Legs · Barbell
Barbell Paused Sumo Deadlift
How to do the barbell paused sumo deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Barbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Set up with a wide stance and toes turned out, gripping the barbell inside your knees with a flat back. Drive through your feet to lift the bar, pausing for a count just below the knee, then complete the lift by extending your hips and knees. Lower under control and reset each rep.
- 1Your glutes and inner thighs loading hard in the wide stance
- 2A tight core and flat back as you hold the pause
- 3A strong hip drive to finish the lift through the pause
Common mistakes
- Rounding your back or letting your chest drop at the pause
- Jerking the bar off the floor instead of a smooth pull
- Letting your knees cave inward as you stand
Muscles worked
The barbell paused sumo deadlift mainly works the glutes, lower back, and hamstrings, with the forearms, quads, adductors, upper traps, upper abs, and calves assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- LatsMinor
Kovo programs the barbell paused sumo deadlift for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
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- How to do the airdyne bike
- How to do the arc trainer
- How to do the assault bike
- How to do the medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.