Sumo Deadlift High Pull

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Stand with feet in a wide 'sumo' stance, toes pointed slightly out, with the barbell positioned over your mid-foot.
2. Hinge at the hips and grip the bar with a narrow overhand grip, hands approximately 6-8 inches apart inside your knees.
3. Flatten your back, drop your hips, and lift your chest to create tension in the hamstrings and glutes.

How to do it

1. Drive through your heels to explosively extend your hips and knees, keeping the bar close to your shins as it rises.
2. As your hips reach full extension, shrug your shoulders and pull the bar toward your chin, leading with your elbows; exhale forcefully during this phase.
3. At the peak of the movement, ensure your elbows are higher than your wrists and the bar is at collarbone height.
4. Lower the bar back to the floor in a controlled motion, inhaling as you hinge at the hips to return to the starting position.

Form checklist

• Keep the bar as close to your body as possible throughout the entire lift to maintain leverage.
• Ensure your hips fully extend before you begin pulling with your arms to maximize power transfer.
• Maintain a proud chest and neutral spine to protect the lower back from rounding.
• Keep your elbows high and pointed outward at the top of the movement, never letting the wrists rise above the elbows.

Pro tips

• Focus on the 'hip drive'—the power to move the bar should come 80% from your legs and only 20% from your arms.
• Think of the movement as one fluid, whip-like motion rather than two separate exercises to improve efficiency and power output.

Make it harder

• Increase the speed of the eccentric (lowering) phase to improve reactive strength and coordination.
• Add a 1-second pause at the top of the pull to maximize time under tension for the traps and deltoids.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the sumo deadlift high pull work?

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

What equipment do you need for the sumo deadlift high pull?

The sumo deadlift high pull uses barbell and weight plate.

Is the sumo deadlift high pull good for beginners?

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

Related exercises

• Axle DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Clean PullAdvanced · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell DeadliftIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius
• Barbell Deadlift 360 DegreesIntermediate · calves, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and trapezius