How to do a Kettlebell Sumo Squat
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Kettlebell Sumo Squat
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Kettlebell Sumo Squat is a squat variation. Like other squat variations, this exercise is a compound movement that targets the hamstrings, glutes and quads. Positioning your feet wider than you would for a standard squat helps to recruit the inner thigh, as well as help individuals with mobility limitations.
- Stand in a wide stance with your toes slightly angled outward while holding onto the kettlebell handle with an overhand grip in front of your hips.
- Bend your knees to lower the kettlebell between your legs to the ground, keep your torso straight, chest forward and hips back.
- Straighten your legs and return the kettlebell back to the starting position.
Tips & FAQs
What's the difference between kettlebell sumo and goblet squat?
The kettlebell sumo squat involves a wider stance with feet turned out, targeting the inner thighs, glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. You hold the kettlebell between your legs and squat down, keeping your chest up and back straight. The goblet squat uses a shoulder-width stance with feet slightly turned out, focusing on the quadriceps, glutes, and core. You hold the kettlebell close to your chest and squat down similarly. The sumo squat emphasizes the inner thighs and glutes more, while the goblet squat targets the quadriceps and core. Both are effective for lower body strength.
Common Form Mistakes
Shoulders Forward
Don’t allow your shoulders to roll forward. This will make it easier to reach the kettlebell towards the floor, but it will also make the exercise less effective and increase your risk of injury. Focus on keeping your shoulders back, and lower back braced.
Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator
Average Kettlebell Sumo Squat standards by male, female, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
- beginner8reps25lbs1 Rep Max30lbs
- intermediate8reps30lbs40lbs
- advanced8reps35lbs45lbs
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Alternative Exercises to Kettlebell Sumo Squat
1. Seated Leg Curl
98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 2,370 TIMESSeated Leg Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. Because a vast majority of lower body exercises tend to be compound movements, this exercise is a great way to isolate the hamstrings for building muscle mass, and developing strength. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability, allowing you to focus on exertion more than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 2,184 TIMESThis exercise is a variation on Romanian Deadlifts. Like other Romanian Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your hamstrings and glutes. The use of dumbbells can help with some limitations in mobility, and is a great starting point for anyone working towards performing Deadlifts or Romanian Deadlifts with a barbell.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
3. Kettlebell Swing
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 1,640 TIMESKettlebell Swing is a compound, explosive movement that primarily targets the hamstrings and glutes. This is a great exercise for improving power and explosiveness. It's especially helpful in developing glute drive which can help improve a number of different exercises, and sport performance.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells
4. Lying Hamstrings Curl
95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,400 TIMESLying Hamstring Curl is a weighted, isolation exercise that targets the hamstrings. There’s a relatively short list of isolation exercises for lower body muscle groups. Because of this, this is a great addition to a lower body workout in order to build strength and muscle mass in the hamstrings specifically. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds stability to the movement, allowing you to focus on exertion rather than stabilizing the movement.
- Beginner
- Hamstrings
- Leg Curl Machine
5. Dumbbell Sumo Squat
81 mSCORESWAPPED 1,107 TIMESA squat exercise performed with dumbbells, in a wide-legged stance to target the legs and glutes.
6. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift
80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 987 TIMESSingle Leg Romanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Romanian Deadlift. Like other Romanian Deadlift variations, this is a compound movement that primarily targets the glutes and hamstrings. Performing this exercise on one leg, is a great way to identify, and help address, discrepancies in mobility, strength, and stability between sides. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to improve their ability to perform a large number of other compound lower body movements like Squats, Lunges, or even Olympic lifts.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Dumbbells
7. Deadlift
98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 893 TIMESDeadlift is one of the three powerlifting movements. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and is great for developing strength in these muscles. It’s a staple in most programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking strength.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
8. Romanian Deadlift
98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 847 TIMESRomanian Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. It’s a compound exercise that primarily targets your glutes, and hamstrings. Unlike the standard Deadlift, this variation focuses mostly on driving your hips forward to raise the weight, and restricts movement in your knees. This is a great exercise for building strength, and can translate well to other exercises that utilize a hip hinge.
- Intermediate
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- Barbells
9. Sumo Deadlift
88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 603 TIMESSumo Deadlift is a variation on the more standard Deadlift. Like other Deadlifts, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), and especially hamstrings and glutes. While this exercise receives some criticism, it’s a perfectly valid choice for building strength, and a great addition to your leg days.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
10. Good Morning
90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 521 TIMESGood Morning’s are a compound exercise that primarily target muscles in the rear chain (backside of the body), but especially the hamstrings, and lower back. While this can be an effective exercise, there is some risk to performing this exercise with a loaded barbell on your back. If you’re unfamiliar with this exercise, try starting with a dumbbell variation as you learn the movement.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Barbells
- Squat Rack