don’t mean to try to scare you off sumo, I prefer it and I think it’s a better choice for most lifters, particularly equipped ones, I just think it’s better you know why it may seem harder for you!
[quote]shizen wrote:
So this was my first day back trying deadlift after being off it for like a little over a month-various reasons- well the conventional for whatever reason was starting to hurt my lower back more then I remember-I did do a lower body 2 days ago- I just had trouble getting my chest up and body low enough.-I do have shity basketball shoes though, maybe I should use my oly lifting shoes?!-
Now I’m a pretty tall lifter, and I’ve heard taller lifters have more success pulling sumo. I’m also more interested in sumo since it utilizes the hips more-I may be mistaken- and since I’m a thrower hips are very important so this would be a plus.
Now I squat pretty wide also since its a lot more comfortable and I can get lower, so would sumo be a better choice for me to deadlift?
Wonder if any of you pull sumo and what do you think of it, I know the world record is conventional but I would think sumo could be better for more power. [/quote]
I’m pretty tall at 6’3 (but probably not very compared to the ex-football population here), but I blow at sumo pulling. I think it has more to do with relative arm length, torso length, and leg length more than absolute height. I have (proportionally, as I said) long arms, long torso, and short legs.
[quote]smokotime wrote:
Pull barefoot, in socks, or in flat soled shoes. If you are lifting in a garage gym you can do the first two, otherwise see if you can get some Chuck Taylors, Dunlop Volleys or similar. I’ve tried pulling in cross-trainers, and it puts more stress on your hips. Kinda feels like they’re being dislocated when I pull heavy.
So definitely change the shoes!
Pulling sumo is more technical, the general sticking point is close to the floor for most people, and has less low back involvement. You may find it better once you get the hang of it since a wide squat stance does tend to help develop the pull. If you aiming to do the movement more explosively, sumo lends itself better as sub-maximal weights are generally faster and easier.
I enjoy pulling sumo, and I believe that in most cases (for normal limb lengths and lighter weight classes) it is better as it is a shorter stroke and the bar stays closer to your body, so your low back is less of a limiting factor. But I’m not sure if it will be the best for you. You are 6’7" and 300lbs according to your profile, which is a hell of a lot of leverage to get the bar moving using conventional. You can’t “use” your weight and height to the same extent sumo.
A bigger problem, however, is that you won’t be able to get proper foot placement unless you have access to a 7’6" or probably more likely an 8’ bar. I am 6’ with size 13 feet and I’m about an inch from the plates on a 7’ bar with my stance.
By all means give it a try and see if it works for you though! I don’t mean to try to scare you off sumo, I prefer it and I think it’s a better choice for most lifters, particularly equipped ones, I just think it’s better you know why it may seem harder for you!
Good luck![/quote]
hmm thanks for the post good info. Yeah I tried with light weight the other day also and my feet were right next to the plates, my hips got pretty tight but I didn’t stretch since it was just light weight. It did feel a bit more comfortable pulling sumo though, I just might prefer it since its safer so I’ll probably try it again.
Not to jack your thread, but I thought I’d just pose a quick question. Is pulling sumo legit in competition? A friend of mine feels more comfortable with it and was curious about whether he could do it or not.
In all powerlifting competitions sumo is permitted. I think it’s only in some strongman events it isn’t.
Most smaller and lighter lifters, unless they have very long arms, pull better sumo because:
It is less distance to pull
The bar remains closer to the body
It allows them to use their legs more
And a sumo deadlift suit helps lift the bar off the floor, which happens to be mechanically the most difficult part of the lift.