The mainstay of lower-body exercises is the squat. And for good reason: The fundamental exercise is not complicated to master, targets several muscle groups, and doesn’t call for special equipment. But if you neglect some squat varieties, particularly the sumo squat, you can be sacrificing important benefits for your knees, hips, and legs.
Here, fitness professionals outline the main justifications for include the sumo squat in your training regimen as well as the muscles it targets. Additionally, they demonstrate how to perform the standard sumo squat and offer modification and advancement suggestions that are worth testing.
A GUIDE TO SUMO SQUATS Similar to a standard squat, a sumo squat involves sitting back into your hips and bending your knees to lower your butt to the ground. Your stance, though, is what makes a big impact. According to Edith Partida, C.PT., C.E.S., P.P.S.C. , a NASM-certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist, your feet will be a few inches wider than shoulder width rather than hip width apart, and your toes will be turned out to 45-degree angles rather than pointing straight forward. “You should be able to stay grounded if someone came and tried to push you over,” she asserts.
Do you need assistance picturing the lower-body exercise? Watch Rachel Mariotti in New York City, an NCSF-certified personal trainer, perform a sumo squat below.
A. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing outward at a 45-degree angle. hands together in front of the chest.
B. Keeping your chest up and keeping your back from rounding, sit back into your hips and bend your knees to lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, or nearly so.
C. Press through your feet to straighten your legs and get back to standing as you exhale.
THE PRIMARY SUMO SQUAT PERKS The sumo squat may appear straightforward, but it has numerous advantages for the muscles and joints in your lower body. What you should know is as follows.
IMPROVES INTERNAL THIGHS According to Partida, a sumo squat helps target your inner thigh muscles, also known as the hip adductors, because of the wide stance required. ICYDK, the hip adductors also include the gracilis, obturator externus, adductor longus, and adductor magnus. What is the major job of the muscle group? to stabilize the lower body. You may get lower back pain if they aren’t strong enough to offer that support, NASM-certified personal trainer Leigha VandenToorn, C.S.C.S., P.P.S.C. previously warned Shape.
While you can execute reverse clamshells on the floor or use the hip adductor machine at the gym to target those inner thigh muscles, Partida notes that these exercises are isolation exercises because they only use one muscle group and one joint. Contrarily, a sumo squat is a complex exercise that works a variety of muscles (such as your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps) and joints. As a result, according to Partida, adding sumo squats to your regimen will give you considerably more value for your money.
HIP FLEXOR TIGHTNESS IS RELIEVED According to Partida, there is a considerable likelihood that your hip flexors feel really tight if you work at a desk from 9 to 5 every single day. The discomfort may seem to be nothing to worry about, but when muscles are tight in any part of your body, another muscle group—in the case of tight hip flexors, the lower back—may overcompensate, putting additional strain on the healthy muscles, according to a previous interview with Amanda Butler from the fitness app Onyx The good news is that, according to Partida, performing a few sets of sumo squats helps loosen up those muscles. She says, “This is a terrific movement just to open those hips up.” “For the individual who sits at their desk all day, doing a bodyweight sumo squat and holding it at the bottom, just to get that nice, good stretch, for anywhere between 12 to 15 reps will be a terrific variety.”
LOWERS THE PRESSURE ON THE KNEES According to Partida, sumo squats are easier on the knee joint than regular squats. It relieves pressure on the knee itself because “you’re getting so many more muscle groups moving, especially those inner thighs,” she says. “I like to employ this movement for folks who have knee pain because of that,” According to Partida, it’s also simpler to restrict your range of motion in a sumo squat than in a standard squat, so people with knee problems won’t have to worry about squatting too low to feel comfortable.
SUMO SQUAT MUSCLES WERE EFFECTIVE A sumo squat stimulates your glutes in addition to your hip adductors and hip flexors, especially the glute medius and glute minimus muscles that are in charge of twisting your leg inward and away from the center of your body, according to Partida. (FTR, she explains that a typical squat will largely work your glute maximus.) Since your toes are flared out, Partida adds, “you’re also going to get a little bit more calf work compared to your normal-stance squat.” According to Mariotti, performing the exercise will also work your quadriceps, hamstrings, and core.
SUMO SQUAT CHANGES You have options if you try the traditional sumo squat and find that it’s not for you.
SUMO SQUAT WITH ISOMETRIC HOLD MODIFICATION Try adding an isometric hold if you’re not yet ready to do the sumo squat in its entirety repeatedly, advises Mariotti. She says you’ll lower into the squat and hold that posture for approximately 30 seconds rather than lowering into a squat, pressing back up to standing, and repeating the process about a dozen or so times. Before introducing dynamic movement, this change will help you get accustomed with the right approach, according to her.
SUMO SQUAT WITH OVERHEAD PRESS: PROGRESS Are you prepared to advance the bodyweight sumo squat? Partida advises slowing down your repetitions, pausing briefly at the bottom to lengthen the time under stress, or jumping as you stand back up to test your power. She advises holding a dumbbell in front of your chest in a goblet position to increase strength if you have one on hand. Alternately, you can imitate Mariotti and perform an overhead press while squatting. There is “an extra” stability “challenge” when you are pressing the weight overhead, according to Mariotti. “You’ll use your core and abdominal power to press from that position, and it’s going to put a little bit more resistance on your hips.”
A FEW USUAL SUMO SQUAT MISTAKES Remember to keep your kneecaps in line with your big toes as you drop into your squat and avoid having your knees cave inward, advises Partida, since this helps to prevent joint inflammation. Additionally, she advises not curving your lower back or leaning forward because these postures could indicate weak core muscles or tight or restricted hip flexors. If so, incorporate core-strengthening exercises and hip flexor stretches into your regimen to aid with those problems and improve your sumo squat form.
SUMO SQUATS: HOW TO ADD THEM TO YOUR ROUTINE Sumo squats are beneficial for everyone, but Mariotti notes that those with lower back problems may find the exercise particularly helpful because it doesn’t require as much of a hip bend as a typical squat does, which relieves pressure on the lower back. Partida adds that since sumo is a leg-heavy sport, runners might wish to incorporate some sumo squats into their program. She continues, “Just to help free up those hips, sumo squats would be quite beneficial for runners. According to Partida, pregnant people may find the sumo squat to be more comfortable than the standard squat because there is more room for their expanding stomachs.
According to Partida, there aren’t many big warning signs associated with the sumo squat, and most people may practice without incident. However, before trying the workout, make sure you obtain the go-ahead from your physical therapist or healthcare provider if you recently had an accident or surgery on your hips or knees, advises the expert.
Partida suggests including sumo squats into your workout regimen at least once a week, whether using only your bodyweight or dumbbells, barbells, and other equipment, due to the benefits the exercise offers for your joints and lower-body strength. Partida advises starting with three sets of 10 to 15 reps and modifying from there even though the precise number of reps and sets you should accomplish depends on your goals, experience level, and other factors. Your legs will thank you for having faith.
Artist and photographer Jenna Brillhart
Rachel Mariotti is a fitness model and expert.
Clothing: SET Active
