How to do a Sumo Squat
Reviewed by Jim Parker, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Sumo Squat
Barbells
Squat Rack
Workouts with Sumo Squat
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Targets the inner thighs, glutes, and quads with a wider stance than the traditional squat. This exercise improves flexibility and strength in the hips and legs, suitable for building muscle and enhancing lower body power.
- Position the barbell on the back of your shoulders before unracking it and stepping backward. Stand upright with your feet in a wide stance outside of shoulder width apart and your toes slightly angled outward. Bend your knees to lower into a squat keeping your spine in a neutral position and your torso parallel with your shins. Controllably return to an upright position.
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Alternative Exercises to Sumo Squat
1. Dumbbell Sumo Squat
81 mSCORESWAPPED 268 TIMESA squat exercise performed with dumbbells, in a wide-legged stance to target the legs and glutes.
2. Back Squat
99.3 mSCORESWAPPED 225 TIMESBack Squat is one of the three Powerlifting movements, and one of the most common lower body exercises. It’s a great compound exercise that can help build strength and muscle mass in your leg, especially your quadriceps. It’s a staple in most fitness programs, and is often used as a metric for tracking lower body strength in general.
3. Kettlebell Sumo Squat
87.3 mSCORESWAPPED 96 TIMESKettlebell 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.
- Intermediate
- Hamstrings
- Kettlebells
4. Sumo Deadlift
88.9 mSCORESWAPPED 87 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
5. Leg Press
99.7 mSCORESWAPPED 81 TIMESLeg Press is a compound exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps. The exercise itself is fairly similar to a standard squat, with some key differences. The biggest of these differences is the added stability from supporting your back on the Leg Press Machine. The end result of these changes is a more stable movement that further emphasizes your quadriceps. Leg Press is an excellent exercise for anyone looking to build muscle mass or strength in their quads.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Leg Press
6. Single Dumbbell Sumo Squat
86.2 mSCORESWAPPED 70 TIMESSingle Dumbbell Sumo Squat is a variation of the more standard Squat, and more specifically a Sumo Squat and Goblet Squat. Similar to other Squat variations, this compound exercise primarily targets your quads. By keeping the weight in front of your chest, you can further isolate your quadriceps. Planting your feet wider than a standard squat can help with some limitations in mobility.
7. Leg Extension
99.4 mSCORESWAPPED 68 TIMESLeg Extensions are an isolation exercise that target the quads. Due to a severe lack of isolation movements for the lower body, this is a great option for specifically targeting your quadriceps. The use of a machine restricts your range of motion, and adds some stability to the movement. This can help your focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement. The downside to this exercise is that it places a lot of tension on your knee. Keep your weights light, and focus on pausing near the end of your range of motion.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Leg Extension Machine
8. Dumbbell Goblet Squat
87.9 mSCORESWAPPED 60 TIMESDumbbell Goblet Squat is a variation on the more standard Front Squat. Like other squat variations, this compound exercise primarily targets the quadriceps. Goblet squats are beneficial because they require less upper body mobility in order to keep the weight in the proper position compared to using a barbell.
9. Smith Machine Squat
94.3 mSCORESWAPPED 58 TIMESSmith Machine Squat is a variation on the more standard Squat. Like other variations, this is a compound exercise that primarily targets your quads. The use of a Smith Machine restricts your range of motion, and adds significantly more stability to the movement. This makes this exercise a great choice for learning proper squat mechanics, and developing strength in your lower body.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Smith Machine
10. Hack Squat
90.1 mSCORESWAPPED 50 TIMESHack Squat is a variation of squats that utilizes a specific machine to add resistance. Like other squat variations, this exercise primarily targets your quads. The use of a machine can assist you by redistricting your range of motion more than with the use of free weights, as well as adds more stability to the movement.
- Beginner
- Quads
- Hack Squat Machine