Why don't you pull Sumo?

Discussion in 'Strength & Conditioning Discussion' started by ThinkGreen, Jun 9, 2008.

  1. ThinkGreen Der Übermensch

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    Well, why don't you? It seems like there are a bunch of Pro's to it but I can't find many con's... is it just not as good for *cough* "functional strength?" It just seems liek almost every powerlifter pulls sumo now a days yet no one here does at all, in fact, most S+Pers hate on it. Why?
     
  2. Chaseg1520 Green Belt

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    I have never done it... therefore I hate it... lol j/k, but I think it is because new stuff always feels awkward in the beginning, so we stick with our normal... I have no problem with giving it a try though.
     
  3. ratman201 S&P's resident Chef

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    It feels weird. It hurts my hips. I like O-lifting. The record in the DL was done conventional. Doens't the missus pull sumo?
     
  4. ThinkGreen Der Übermensch

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    Idk about that but I know Lusst used to pull sumo
     
  5. Ascendant <img src="http://i543.photobucket.com/albums/gg474

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    It's not allowed in strongman comps = I don't pull sumo.
     
  6. RredRrover Blue Belt

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    Smaller ROM. You don't need to get as low, but can add more weight because. Also note because of sumo's reduced emphasis on getting lower, if you pull sumo too much you'll have trouble adapting to normal deadlifts.

    And normal deadlifts recruit more core muscles, which are critical for other lifts. A strong posterior train is absolutely necessary for stability in other lifts, so don't skimp on working this area.

    To top it off, Sumo is also hard on bars. More weight plus gripping towards the center means more bending.
     
  7. enright3060 Brown Belt

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    Sumo shortens the range of motion, which means you have to do less work. I think that is why a lot of S&P's call sumo "dirty." Does that mean you should avoid sumo DLing altogether? Probably not.

    If you are competing PLing, you should pull whatever way will allow you to up bigger numbers. If sumo helps up your total, then you should do it.

    If you pull conventionally, you should use a sumo DL as an assistance exercise every once in a while.

    If you pull 650 like Lusst, no one will care that you pull sumo.
     
  8. ghostwipe Black Belt

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    I don't do it because it's harder on the hips, and my hips are gay.
     
  9. Urban Savage Mystic

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    I wonder how much I can pull if I pull sumo. Really, I've always looked at it as an inferior lift because it seemed like a "trick" to pull more weight. Shorten the ROM, reduce the posterior chain use, put more stress on the hips, etc. so you could add x percent to your total. It's not an inherently bad way to lift, but I think conventional is superior. Sumo's not a bad thing to mix in every now and then though.
     
  10. Klotz Shalom

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    Because it hurts me and I can barely get 315.
     
  11. ratman201 S&P's resident Chef

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    Thats right it was Lusst.
     
  12. Donut62 Black Belt

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    Regarding powerlifting, generally people pull sumo for one of two reasons: You can get more out of your gear pulling sumo, and for a certain type of build it's very mechanically advantageous. Particularly guys with shorter limbs, which is why almost all of the lighter weight classes pull sumo. All the the big pullers, however, pull conventional. Of the twelve people to pull over 900 pounds, only two have done it sumo style, and Ed Coan is one of them and his semi-sumo style was basically a conventional pull with a wide stance.
     
  13. joshetc butthole hurts from teh gay

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    I don't pull sumo cause the ROM is much less and it feels more like a wide stance squat than a deadlift.
     
  14. B3rserk3R Brown Belt

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    I generally don't pull sumo because as the weight goes up it does start to hurt (which a few other people mentioned too), might be my crap hip mobility though because it's supposed to be ideal for guys built like me. That said I recently did them for a few weeks and since have noticed I've been harder for people to break down when I posture up.
     
  15. flak Guest

    I do both, though lately I've been focusing more on conventional.

    I find sumo comparatively easy, and I can move more weight with it. But I'm short (5' 7") and light (175 now) and apparently that makes a difference.

    Never had any problem with hip pain, though I don't take a super wide stance. I line my shins up with the non-knurled rings on the bar.

    The thing I like best about sumo is that it's easier to keep a neutral lower-back position.
     
  16. Lusst Red Belt

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    I am now in strongman, and like Ascendant said, Sumo isn't allowed. Therefore, I adjusted my training accordingly.

    One thing I will say about Sumo, is that while it allows me to pull more weight (for now), pulling Conventional just feels more manly.

    In the powerlifting world, it's actually pretty disgusting to see someone stand in front of the bar with their feet spread so far out that they're touching the plates.
     
  17. thethirddiaz vas a morir

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    <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TK4UIxKIxtc&hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TK4UIxKIxtc&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
     
  18. Lusst Red Belt

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    Yeah...Konstantine is a fucking stud.
     
  19. Donut62 Black Belt

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    Truth. And conventional seems less technical, for me it's just brute strength. You just get super pissed, bend over, and pick the bar up. Ugly or not, it just works.
     
  20. thethirddiaz vas a morir

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    This is just screaming for a DW video, but I don't have them and really don't want to search for them.
     

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