Deciding between Sumo or conventional deadlift.
Introduction
In a powerlifting competition, the deadlift is one of the three lifts to be assessed. Deadlifts are also often used in sports training to increase strength. The deadlift is a full body compound lift where an athlete lifts the bar from the to standing upright at full lockout at extension of the hips and knees (Turner, 2018). In the sport of powerlifting, there are two variations competitors can use to deadlift, conventional deadlift, or sumo deadlift. McGuigan & Wilson (1996) state the conventional deadlift is performed with a narrow stance with the hands gripping the barbell outside the width of the legs. alternatively, sumo deadlifts are characterised by a wider stance gripping the bar with inside the leg’s width. Due to the nature of deadlifts testing maximal loads and risking injury, it is in the interests of sports scientists and coaches to understand what variation is best for their athlete.
Potential Benefits
When deadlifting conventionally, Turner (2018) states that sumo deadlifts require higher demands on knee extension compared with conventional. Conventional also opens the angle of the hip and knee at the floor, this allows these joints to be in a mechanically advantageous position. Benefits to sumo include reductions of vertical displacement required to lockout the lift, reductions of up to 25% have been recorded (Escamilla, 2000). Lifting sumo also brings the hips closer to the bar regarding the sagittal plane, this can reduce the moment arm and joint moment at the hips (Turner, 2018). Demands on the back when lifting sumo are reduced due to the upright position of the torso (Chloewiki et al 1991). Turner (2018) asserts that no style of deadlift is fundamentally better than the other, lifters should experiment through a range of factors to determine the best lift for them.
Choosing a variation
Blecher (2014) states that for competition or recreational use, there are multiple factors to understand when picking a deadlift variation to use. Factors such as past injuries, muscle activation, mobility, anthropometrics need to be addressed to establish which variation of the lift is suited for the athlete to achieve the best lift (Blecher, 2014). The first factor to explore is previous injury, due to the nature of a conventional deadlift, if an athlete has a history of back injury it is advised to aim for sumo deadlifts, this is due to the excessive trunk lean in a conventional deadlift (Escamilla, 2000). If the athlete is recovering from an ACL injury the conventional deadlift might be a better option due to the hamstrings having a larger engagement that the quadriceps (Buckthorp & Della Villa, 2020). Tate (2018) suggests athletes with poor hip mobility opting for conventional deadlifts over sumo due to the required of good levels of hip mobility. Concerning muscular activity, the conventional and sumo deadlift generate similar amounts of hip extensor moments (Escamilla et al. 2002). Escamilla then states sumo deadlifts require greater quadriceps and knee moments than conventional deadlifts in addition to hip extensor moments. If an athlete is uncomfortable with maximal quadricep they should choose conventional. Regarding flexibility and mobility, the sumo deadlift requires more hip mobility than a conventional deadlift to get the best position for peak power. Anthropometrically, Hales, (2010) suggests if an athlete has shorter arms, they may be suited to sumo deadlifts, while if an athlete has long arms conventional will suit them. Those with average arm length are suited to both lifts.
Muscles involved.
Belcher (2017) states that the muscles used during a sumo deadlift include the erector spinae, iliocostalis lumborum, gluteus maximus, quadriceps, and hamstrings. Stabilizer muscles used are the tibialis anterior, rectus abdominis, trapezius, external obliques, gastrocnemius, and latissimus dorsi. Farley (1995) identifies the working muscles during a conventional deadlift are split into three groups, the knee, hip, and lower back. Knee muscles include the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius and rectus femoris. Regarding the hip Farley highlights two key muscles, the hamstrings and gluteus maximus. In the lower back the erector spinae, intertransversarii, inter spinae. It will be a strength and conditioning coach’s role to decide which variation is best for their athlete depending on the sports demands (Turner, 2018).
Transitioning deadlift variation
For recreational and competitive athletes, its recommended to use both deadlift variation during training to reap optimal benefits (Turner, 2018). Ladon (2020) states if you have never trained in a specific variation, it is advised to start with a light weight pulling from blocks instead of the floor. Over time begin reducing the blocks and upping the weight until you are pulling from the floor, over time training both variations will strengthen fixator muscles to support the lift.
The benefit of training both variation
Wenning (2014) states by training sumo deadlifts, it allows lifters to work on hip strength and mobility, which leads to reduction in lower back injuries. For sumo lifters, switching to conventional can aid in teaching lifters on how to maximally activate their glutes, therefore taking pressure of the lower back. When training in a volume block, sumo stance can come in useful because it places less strain on the back and more on the glutes, therefore allowing lifters to train for higher volume (Blecher, 2017). Blecher (2017) summarises by stating conventional deadlifts and sumo deadlifts should be used on a muscular or sports specific bases dependent on the athlete’s needs.
Conclusion
This article provided a brief insight into the two main deadlift variations. It showed that both deadlift variations are effective for training large muscle groups to increase strength, hypertrophy, and power. Both deadlift variations have their own benefits as discussed, for recreational use or sports specific training it is advised that athletes practice both lifts in an effort to optimise training progress.
References
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Buckthorpe, M., & Della Villa, F. (2020). Optimising the ‘Mid-Stage’Training and Testing Process After ACL Reconstruction. Sports Medicine, 50(4), 657-678.
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Tate, D. (2018). Elitefts Deadlift Manual.
Turner, A. (Ed.). (2018). Routledge handbook of strength and conditioning: Sport-specific programming for high performance. Routledge.
Wenning, M. R. (2014). The Deadlift and Its Application to Overall Performance.
