Smith Sumo Deadlift

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Position yourself in the center of the Smith machine with your feet in a wide stance, toes pointed outward at roughly 45 degrees.
2. Lower the bar to its lowest setting or use weight plates on the floor to ensure the bar starts at mid-shin height.
3. Grip the bar with hands shoulder-width apart, positioned inside your knees with an overhand or mixed grip.
4. Hinge at the hips and bend your knees until your shins are nearly touching the bar, keeping your chest lifted.

How to do it

1. Inhale to create intra-abdominal pressure, brace your core, and pull the slack out of the bar.
2. Exhale as you drive through your heels, extending your hips and knees simultaneously to stand upright in a smooth, controlled motion.
3. Squeeze your glutes hard at the top of the movement, ensuring you do not hyperextend your lower back.
4. Inhale as you lower the bar back to the starting position by hinging at the hips and allowing the knees to bend once the bar passes them.

Form checklist

• Keep your spine neutral and back flat throughout the entire range of motion.
• Ensure your knees track in the same direction as your toes to prevent valgus collapse.
• Keep your weight distributed through your heels and mid-foot, not your toes.
• Maintain a 'proud chest' to prevent the upper back and shoulders from rounding forward.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'spreading the floor' with your feet as you drive upward to maximize glute and adductor recruitment.
• Think of the movement as a leg press against the floor rather than a pull with your arms.
• Maintain a vertical torso as much as possible to shift the emphasis from the lower back to the hips and legs.

Make it harder

• Perform the exercise from a deficit by standing on a low platform or weight plates to increase the range of motion and hip flexion.
• Add a 2-second pause at the mid-point of the concentric phase to increase time under tension and eliminate momentum.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the smith sumo deadlift work?

The smith sumo deadlift primarily targets the calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius, and also works the erector spinae and obliques as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the smith sumo deadlift?

The smith sumo deadlift uses smith machine and weight plate.

Is the smith sumo deadlift good for beginners?

The smith sumo deadlift is rated intermediate. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.

Related exercises

• Barbell Band Assisted DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Paused Sumo DeadliftAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Dumbbell Single Arm DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Kettlebell Double SwingAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, and trapezius