Skip to main content
Sumo Deadlift High Pull being performed with proper form
Sumo Deadlift High Pull demonstration video — proper form for the full movement.

How to do a Sumo Deadlift High Pull

Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology

About this exercise

Sets Logged
53,683
Popularity Rank
1028th
Difficulty
Intermediate
Hamstrings Strength
57 mSCORE 91st
Equipment Required

Workouts with Sumo Deadlift High Pull

    Target muscles worked

    Primary Muscles
    Hamstrings
    Secondary Muscles
    Trapezius, Quads, Back, Lower Back, Glutes, Forearms, Adductors

    Instructions for Proper Form

    The Sumo Deadlift High Pull is a compound exercise that combines the wide stance of a sumo deadlift with a high pull, targeting the legs, glutes, back, shoulders, and arms. This movement begins with a wide-legged stance, lifting the barbell from the ground and then pulling it to chin height with elbows high. It emphasizes power, strength, and coordination, enhancing muscle engagement across the posterior chain and upper body. Ideal for building explosive strength and improving functional fitness, this exercise also promotes cardiovascular health when performed at a higher intensity.

    1. Stand in an upright posture with your feet in a wide stance angled out slightly positioning a loaded barbell an inch away from the front of your lower legs.
    2. Hinge at the hips and flex your knees to drop down allowing your shins to drop forward to grab the barbell with a double overhand grip.
    3. Maintain a neutral spine as your press through your heels to pull the barbell off the ground in a vertical path next to your body by extending your legs.
    4. Once the barbell passes over your mid thigh, explode your hips, knees, and ankles into extension to pull the barbell up to shoulder height keeping your elbows above the barbell.
    5. Drop the barbell back to waist height before lowering back to the starting position.

    Weight & 1 Rep Max Calculator

    Average Sumo Deadlift High Pull 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.

    • beginner
      8
      reps
      60
      lbs
      1 Rep Max
      75
      lbs
    • intermediate
      8
      reps
      75
      lbs
      95
      lbs
    • advanced
      8
      reps
      95
      lbs
      120
      lbs

    Enter your stats to calculate your Reps & Weight

    How is this calculated?

    Alternatives & Variations to Sumo Deadlift High Pull

    Filter By

    1. 1. Sumo Deadlift

      Photo of Sumo Deadlift being performed
      88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 50 TIMES

      Sumo 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.

    2. 2. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift being performed
      97.6 mSCORESWAPPED 24 TIMES

      This 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.

    3. 3. Good Morning

      Photo of Good Morning being performed
      90.4 mSCORESWAPPED 22 TIMES

      Good 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.

    4. 4. Seated Leg Curl

      Photo of Seated Leg Curl being performed
      98.8 mSCORESWAPPED 20 TIMES

      Seated 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.

    5. 5. Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Romanian Deadlift being performed
      98.6 mSCORESWAPPED 16 TIMES

      Romanian 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.

    6. 6. Kettlebell Sumo Squat

      Photo of Kettlebell Sumo Squat being performed
      87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 15 TIMES

      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.

    7. 7. Deadlift

      Photo of Deadlift being performed
      98.7 mSCORESWAPPED 13 TIMES

      Deadlift 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.

    8. 8. Dumbbell Good Morning

      Photo of Dumbbell Good Morning being performed
      63.8 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMES

      The Dumbbell Good Morning is a strength exercise that focuses on the posterior chain, including the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back. Holding a dumbbell at chest level or placing two dumbbells on the shoulders, you hinge at the hips and lean forward with a straight back, then return to the starting position. This movement emphasizes hip mobility and back strength, improving posture and stability. It's a versatile exercise suitable for all fitness levels, offering a low-impact alternative to enhance lower back and hamstring flexibility and strength.

    9. 9. Lying Hamstrings Curl

      Photo of Lying Hamstrings Curl being performed
      95.8 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMES

      Lying 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.

    10. 10. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

      Photo of Single Leg Romanian Deadlift being performed
      80.8 mSCORESWAPPED 12 TIMES

      Single 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.