Stand with a wide, turned-out stance and lower your hips into a barbell squat; the movement primarily works the quadriceps with strong involvement from the glutes and hamstrings.
How to do the Barbell Sumo Squat#
- Place the barbell across your upper back and step feet wider than shoulder-width with toes angled outward.
- Brace your core and lift your chest to maintain a neutral spine.
- Bend hips and knees to descend, sitting back between your legs until your thighs reach about parallel to the floor.
- Keep your knees tracking in line with your toes and keep weight through your heels.
- Drive through the heels and extend hips and knees to return to the starting upright position.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Quads (Quadriceps Femoris), Glutes (Gluteus Maximus), Adductors (Adductor Magnus, Longus & Brevis (Hip Adductors))
- Secondary: Hamstrings (Biceps Femoris, Semitendinosus & Semimembranosus), Calves (Gastrocnemius & Soleus), Abs (Rectus Abdominis), Lower back (Erector Spinae)
Common mistakes#
- Allowing the knees to collapse inward.
- Shifting weight onto the toes instead of keeping it through the heels.
- Rounding or excessively leaning the torso forward.
- Using a stance that is too narrow for a sumo position.
