Why Sumo Squats? + Types and Benefits
Maybe you’re tired of doing regular bodybuilding exercises and are looking for a unique way to strengthen your lower torso muscles .
It’s time to elevate your workout by making a few minor changes to your routine. The sumo squat is an amazing variation that refreshes squat movements.
The various aspects of the sumo squat engage and work the inner thigh and Glute muscles; you may not think much about your inner thighs in traditional squats, but believe me, after getting acquainted with sumo squats, you won’t be able to resist this golden opportunity.
We’re going to delve into the details of the sumo squat and its variations.

What is a Sumo Squat?
A sumo squat is a multi-joint exercise suitable for the lower torso. This exercise targets the lower body muscles and utilizes various auxiliary tools such as dumbbells, Smith machines, and kettlebells. The sumo squat is a powerful activity that can be effectively performed by all bodybuilders, including beginners.
The reason for naming this movement “Sumo” is that it resembles a variation of a traditional Squat, performed with the legs positioned wider apart, similar to the stance of professional Japanese wrestlers.
It is important to note that this is one of the most common exercises for strengthening the lower body muscles. By learning the correct technique for performing sumo squats and incorporating them into your routine, you can achieve significant progress.
Sumo Squat at a Glance
Sumo squat | Name of movement |
Medium to professional | Level |
Gluteal muscles,hamstring, inner thigh | Muscles involved |
Strength training | Exercise Type |
Dumbbell, barbell | Equipment required |

Muscles Involved in Sumo Squats
Sumo squat is a powerful movements that focuses on the muscles of the lower body. The important muscles involved in this movement include the quadriceps. However, given the overall movement, it’s also important to note that the hip adductors, the central core muscles, and the hamstrings are engaged.
In addition to these muscle groups, the sumo squat also involves the tiny lower back and quadriceps muscles.
Where do we start with Sumo Squats?
- First, spread your legs upright and slightly wider than shoulder width, so that the extension of your toes makes a 45-degree angle. Note: your legs should be about 30 centimeters wider than your shoulders.
- Get into a squat position by bending at your hips and knees, lowering yourself into a sitting position. Keep your chest up and push your knees outward. Lower yourself in a controlled manner until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- In the next step, turn your back to the first position and stand. When performing sumo squats, ensure that your feet do not lift off the floor and that your lower back remains straight.

Sumo Squats and How to Perform Them
1. Sumo Squat Movement with Dumbbells
Sumo squats may not have the desired effect on the thighs and gluteal muscles without lifting weights and may not cause enough fatigue or engagement in these muscles.
In this situation, it’s time to use dumbbells for practice. To perform this type, hold the weight with both hands in front of the body and lower it towards the ground.
The Sumo squat with dumbbells is a powerful and practical movement to strengthen the muscles of the lower torso, especially the thighs and buttocks. This movement focuses on the inner muscles of the thigh and buttocks by adjusting the width of the feet and the angle of the toes compared to the standard squat.
Muscles Involved
- Quadriceps
- Glutes (including large, medium, and small muscles)
- Hamstrings
- Adductors (inner thigh muscles)
- Core muscles (including the abdomen and back for balance)
How to Execute the Movement
- Stand upright.
- Spread your legs about twice the width of your shoulders and bend your knees slightly
- Ensure your toes are facing forward.
- Place your hands under the belt line, holding the appropriate dumbbells for your situation.
- As you perform the movement, lower your upper body and pause until you reach a 90-degree angle at the knee.
- Return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement.

2. Sumo Squat Move with Kettlebell
If you want to use a kettlebell to perform your sumo squat movement, you need to easily integrate your activity by rotating the kettlebell.
In this situation, your standing position changes from the previous position, meaning that your legs should be slightly more open than before.
This adjustment focuses more on the inner thigh muscles, similar to a normal sumo squat movement, but with a more intense effect on the thigh area.
How to Execute the Movement
- To perform the sumo squat with a kettlebell, stand with your legs slightly wider than pelvic width, ensuring your knees are close to 90 degrees
- Grab the kettlebell from above with both hands, making sure you feel the pressure in your arms.
- Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat position, bringing the kettlebell down towards the ground.
- Keep your heels pressed to the ground and push back up. – You can repeat the sumo squat with a kettlebell for 3 sets of 20 repetitions each
Tip: Try to keep your feet perfectly straight and avoid letting your toes come up. You may need to slightly twist your legs.
3. Sumo Squat with Jump
If you don’t have weights for the sumo squat, you can still achieve good results. Your thighs will feel the pressure and engage well.
You can perform the sumo squat movement with a jump. In this case, instead of returning to a standing position, you go back into an explosive position and don’t jump straight up. Finally, you land softly and enter another squat.
4. Sumo Squat with Dumbbells on the Step
Sumo squats with dumbbells and steps are a very effective movement to strengthen the lower muscles in the body, especially the inner thighs and buttocks. This exercise uses a step to expand the range of motion and intensify the activity. To perform the exercise, follow the procedure below:
- First, prepare two steps or boards to move on.
- Ensure the distance between the steps is greater than the width of your shoulders
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands in the middle of your body and stand perfectly straight on the step.
- Note that the distance between your legs should be greater than the width of your shoulders, your knees should be slightly bent, and your toes should point outward.
- Your hands should remain motionless while doing this exercise.
- Slowly bend your knees and lower yourself until the dumbbell is near the ground.
- Now return to the starting position .
5. Sumo Squat with Isometric Dumbbells
A sumo squat with isometric dumbbells is an exercise designed to engage the lower muscles of the body in a fixed position.
To perform this exercise, hold the dumbbell with both hands and spread your legs wider than shoulder-width apart, ensuring that your toes are pointed outward.
Slowly lower your body until your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, holding this position for a few seconds.
This is known as isometric posture, which enhances the activation of the internal muscles of the thighs and buttocks. Ultimately, this exercise strengthens these muscles, helps improve muscle endurance, and promotes fat loss in the lower torso.

6. Smith Machine Sumo Squat
The sumo Smith machine squat is an effective exercise for strengthening the lower body muscles.
This exercise is performed using the Smith machine, where the barbell is on the rails. The legs are positioned wider apart, with the toes pointed outward. First, keep your back straight and your knees aligned with your toes, then slowly lower your body until your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor.
After that, slowly return to a standing position. The use of the Smith machine helps maintain proper body alignment and increases tension on the inner muscles of the buttocks and thighs. This movement contributes to muscle strengthening, improves endurance, and reduces fat in the lower body.
7. Sumo Squat Plate
The sumo squat movement with a plate is an effective exercise that utilizes a weight plate. This activity is recommended for strengthening the lower body muscles, particularly the thighs and buttocks.
To perform the sumo squat with a plate, hold the weightlifting plate with both hands and position your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Note: Turn your toes outward, then lower your body with your back straight, ensuring that your thighs are parallel to the floor. Maintain this position for a few seconds, and then return to a standing position with control. This movement helps strengthen the target muscles in sumo exercises and improves endurance.
8. Landmine Sumo Squat
The landmine sumo squat is a specialized exercise designed to effectively strengthen the lower torso muscles and is performed using a dumbbell or barbell. In this movement, your feet should be wider than shoulder-width apart, and your toes should point outward.
To get started, hold the barbell or dumbbell with both hands and lower it right in front of your body.
Then, while maintaining a straight back and keeping your knees aligned, slowly lower yourself until your thighs are approximately parallel to the floor.
Finally, return to a standing position with control. This movement helps strengthen your inner thighs, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles while also increasing your strength and endurance.

What are the benefits of Sumo Squats?
So far, we’ve talked about sumo squats and their variants, but what is the special benefit of doing these exercises over the normal variant?
You should know that squat exercises have many benefits for the body. The sumo type, in addition to having all the characteristics of a normal squat, offers other important benefits. The following are the specific benefits of sumo squat training.
Strengthens the adductor Muscles
One of the most important advantages of sumo squat movements is the effective strengthening of the adductor muscles.
In normal squat exercises, most of the external muscles of the thigh are involved, but since the internal muscles of the thigh also need to be engaged and strengthened, sumo exercises focus on empowering these internal muscles. You can also shape them by doing these exercises, in addition to strengthening the inner thigh muscles.
It has a Fixation feature
When you plan to do sumo squat exercises, it is necessary to focus on the stable state of your body.
Therefore, both the upper and lower torso are properly engaged to maintain your balance. By doing the exercise, the upper and lower muscles are stabilized, allowing you to work effectively on them. In addition, it becomes easier for you to maintain balance.
Resistance increase
During the sumo squat activity, your body’s resistance increases. This exercise combines strength and power movements, leading to an overall increase in resistance.
It prevents Knee Pain
Knee pain may sometimes occur during the squat movement.
The sumo squat places less pressure on the knees due to the wide stance while also strengthening the muscles that support the knee joints. It is essential to ensure that your toes are slightly pointed outward and that your knees are aligned over your toes.

Golden Tips for the correct Execution of the Sumo Squat
- Pay attention to the correct position. The legs should be in a wide position, approximately twice the width of the shoulders, but not so wide that you cannot squat. Also, make sure your toes are slightly outward at a 45-degree angle. The smaller this angle is, and if your knees begin to sink, the more your body may come out of the form of the sumo squat.
- Do not allow the knees to bend inward. Even with a steady leg position, you may notice that your knees are creeping inward as you descend. To prevent this from happening, imagine that you are standing on a piece of paper. Think about removing the paper with your feet and sticking it to the floor. Focus on pushing your knees out when you exit the squat.
- Focus on Strengthening the Core The sumo squat exercise puts less pressure on the back than the regular squat, but you still need to keep your muscles properly tight. If you notice that your back is arching or your chest is falling, make sure to breathe deeply. Contract your core and hold the air in to form a strong midline while squatting. When you finish the squat motion, you can release the air.

Sumo Squats or regular Squats? Which is better?
Sumo squats and regular squats are both effective exercises suitable for strengthening the muscles of the lower torso. There is, of course, a fundamental difference between the two: the stance. It can be said that sumo squats are superior to regular squats because they target the inner thigh muscles that are barely engaged in regular squats.
During regular squat training, these muscles are not given much attention, while they can improve hip joint mobility and put less pressure on the knees.
Of course, sumo squats are beneficial, but they’re not easy! The wide stance requires strong foundational movement and proper core engagement for upper body stability, and it may take some time to get used to the technique.
What is a Goblet Squat and how is it different from a Sumo Squat ?
The goblet squat is a multi-joint movement designed to strengthen the lower torso muscles.
This type of squat is performed with a dumbbell. Do not confuse the goblet squat with the type of dumbbell used; in the goblet squat, a single dumbbell is held with both hands in front of the chest and below the neck. In the goblet squat, the upper torso does not lean forward, which means the focus is primarily on the quadriceps.
This is why this exercise is highly effective for forefoot movements.
The goblet squat also places good pressure on the glute muscles, making it suitable for targeting the buttocks.
Lower torso muscles such as hamstrings and calves, as well as mid-torso muscles, are engaged during the exercise. One of the advantages of goblet squat training over other types of squat movements is that it is easier for beginner athletes or bodybuilders with back problems.

Conclusion
As mentioned in this article, if you expect to make significant progress in the inner thighs (adductors) and wide transverse muscles, which are considered the largest and most powerful quadriceps, you need to replace the usual type of sumo squat.
Sumo squats effectively target the muscles of the inner thighs, hamstrings, buttocks, and legs, leading to strengthening and improving their performance.
Include this useful movement in your exercise routine, taking into account the points and considerations discussed regarding the correct execution of the squat.