Barbell Sumo Deadlift From Blocks

1. Set up a barbell on lifting blocks so it sits a few inches above standard floor height.
2. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder width and toes turned out at roughly a 30 to 45 degree angle.
3. Bend at the hips and knees to grip the bar with your hands inside your legs, close to shoulder width.
4. Drop your hips down, pull your chest up, and set a neutral, braced spine before you pull.
5. Push your knees out in line with your toes and drive through your heels and midfoot to break the bar off the blocks.
6. Extend your hips and knees together, keeping the bar close to your body as you stand up tall.
7. Lock out by squeezing your glutes at the top without leaning back excessively.
8. Lower the bar back down to the blocks with control, resetting your position fully before the next rep.

Common Mistakes

• Starting with rounded shoulders: Letting the upper back round before the pull begins compromises the brace throughout the lift. Pull your chest up and set your lats tight before breaking the bar off the blocks.
• Knees caving inward on the drive: A wide sumo stance makes the knees vulnerable to collapsing inward under load. Actively push the knees out over the toes the entire pull.
• Hips shooting up before the chest: Letting the hips rise faster than the chest turns the pull into a stiff-leg movement and dumps stress onto the lower back. Drive the chest and hips up together.
• Setting the blocks too high: Blocks set too tall shorten the range so much that the exercise stops training useful strength. Keep the elevation modest, just enough to remove the hardest part of the floor pull.