How to Do Sumo Squat + Benefits and Alternatives

The sumo squat is a deep squat position using a wider stance and an outward-pointing angle of the toes. The sumo position aims to recruit more inner thigh muscle (adductor) activation compared to a traditional squat. In this squat variation, you stand with your feet more than hip- width apart to engage the groups of muscles located around your thighs. You can do sumo squats with just your bodyweight, or using a barbell for strength training, depending on your preference. You can also use a dumbbell or kettlebell. In this exercise, it is important to engage your core muscles in your squat and in your standing position to prevent injury.

Build muscle & lose weight fast with Flex.

Download for Free

Available on iPhone + Apple Watch

How-to

Stand up straight with legs wider than shoulder-width apart, feet pointing outward.
Lower yourself by bending your knees while extending your rear backward until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
Squeeze your glutes to straighten your legs to return to the starting position.

Muscle Worked

Primary Muscle Groups

Glutes

The glutes help you extend your thighs from the hips and drive you forward.

Hamstrings

The hamstrings flex your knees and extend and rotate your hips

Quads

"Quads" refers to your quadriceps femoris muscles which flex your leg from the hip joint and extend your leg from the knee joint.

Secondary Muscle Groups

Adductors

The adductors are the muscles on the insides of your thighs that move your legs toward the midline of your body

Calves

The calves are the muscles at the back of the lower part of your legs

Pro Tips

Think about rotating your femur bones in your hip sockets when you are learning this move. This will help keep your knees in line with your toes.
Turn your toes outward to around a 45-degree angle.
Keep your spine neutral to hold your posture in place as you squat.

Benefits

This exercise can help release tight hips. This can be a way to reduce pain if your hips feel stiff.
Sumo squats build flexibility in the hip area and can improve your overall strength.
This exercise is a compound move. That means it requires multiple muscle groups to work at once. This can be useful in creating mind-muscle connections and promoting overall athleticism.
You can use this exercise as a part of injury prevention for the hips. Learn more here: The Effect of Hip Abductor Exercise on Muscle Strength and Trunk Stability After an Injury.

Variations

The following exercises target the same primary muscles using the same equipment:

Alternatives

The following exercises target the same primary muscles using different equipment:

Warm Up & Cool Down

Warm Up

Try using banded hip abduction as a warm-up for sumo squats. This will get you to engage your abductor and adductor muscles.

Grab a resistance band and wrap it around your mid-thighs. Lie on one side, supporting yourself with your arm under your head.
Stack your knees and hips, then slowly and with control, draw the top leg up and away from the bottom leg, resisting your band.
Hold for a moment, then bring the leg back.
Repeat with light weight as needed.

Cool Down

Use a figure 4 stretch to elongate the glute muscles after sumo squats.

Stand on one leg.
Bend your other leg at the knee then fold that ankle over the knee of your standing leg, as you drop into a shallow one-legged squat.
Hold for 10-30 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.

A Complete Guide to Sumo Squats

How-to