Thursday, May 21, 2009

Sumo

So, a new workout was started this week. Varying from the straight strength training my partner and I have been doing for the past 6 months, we changed it up and added some agility work, some plyometric work, and some corrective stuff. Along with those changes I added in some sprint work and a few new weight training exercises. Amongst the new exercises is the Sumo Deadlift. I have messed around with this lift in the past but never included it in my own program. I am trying to strengthen my hips so I figured I would use this exercise to help with that.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this exercise it is a similar movement to the traditional deadlift with exception of the grip and stance. The stance is widened while the hips are externally rotated (meaning the toes will be pointed out). The grip is a close grip so that the elbows are inside the knees. The reasoning for this stance is to put more emphasis on the hips and quads and less on the posterior chain.

Today was the first day that we did the Sumo Deadlift so I was curious to see how it would go. Overall, not bad. There were a few things in my form I need to work on so we will see how the continuing weeks go from here.



Watching the video there are a few things that I noticed. First, I need to drop my hips slightly lower at the very beginning of the movement. This will allow the hips to do more of the work so that the back isn't taking all of the stress. Secondly, as the bar begins upward you can see that my back slightly breaks down and rounds over. By retracting the scapulae and raising my chest, the curve in my back should be eliminated.

As said before, this was the first time executing this exercise for me so I didn't expect it to be perfect. It is nice to have video feedback to check and correct my form.

1 comment:

Kevin Paddock said...

Turn your toes out another half inch. It will drop your hips and let you pull your back together easier at the bottom. Also take a huge breath and push out your stomach for more core stability that will help your back.

-KP