Legs · Barbell
Sumo Deadlift
How to do the 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
See it in motion
How to do it
Stand with feet wider than hip-width, toes pointed out. Grasp barbell inside legs. Lift bar by extending hips and knees, keeping chest up and back straight.
- 1With a wide stance and toes turned out, grasp the barbell inside your legs and drive your feet into the floor; you should feel your glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs working together
- 2Keep your chest up and back flat as you lift, feeling your hips and legs extend to bring the bar up
- 3Squeeze 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
- Avoid letting your knees collapse inward or your ankles roll
- Don't jerk the bar off the floor; use a smooth, steady drive
Muscles worked
The 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 sumo deadlift for you and tracks it every session.
The AI builds your whole program, drops the right lifts into each workout, and adjusts your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More glutes exercises
- How to do the barbell hip thrust
- How to do the cable kickbacks
- How to do the curtsy lunge
- How to do the barbell deadlift
- How to do the resistance band glute bridges
- How to do the machine hip abduction
Last reviewed April 2026.