Benefits of Sumo Squats for Men

The sumo squat is actually a variation of the weighted squat! We can turn it into a widened squat with weights, which is called a sumo-style weighted squat because it resembles the Japanese sumo stance! So what are the differences between sumo squats and regular weighted squats? In other words, what are its characteristics? To summarize, here are the 2 biggest advantages of the sumo squat.

Advantages of sumo squats:

1. Thighs: Sumo squats that widen the stance (increase hip abduction) will fully activate your thighs! Compared with ordinary weight-bearing squats, sumo squats are more stimulating to the thigh roots. 2. Buttocks: Widening the stance will give you a greater hip flexion angle and a smaller plantar flexion angle, and will significantly create a greater hip extension position. The hip joint puts more pressure on the knee joint, and the strength of the kneecap participation is reduced! This will provide your butt with greater stimulation!

A Spanish study pointed out that when squatting with weights, widening the gluteus maximus will cause more stimulation. When performing weight-bearing squats, choose a width of 140% to 150% of shoulder width, which allows greater hip movement, which not only activates the buttocks, but also allows you to squat lower. However, sumo squats require more abdominal flexibility than traditional weight-bearing squats. One very important thing when performing sumo squats is: pay attention to keeping the knees and heels in the same plane (the ends of the knee joints are aligned with the toes (2nd to 3rd)), because after widening the stance, the knee joints are more likely to tilt inward.

When there is not enough hip mobility to push the knee joint outwards and align the toes, unnecessary pressure will appear on the inner side of the knee and cause knee injury! Therefore, sometimes this is not a technical problem, but maybe the hip joint is not mobile enough and the body is not ready yet. When performing the movement, imagine your feet digging into the ground like a corkscrew! Stretch out the road or stretch the ground. I tried hard to stretch the ground from my feet, calves, thighs and buttocks, but my feet were not really moving.