Sumo Squat
A wide-stance squat with your toes turned out and one weight hanging between your legs, pushing your knees out as you sit down to work the quads, glutes and inner thighs.
Equipment
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes, Adductors
- Secondary
- Hamstrings
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
- Primary muscles
- Quads, Glutes, Adductors
- Secondary
- Hamstrings
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weight × reps
Loads from YouTube only when you press play. The video is by an independent creator.
Why do it
The wide stance brings the adductors in more than a normal squat and lets you keep your torso upright, and holding a single weight in front makes it simple to set up at home or as a warm-up before heavier leg work. The dumbbell is held vertically by one end; the kettlebell hangs from its handle and can touch the floor when you sit deep, which helps you gauge depth. Pick whichever you have; the movement is the same.
How to do it (Dumbbell)
Stand with a wide stance, toes turned out, holding one dumbbell vertically with both hands in front of your hips.
Push your knees out over your toes and squat down until your thighs are about parallel to the floor.
Keep your torso upright and the dumbbell hanging straight down.
Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes. You should feel the inner thighs working more than in a normal squat.
Stand with a wide stance, toes turned out, holding a kettlebell by the handle with both hands in front of your hips.
Push your knees out over your toes and squat down until your thighs are about parallel to the floor.
Keep your torso upright and the kettlebell hanging straight down.
Drive through your heels to stand and squeeze your glutes. Sit deeper if your mobility allows; the kettlebell can touch the floor at the bottom.
Common mistakes
Knees falling inward
In a wide stance the knees tend to cave as you go down. Push them out so they stay over your toes for the whole rep.
Stance so wide you can't sit down
Going extra wide limits how deep you can get. Use a stance where your thighs reach parallel with your knees still tracking over your toes.
Toes pointing straight ahead
With a wide stance and straight feet, your knees can't follow your toes. Turn your feet out so they match the direction of your knees.
Leaning forward to reach down
Tipping your chest to get the weight lower turns the squat into a hinge. Keep your torso upright and let the weight hang straight down.
Sets, reps and progression
How many sets you do and how close to failure you take them depend on your goal and your week, not on the exercise. These guides cover it:
Alternatives that train the same thing
Same movement, a different angle or piece of equipment.
