Legs · Dumbbell
Dumbbell Sumo Deadlift
How to do the dumbbell sumo deadlift, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Dumbbell
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- Hinge
- Mechanic
- Compound
How to do it
Stand with feet wider than hip-width and toes pointed out, holding a dumbbell vertically between your legs with both hands. Lift by driving your hips and knees to stand tall, keeping your chest up and back flat, then lower the dumbbell with control.
- 1Drive your feet into the floor and feel your glutes, hamstrings, and
- 2inner thighs work together
- 3Keep your chest up and back flat as your hips and legs extend
- 4Squeeze your glutes at the top before lowering with control
Common mistakes
- Don't let your back round or your hips shoot up faster than your chest
- Don't let your knees collapse inward or your ankles roll
- Don't jerk the dumbbell off the floor; use a smooth, steady drive
Muscles worked
The dumbbell 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
Kovo programs the dumbbell 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
- How to do the agility ladder drill
- 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.