Sumo deadlift is a style of deadlift where the feet are positioned at a wide stance, but that width can vary; the main intent is that your arms reach directly downward and knees and feet are outside your grip. The main benefit for pulling sumo style is that the barbell does not have to travel as far vertically as it would in a conventional deadlift motion.

For most athletes, choosing to pull a conventional or sumo deadlift as your main lifting style (in either competition or training) is largely based on your anatomy, mobility and comfort. It is also a great accessory movement for your deadlift even if you do not use sumo deadlifts in competition. Meaning, if you are a conventional deadlifter, using a sumo as an accessory can (and will) strengthen your deadlift! Be sure to check with a Coach as some federations may not allow sumo deadlifts in competition. However, at Habit, we find that training both sumo and conventional is a great asset to your deadlift growth.

Set your feet. Begin with your feet outside of shoulder width. Some stances will be wider than others depending on mobility and anatomy.

Rotate feet out. Duck your toes out to ensure that your knee path will push outwards and stay over your ankles at the bottom position. This also helps to prevent your knees from caving inward.
Push hips back + bend knee. Push your hips back and bend your knees, making sure you keep your knee path traveling to the point where they are perpendicular with the floor and directly above your ankles.
Hinge your torso. Let your torso hinge over until you can reach the bar. Make sure while doing this you are pushing your chest out, toward the barbell.
Hands below shoulders. When reaching down and grabbing the barbell, you want to place your hands directly under your shoulders. This will make your arms the longest they can be and make the barbell travel the least amount of distance off the floor, making your sumo deadlift more efficient.
Engage your lats. Keep your shoulder blades pulled back and squeeze your lats to keep your back in a flat position. Build tension in your core with your breath to assist in stabilizing.
Big breath + pull. Build tension in your core with your breath (a big, diaphragmatic breath) to assist in stabilizing. When pulling, do not yank or jerk the barbell. The movement should be smooth, but quick.
Stand + squeeze. Once the barbell is ascending, start pushing the hips forward to reach the full standing position and squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement.
Retrace your steps. The barbell descent should follow the exact same path as when you picked it up in reverse. Begin with hips back and control the bar to the floor.