Intermediate

Sumo Squat

Taking a wide stance with the toes flared shifts a squat's demand toward the adductors and glutes while still training the quads. Holding a dumbbell or kettlebell between the legs keeps it accessible and lets you load the pattern that carries over to lateral strength and hip mobility. It is a staple for building the inner thigh alongside the glutes.

Body part
Glutes, Thighs
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Squat
Muscles worked
Target
Adductor Longus, Adductor Magnus, Gluteus Maximus
Secondary
Vastus Lateralis, Rectus Femoris
Tertiary
Erector Spinae

How to do it

  1. 1

    Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width and toes turned out about thirty degrees.

  2. 2

    Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically at arm's length between your thighs.

  3. 3

    Brace your core and keep your chest tall.

  4. 4

    Sit down between your hips, driving your knees out over your toes.

  5. 5

    Descend until your thighs are about parallel, feeling a stretch in the inner thighs.

  6. 6

    Drive through your heels and squeeze your glutes to stand back up.

Tips

  • Track your knees out in line with your toes; do not let them cave inward.
  • Keep your torso upright rather than folding forward like a conventional squat.
  • Point your toes out enough that the depth feels natural on your hips.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Letting the dumbbell drift forward of the ankles, which pulls you into a hinge and moves the work to the low back. Keep it hanging plumb under the hips so the load stays over the mid-foot.
  • Going so wide that the heels roll out and only the outer edges of the feet stay down. The adductors have nothing solid to push against, and the ankles take the load instead.
  • Turning the feet out but leaving the knees pointing straight ahead. The twist then lands in the knee joint rather than opening the hip, which is what the wide stance is for.
  • Stopping the descent above the point where the inner thighs actually lengthen. Without that stretch at the bottom you are doing a narrow-range squat with a wide stance.
  • Cutting reps short because the dumbbell hits the floor. Stand on two low plates or switch to a kettlebell with a taller handle rather than shortening the range to fit the weight.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the sumo squat should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three sets of ten to fifteen suits this one, because the load hangs from the hands and the adductors respond well to moderate reps. The weight is right when the last two reps slow down but your knees still track out over the toes. When grip becomes the reason you stop, hold the same dumbbell against your chest instead of between the legs, or split the work into more sets of ten.
What can I do instead of the sumo squat if I have no dumbbell or kettlebell?
Do the same wide stance with your hands clasped at the chest and add a two-second hold at the bottom, which loads the adductors without any weight. A loaded backpack held against the chest works well as a substitute, as does a band under both feet with the ends held at the shoulders. If you have a single dumbbell but it is too light, slow the descent to four seconds rather than looking for a heavier one.
What is the sumo squat good for and when should I skip it?
It trains the adductors and glutes alongside the quads, which builds inner-thigh strength that a narrow squat mostly skips and carries over to anything involving side-to-side movement. Use it as an accessory or a second leg exercise. Skip it if a wide, toes-out position pinches the front of the hip or aggravates a groin strain, and do not expect it to replace a conventional squat for overall leg strength, since the hanging load caps what you can carry.

Related exercises

Other movements among FitRay's 2,000+ exercises that load the same target muscle — same equipment and level first.

All Glutes exercises