Squats are a tried-and-true way to strengthen your lower body, as well as your core. However, if you want to try something new, the perfect move for you is the sumo squat, which is a squat variation that requires you to widen your stance. This move can add some variety to your lower body training routine.
The key to performing the sumo squat correctly is standing with your feet wider than hip-width apart and toes slightly pointing out. This will ensure that the exercise targets and uses quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus muscles, inner thighs and calves while you are performing it. Those are the areas in which you should feel the burn.
There are several benefits that make sumo squats better than other traditional squats for certain fitness goals and certain areas that you are trying to target and strengthen. Some of the most notable benefits of sumo squats include:
If you are performing sumo squats properly, you are going to activate the adductor muscles along your inner thigh much more than performing regular squats. That is why you will feel the sumo squats in that area the most.
Performing sumo squats activates your core muscles, which will increase your stability during everyday workouts, as well as your regular activities.
Sumo squat is s very effective lower-body exercise that targets many different muscle groups, most of them located in your lower body, including your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, hip flexors, glutes, and lower-back muscles. This means that a sumo squat is a very effective form of a lower-body strength workout.
Performing a sumo squat is relatively simple; it is just a squat with a small twist. In order to perform a sumo squat:
Just like the sumo squat is a variation of the standard squat, there are some variations that you can do to make the sumo squat more challenging (if you notice that it is not hard enough for you) or easier. Some of the most popular variations of sumo squat include:
Once the bare version of the sumo squat becomes too easy to perform and does not get you out of breath anymore, it is time to try a different variation and add some weight and make the movement more challenging. The most optimal way to add weight is by holding dumbbells or a kettlebell with both hands so that it hangs down towards the floor. You can also hold a free weight on your torso. While performing the exercise, the dumbbell or the kettlebell in your hands should almost touch the ground.
If you want to increase the difficulty of the sumo squat and ramp up your heart rate simultaneously, but you do not have any free weight available, you can also perform a jumping version of this fantastic move. Stay in the same position, with your feet slightly wider than your hips, but instead of coming back up to standing once you perform the squat, drive back up explosively and jump. Again, make sure your landing is soft before going straight into another rep.
For normal and healthy individuals, sumo squats are generally a safe movement that does not pose a big injury risk. However, if you have a medical condition regarding your lower back, make sure to consult your physician before performing this exercise. If you are struggling with tight hips, make sure to do some warm-up exercises before performing squats.
When doing a sumo squat, your legs are wider, and your toes are more turned out, which engages your inner thighs and glutes a bit more than a traditional squat.
Any kind of squats will increase the size of your leg muscles, especially quads, hamstrings, and glutes, which will make your legs look overall bigger.
If you want to strengthen your knees and spare them from unnecessary pressure, avoid the standard squat; sumo squat is the way to go.
If you are trying to build strength in your lower body, incorporate sumo squats into a strength workout for 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 15 reps.
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