Sumo Squat

Description

How to Do Sumo Squat

1. 1
   Setup

   Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointed out at approximately 45 degrees. Ensure your chest is lifted and shoulders are pulled back.

2. 2
   Setup

   Engage your core, keeping your spine neutral, and look straight ahead. Your hands can be clasped in front of your chest or placed on your hips for balance.

3. 3

   Inhale as you begin to descend by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, as if sitting into a chair. Actively push your knees outwards, tracking them over your toes.

4. 4

   Continue lowering until your thighs are parallel to the floor or slightly below, maintaining an upright torso and keeping your weight evenly distributed through your feet.

5. 5

   Exhale and drive powerfully through your heels and the outer edges of your feet to return to the starting position. Squeeze your glutes firmly at the top of the movement.

Tips

• Actively focus on pushing your knees outwards throughout the entire movement to maximize engagement of your inner thighs (adductors) and prevent knee collapse.
• Maintain an upright posture by keeping your chest proud and avoiding any rounding in your upper back, which helps protect your spine and improves muscle targeting.
• For enhanced glute activation, initiate the squat by pushing your hips back slightly before bending your knees, creating a deeper stretch in the glutes.
• Control both the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (lifting) phases of the squat with a steady tempo, rather than rushing, to maximize time under tension for muscle growth.

Common Mistakes

• ×Allowing your knees to cave inward reduces adductor engagement and places undue stress on the knee joint; actively push your knees out to ensure they track in line with your toes.
• ×Rounding your back during the squat compromises spinal safety and shifts tension away from the target muscles; keep your chest lifted and maintain a neutral spine throughout the movement.
• ×Not squatting deep enough limits the full activation of the glutes and quadriceps; ensure your thighs reach at least parallel to the floor, if mobility allows, to achieve a full range of motion.