# COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING - POWERLIFTING - ATHLETICS & SPORTS > POWERLIFTING FORUM >  Sumo vs conventional

## jypoll

I have always done a conventional deadlift, recently i have been watching a few WC events on youtube and noticed that the majority of competitors (more than 90%) were doing sumo deadlift? do more people find the sumo deadlift easier? i have done the sumo twice to try it but i found i could not lift nearly as much.

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## songdog

Takes time to get use to.

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## BgMc31

Sumo incorporates less back and more hip and leg drive than conventional, plus if your leverages are good, it reduces the range of motion. While more people are starting to pull sumo, the biggest deadlifters are all conventional pullers. I believe the biggest sumo dead is in the 880 range while the best conventional dead is Boltons 1000lb pull and there are several that pull in the 900s.

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## jcp2

> Sumo incorporates less back and more hip and leg drive than conventional, plus if your leverages are good, it reduces the range of motion. While more people are starting to pull sumo, the biggest deadlifters are all conventional pullers. I believe the biggest sumo dead is in the 880 range while the best conventional dead is Boltons 1000lb pull and there are several that pull in the 900s.


Probably the greatest lift ever in competition was Coans [email protected] sumo deadlift in just a singlet. As far as what you are saying i do agree though. A lot of easter european guys i beleive are pulling sumo now so i would not be surprised if you see some 900 plus lifts coming from there soon if they are not already thier. Here are some things about sumo in regards to powerlifting, you get way more out of your gear sumo than conventional so you may see more guys pulling sumo as the gear has gotten better, not sure. Sumo is also more technical especialliy in gear. I pulled a PR sumo years ago the third time pulling sumo, but you can miss a few times and come back, dial in your form and hit the lift. I really can't do that conventional, i am either strong enough or I am not.

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## BgMc31

I forgot about Coan's deadlift. I just youtubed it...AWESOME! I do agree with you that you get a whole lot more carry over in gear on sumo than you do with conventional.

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## maxwkw

Raw sumo deadlifts really tend to tear up my hips. I haven't done much with gear, but for now I much prefer conventional.

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## Olddawg71

As I have some lower back issues, I prefer to pull sumo, best pull Raw is 300kg, so as others have said, it does take time to get used to but also it depends on your body type as well. Good Luck

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## mrniceguy215

from what i understand sumo is better for lifters with lower back contraindications. but it is important to train both ways conventional and sumo.

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## wannabstrong

raw sumo shouldnt go as wide..correct?

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## BgMc31

No not necessarily. Some raw lifters go extremely wide to reduce the range of motion.

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## songdog

The wider you go.The less the weight has to travel.But watch out for your feet!

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## Doc.Sust

i go just as wide raw or equipped. the wider stance puts your hips in a more optimal spot for the initial pull from the floor. saying this, sumo is very trchnical and it helps to know what you are doing. i find the suit helps a little with the sum but nothing crazy. 30 lbs maybe. the suits really dont do much for the dead, sumo or conventional.
bottom line if you pull sumo, you should still work conventional. 

i pull sumo for my work sets. then i drop and do one set of conventional fro 3 to 5 reps, i then do deficit deadlift sumo. after, this on to conventional rack deadlifts at various heights. with or without bands.

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## number twelve

when i was young (16-17) and training I always did sumo. got pretty strong with it especially for my weight. but i got away from it and went to conventional deads. no when i try to change it up and do sumo i feel very tight and awkward

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## The_Irish_Dave

I started doing deadlifts conventional and found them nearly impossible to do because my knees would be in the way and then my back was at an awkward angle. Now maybe I wasn't doing them right but no matter what I did I found it really hard to feel comfortable. So I went for the trap bar deadlift. I found that so much easier and did that for a while. Weights went right up. Then I tried Sumo style. At first I found it very hard to do and my groin and hips weren't flexible enough but I stuck with it. Now that's all I do because I can so much more weight. I don't put my feet that far apart either that there's a chance of them being squashed. Like most people say I think it depends on your body proportions. I have long legs and a shorter upper body. Not good for squats but good for deads. I'd keep with them for a while and see how it goes. You know when you get in that groove and things feel right.

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## djdizzy

Being 6'5' the regular deadlift never felt natural to me so I ended up avoiding it. Then I saw some article about tall people and the mechanics of lifting and it recommended trying the sumo.

Felt more comfortable doing it that way and have been using since.

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