How to Master the Kettlebell Sumo Squat

If you’re looking for a leg day essential that excels at working out your whole lower body, you should consider the kettlebell sumo squat.

By the end of this article, you’ll be a master of the sumo squat with kettlebell. We’ll teach you all the details of performing the kettlebell sumo squat: detailed instructions, benefits, tips, variations, workout integration strategies, and safety considerations. Keep reading!

Benefits of Kettlebell Sumo Squats

Before we teach you how to do kettlebell sumo squats, it’s important to understand why you should do this exercise. There are several benefits offered by the sumo squats, and they should be included in any leg day workout routine. Here are the main ones:

1. Muscles Worked

The kettlebell sumo squat is a compound leg exercise, meaning it uses more than one joint to be performed and, consequently, works more than one muscle at a time. The muscles worked by the kettlebell sumo squats are as follows:

• Inner Thighs (Adductors): The wide stance of the sumo squat emphasizes the inner thigh muscles, which are often underworked in traditional squats.
• Glutes: The deep squat position and hip extension engage the gluteal muscles, promoting strength and hypertrophy.
• Quadriceps: The front thigh muscles are the biggest in the human body and are heavily involved in the squatting motion, contributing to overall leg strength.
• Hamstrings: These muscles are located on the posterior side of the thigh and assist in the squatting and hip extension phases, providing balanced leg development.

Note: If you are interested in compound exercises, you can add compound back exercise, compound triceps exercise, and compound biceps exercise to your workout plan to work more muscles. 

2. Strong Body and Strong Mind

The kettlebell sumo squat is great for building functional strength because it works multiple muscles at once. On top of that, studies show that there’s a direct association between lower body strength and your mental health, which means working out your lower body leads to an overall increase in your quality of life.

3. Core Stability

Holding the kettlebell and maintaining proper form requires a substantial amount of core engagement, enhancing stability and reducing the risk of lower back injuries.

4. Flexibility and Mobility:

Flexibility and mobility routines are becoming increasingly popular in the bodybuilding world, and for a good reason. Building muscle strength is not enough for progress at the gym.  Your tendons and joints need to be able to keep up with your newfound strength. 

The wide stance and deep squat position improve hip and ankle flexibility, contributing to better movement patterns and reduced injury risk.

How to Perform the Kettlebell Sumo Squat

After the benefits are explained, we can discuss how to actually do a sumo squat with a kettlebell.  Performing it correctly is crucial for maximizing its benefits and minimizing the risk of injury.

Basically, the “sumo” in the name is a reference to the feet stance when doing the exercise. Sumo stances are wider than usual, just about outside hip-width with your feet slightly pointed out. As discussed above, this stance gives a greater focus to the inner thigh muscles which can be overlooked.

Check out this step-by-step:

Starting Position:

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outward.
• Hold a kettlebell with both hands, letting it hang between your legs with arms fully extended.

Engage Your Core:

• Keep your spine stable and your back straight by engaging your core muscles throughout the entire exercise routine.

Initiate the Squat:

• Begin the squat by pushing your hips back and bending your knees. Make sure your knees track over your toes and do not cave inward.
• Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground or slightly below; it will depend on your flexibility and comfort level.

Maintain Proper Form:

• Keep your chest up and shoulders back to avoid rounding your back.
• Maintain the kettlebell so that it remains centered and close to your body.

Return to Starting Position:

• Push through your heels to stand back up, extending your hips and knees.
• Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.

Repetition:

• Repeat the movement for the desired number of reps and sets.

Tips And Saftey Considerations

Now for some tips so you can get the most out of your kettlebell sumo squat. The first one is warm-up. We can’t emphasize it enough, any serious athlete warms up before engaging in any kind of physical activity. It does a great job of preventing injuries and making sure your body is ready to go all out when it’s time. We’re serious, warm up!

The second one is focusing on form rather than weight. Prioritizing weight is only going to lead to injuries and inefficient training. So when starting out, choose a weight that allows you to do all reps of the set with proper form. This will make you progress way faster than lifting heavier. Once you get the hang of it you can gradually progress toward heavier weights.

Finally, you should avoid the most common execution mistakes: 

• Knee Position: Ensure your knees do not cave inward during the squat. Focus on pushing your knees outward to maintain proper alignment.
• Rounding the Back: Keep your chest up and shoulders back to avoid rounding your back, which can lead to injuries.
• Shallow Squats: Aim for a deep squat position where your thighs are parallel to the ground or lower, depending on your flexibility.

Workout Integrations for Kettlebell Sumo Squats

Here are some strategies for integrating the kettlebell sumo squats into your workout routine:

1. Standalone Exercise

Perform kettlebell sumo squats as a standalone exercise, focusing on form and gradually increasing the weight and repetitions.

2. Superset

You can also do kettlebell sumo squats with complementary exercises, such as kettlebell lunges or deadlifts, to create a superset. This strategy will maximize muscle engagement and workout efficiency.

3. Circuit Training

Include kettlebell sumo squats in a circuit training routine, combining them with other functional movements like push-ups, pull-ups, and kettlebell swings.

The Conclusion

That’s it! You now are ready to perform kettlebell sumo squats on your next workout. Keep consistent at it and you see results on your whole lower body.

Remember to always listen to your body, if you feel any pain or something feels wrong, consult a professional. 

Hopefully, this article has provided you with some useful tips so you can reach your fitness goals. If you want even more help, try the Flex app and enjoy an easy-to-use auto progression, body weight tracker, plate calculator, and much more. Get fit with Flex!