Sumo Squats! The Original Sumo Squat, Hook & Race Party Game.

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This isn’t the case 100% of the time, as you’ll see some excellent powerlifters using the sumo squat in competition, but generally speaking, the standard squat is a better approach to testing your best and heaviest squat.

I imagine there are a few exceptions out there of brand new lifters who are really comfortable with a sumo squat right out of the gates, but generally speaking the standard squat is a better movement for beginners to use to learn the mechanics of squatting.As with any exercise, you’ve got to use the right load. Sumo squats won’t do you any good if you’re babying them with light weight that won’t make you change and adapt, or if you’re throwing so much on there you can’t do them right and you hurt yourself.

PLAY WITH TWO PLAYERS OR BIG GROUPS: A party game for 2-10 players. Challenge another player head-to-head or invite the whole family over for a big-team showdown. Similarly, for lifters with very flexible hips, the sumo squat may be more comfortable. There are dozens of factors that impact our leverages and advantages, and you’ll need to understand your own by trial and error as you safely attempt these variations. To really get the advantage out of this variation, learn to let your hips do most of the traveling instead of your knees. Learn to keep your upper body upright instead of bending forward to move the bar down. Practice it and work at it. Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by nutrition and exercise professionals. Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more.Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. You can go lower or shorten the squat if parallel is too low or if you can’t maintain your leg alignment. When you can’t keep up with the weight you’ve selected, have the humility to reduce the weight so you can perform the squats with good form for all the reps you need to hit. But beyond that simple explanation, there are several factors to understand and consider when comparing traditional squats and sumo squats, so let’s break each of them down below. Differences Between Squats and Sumo Squats Delmore R, Laudner K, Torry M. Adductor longus activation during common hip exercises. J Sport Rehabil. 2012;23(2):79-87. doi:10.1123/JSR.2012-0046

Some research shows that stance width affects muscle activity in the lower extremities, but varying the foot placement angles does not seem to play a major role in muscle activity ( 1). The quads are the muscles on the front of your thighs used in the flexion of your knee as you descend and ascend during the squat. The squat is commonly thought of as a quad exercise because of the quads’ heavy use in the movement. Glutes Once lowered, start to return to standing, but simultaneously drag your left heel in toward the center to bring your heels together. Finish standing tall and squeezing your thighs together. If you work your way up to heavier dumbbells and want to progress to a barbell, you may benefit from working with a personal trainer or coach to ensure that you use proper form. Sumo Squat Rotation When you take a wider stance, you don’t need to descend as far to sink your hips past the tops of your knees to “break parallel” as the powerlifting world calls it.TIME FOR A FLIP-O-RAMA: Play the same card as your opponent and you’ll trigger the fast and frantic Flip-o-Rama. First team to nail a landing, wins! Here at The Present Finder we take great pride in selling unusual, high quality presents and providing an easy and enjoyable shopping experience. Be vigilant about practicing and maintaining good form and you’ll avoid injury, have an honest view of your current abilities, and see better progress than others. Squats: Benefits

Granacher U, Gollhofer A, Hortobagyi T, Kressig R, Muehlbauer T. The importance of trunk muscle strength for balance, functional performance, and fall prevention in seniors: a systematic review. Sports Med. 2013;43:627-41. doi:10.1007/s40279-013-0041-1 Generally speaking, the squat is better for building max strength. That said, in some scenarios, like a lifter’s personal leverages or when wearing a powerlifting suit that adds more support and allows athletes to lift more weight, the sumo stance can be advantageous. But this is far more the exception than the rule. Other Squat Comparisons As you lower into a squat position, keep your feet planted and bend your knees out and away from the midline. Take as big of a breath as you can into your stomach to brace your core and create intra-abdominal pressure. Step 5: Descend into your squatThere’s nothing wrong with starting right where you are. But hold yourself accountable to getting better than whatever your starting point is. When a lifter shows an area of weakness in the squat, a good trainer will give the lifter more work to do on that area of weakness. Where weak quads are the problem, a standard squat is a great option to help a lifter build that needed quad strength. A key element of a successful squat is your ability to brace, or to create tension in your core to help keep your body stable. While this involves most muscles in your body, you can mostly focus on your abdomen bracing as you perform the lift. Learning the sumo squat is not much of a stretch if you know how to squat. That said, there are some differences to be aware of, including the width of your stance and how you position your toes.