I had a tired lower back this morning from approaching the end of my DL cycle. I DL shoulder width stance. So I thought I’d try some sumo DL’s because it seems to use less lower back. Anyway, I didn’t try to learn the movement or anything, but I did try (foolishly) to DL 335 sumo style. Nothing. So I tried again. Nothing. I dropped it to 320. Nothing. Now I was pissed off so I dropped it to 220 and did it, but it was a totally different action to shoulder width and it wasn’t as easy as 220 should be. Dunno if it’s worth learning sumo or not. It’s like starting all over again.
Lol! So shoulder width DL isn’t as good as sumo? 'Cause I thought sumo would be easier. The reason I stuck with shoulder width is because I squat wide so I wanted to mix up the stances a bit.
You know what it really hit? My hamstrings, exactly 1/2way between my butt and knees. It almost felt like an isolation exercise for hamstrings. I might try a cycle of it next time, in a fortnight or so.
Sumo and conventional is really a matter of preference and how your built. Short, stocky guys tend to like sumo because it feels better with their short levers. I wouldn’t worry about doing both. You are doing plenty with conventional dl’ing and squatting to stimulate those muscle groups.
Yeah. It’s a preference thing. It’s just most short guys say the sumo feels better than conventional. Not only that, but you don’t have to move the weight nearly as far to lockout. PL’ers like to cheat like that.
Funny this thread’s up since I just hit a new PR with sumo deads yesterday (military press too, doin’ the PTP thang). I like the sumo deads since they perfectly mimic the leg motion of an iaido exercise we do for cutting practice. I find sumo’s hit the muscles around the hip sockets like no other lift.
Crap :mad:. I did 275 today, sumo-style. It definitely doesn’t hit my back as much as conventional, because (like Ford says) it’s cheating and I only go down 1/2 as far. But my back was good this morning so I should’ve gone conventional. I just wanted to experiment a bit further with sumo. 275 wasn’t easy sumo style. It wasn’t hard, but harder than it should be. I usually start my PTP cycles with 290 conventional :mad:. I might do a few cycles sumo-style to see how they go. But I’m tall so it probably isn’t the best style for me.
Samurai Jack, what you say is interesting. I had a killer MA class two nights ago. We worked the legs heavily. Anyway, last night and this morning I had obvious fatigue in the front of my upper thigh, right at the bottom of the suprailiac. I thought it was due to the MA workout, but I’d be interested if it was from the sumo lifts, especially with the light weight lifted.
The soreness I feel is usually where the hip socket inserts into the pelvis. I often get sore in the area of the quadriceps closest to the knee and along the iliotibial band on the outside of the thigh as well.
Anyway Sumo’s work for me. Although I enjoy conventional deads Sumo’s more closely match certain martial movements I regularly perform. Even though I’m lifting for power, it’s easier to endure long sessions with nothing heavier than my katana now that I’ve taken up Sumo’s. It just dosen’t feel like it’s as much work.
or so.