Legs · Barbell
Sumo Deadlift High Pull
How to do the sumo deadlift high pull, 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 in a wide sumo stance with toes turned out and grip the barbell inside your legs. Drive through your feet to extend your hips and knees, then continue the momentum by pulling the bar up to chest height with your elbows leading high.
- 1Glutes, hamstrings, and inner thighs driving the bar off the floor
- 2Traps and side delts pulling the bar high with elbows leading
- 3A smooth hand-off from the leg drive into the upper pull
Common mistakes
- Letting the back round or the hips shoot up first
- Turning it into a pure arm pull instead of using the legs
- Letting the knees cave inward on the drive
Muscles worked
The sumo deadlift high pull mainly works the glutes, lower back, upper traps, and hamstrings, with the forearms, quads, side delts, adductors, mid traps, upper abs, calves, and rear delts assisting.
- GlutesPrimary
- Lower BackPrimary
- Upper TrapsPrimary
- HamstringsPrimary
- ForearmsSupport
- QuadsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- AdductorsSupport
- Mid TrapsSupport
- Upper AbsSupport
- CalvesSupport
- Rear DeltsSupport
- BicepsMinor
- Lower AbsMinor
Kovo programs the sumo deadlift high pull 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 medicine ball atlas stone lift
- How to do the b stance hip thrust
Last reviewed June 2026.