• Home
  • Health
  • General
  • Natural Remedies
  • Diet & Weight Loss
  • Fitness
  • Beauty
  • Recipes

The Health Science Journal

Your Personal Health Library




  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Advertise With Us
  • Write For Us

SUMO SQUAT or REGULAR SQUAT?

January 6, 2017 by Melissa Bell Leave a Comment

The squat is a powerful exercise. It works 75% of your muscles in a single movement and it should be one of the mainstays in any leg workout. It’s undeniable ability to make your muscles grow faster and stronger in less time than most other compound movements is why it’s a part of the training routines of pro athletes and average gym-goers alike. As a matter of fact, athletes from every sport and discipline use some version of this exercise to tone their legs and abs, strengthen their core and improve their overall performance (1,2,3). So, which one should you do, sumo squats or regular squats? Let’s compare!

There are many versions of the regular squat that you can include in your training routine to increase gains on specific muscles. Among them, the sumo squat may be the best exercise for building strength in the glutes and inner thighs.

The main difference between regular and sumo squats is the placement of your feet, which naturally leads to a different muscle emphasis. During a regular squat, the feet are placed hip-width apart and the toes face forward or slightly out. For a sumo squat, the feet should be in a wide stance with the toes turned out at an even greater angle. Though both variations work the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors and calves, sumo squats place more stress on the inner thigh adductors and glutes.

Regardless of which squat version you choose to do, make sure you perform the entire movement in a slow, controlled manner for optimal results.

Mastering the Regular Squat

Before attempting the sumo squat, it’s important to master the proper form and technique of the standard squat.

Stand up straight and place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, hips stacked over knees and knees over ankles. Roll the shoulders down, straighten your back and extend the arms until they’re parallel with the ground, palms facing down. Inhale and bend your knees, bringing the hips backwards and down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or even lower. While the butt starts to stick out, make sure the chest and shoulders stay upright, the head facing forward with eyes straight ahead for a neutral spine. At the bottom of the squat, the knees should be directly over your toes. Remember to keep your feet anchored firmly to the ground all throughout the movement. Exhale, engage your core and, with bodyweight in the heels, explode back up to standing, driving through heels.

Upgrading to the Sumo Squat

After you have mastered the traditional squat, you can try the sumo variation.

Start by standing with your feet significantly wider than shoulder-width apart (about three to four feet) and toes turned out at an angle of 45 degrees. Inhale, bend your knees and push your hips back while keeping the chest up, abs tight and back straight. Lower yourself down by bending your knees and hips, raising your hands to meet under your chin. Keep your abs tight, back straight and do not let your knees move past your toes when lowering. The weight should be concentrated in the glutes and inner thighs. Once your thighs are parallel to the floor, exhale and root through your heels and rise back up steadily for one rep. Again, don’t let your heels lose contact with the floor, keep the knees parallel with the toes and keep your whole back perfectly straight throughout the entire movement.

Only after you’ve mastered both squats and perfected the form, you can use added resistance to increase the challenge and work on building strength. One basic way to increase the resistance for squats is by holding a barbell behind your head and across your upper back and shoulders (back squat). Hold the barbell at the same height, but resting on your chest and the front of your shoulders for a front squat, or hold the barbell overhead for an overhead squat.

If you only have access to dumbbells, hold one dumbbell with both hands in front of you, or you can hold a dumbbell or a kettlebell in the center of your chest with both hands to perform a goblet squat. You might even try adding one of the longer resistance bands to your squat variations. Stand in the middle of the band and hold both handles at shoulder height as you do your squats, focusing more of your effort on the raising than the lowering.

Finally, to answer our question: sumo squats or regular squats? Answer: Both!

Enjoy your squatting and please share!

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Melissa Bell
Follow me:
Melissa Bell
Melissa Bell has a strong background in nutrition education, fitness and yoga, and experience working on specialized stretching, bodybuilding and weight loss programs. She is actively studying Japanese, doing research and travelling for conferences while taking care of two children.
Melissa Bell
Follow me:
Latest posts by Melissa Bell (see all)
  • The Benefits and Risks of Dental Implant Procedures - January 9, 2021
  • What Is Iontophoresis and How It Can Stop Your Sweating? - January 9, 2021
  • Eight Reasons to Get Into Cold-Weather Exercise - January 8, 2021

Share this post:

FacebookPinterestTwitterLinkedInEmail

Filed Under: Fitness Tagged With: exercises, squats

——-

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *




Follow Us on Social Media

Featured Post

  • Ezoic User Review – AdSense vs Ezoic, Analysis After 2 Years with Ezoic
  • Pinterest Account Suspended & Domain Blocked! And How Ezoic Helped Us Get It Back

—

Fitness

Win A Year’s Worth Of Whey Protein With The M&S Survey

Top Exercise Ball Ab Workouts

Are You Making These Common Fitness Mistakes?

12 Common Fitness Mistakes Beginners Make at the Gym

Hundred – Abdominal Exercises for Spinal and Core Stabilization, Part 3

—

Health

The Benefits and Risks of Dental Implant Procedures

sweating

What Is Iontophoresis and How It Can Stop Your Sweating?

Children Autistic

Ask Geoff Fraser: 5 Core Principles of Speech Therapy for Children on the Autistic Spectrum

A Quick Guide to Lip Injections

vitamins-pills-drags

What to do if You’re Deficient in Vitamin D or B12

Tags

abs addiction back pain bodybuilding cancer children cholesterol Diabetes drugs elderly exercises eyes flexibility food foot heart high blood pressure hips home injuries knee lose weight low back pain muscle office pain pain relief plank push-ups relief sciatica senior skin sleep spine squats stretch sugar tea teeth tips water work workout yoga


Follow Us On Social Media

Copyright © 2020 · The Health Science Journal ·