Should I continue with sumo? Or stay conventional?

[Kgkle]

I recently hit a major goal of mine in the conventional deadlift and I got board with it the last few deadlift sessions. So today I tried sumo for the first time in 5 years and hit a 1 rep of 495.

Just curious if i should try sumo out for a bit or continue with conventional?

 

[Mac11wildcat]

I recently hit a major goal of mine in the conventional deadlift and I got board with it the last few deadlift sessions. So today I tried sumo for the first time in 5 years and hit a 1 rep of 495.

Just curious if i should try sumo out for a bit or continue with conventional?

Why not both?

Are you a strength athlete or just training for physique/strength in your daily life?

 

[Kgkle]

Why not both?

Are you a strength athlete or just training for physique/strength in your daily life?

I was thinking that could be an option.

I would say both more towards power lifting for sure though.

 

[Mac11wildcat]

If it’s for physique building, they’ll both have their uses. For strength/competition, focus on the stronger one with the other as an accessory.

 

[Kgkle]

If it’s for physique building, they’ll both have their uses. For strength/competition, focus on the stronger one with the other as an accessory.

Okay Thanks, that makes a lot of sense actually. I’ll keep training my conventional and see how far I can push the sumo!!

 

[weighted chinup]

Sumo is great for glute development - glutes can get a lot of size from higher intensity and heavier poundages (6rm for example) - there just aren't a lot of movements that are conducive to using such heavy working weights for glutes on - but sumo stance deadlifts are one of them.

Even if you get less upper back development from making the switch, you will still get fantastic posterior chain development and can address upper back development with other movements.

Because of that, you should pick the stance that works best with your leverages and mechanics and don't look back.

 

[Kgkle]

Sumo is great for glute development - glutes can get a lot of size from higher intensity and heavier poundages (6rm for example) - there just aren't a lot of movements that are conducive to using such heavy working weights for glutes on - but sumo stance deadlifts are one of them.

Even if you get less upper back development from making the switch, you will still get fantastic posterior chain development and can address upper back development with other movements.

Because of that, you should pick the stance that works best with your leverages and mechanics and don't look back.

Yeah that’s one reason why I want to train sumo I have an ass but compared to the rest of my body it’s definitely lacking. I will continue doing conventional as well because I like the full back development I get from it.

 

[weighted chinup]

Yeah that’s one reason why I want to train sumo I have an ass but compared to the rest of my body it’s definitely lacking. I will continue doing conventional as well because I like the full back development I get from it.

If you are primarily focused on body composition you can alternate on a 4-week basis using mesocycles. This gives you the benefit of variety, a new lift selection to pr in regularly to keep from ever stagnating, and by changing rep ranges you get the benefit of phasic potentiation for the next 4-week mesocycle.

Example:

Deadlift Mesocycle 1:
Weeks 1-4
Sumo Deadlift 6RM
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

Deadlift Mesocycle 2:
Weeks 5-9
Conventional Deadlift 10RM
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

Deadlift Mesocycle 3:
Weeks 10-14
Rack Deads for high-intensity metabolic stress work
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

 

[Kgkle]

If you are primarily focused on body composition you can alternate on a 4-week basis using mesocycles. This gives you the benefit of variety, a new lift selection to pr in regularly to keep from ever stagnating, and by changing rep ranges you get the benefit of phasic potentiation for the next 4-week mesocycle.

Example:

Deadlift Mesocycle 1:
Weeks 1-4
Sumo Deadlift 6RM
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

Deadlift Mesocycle 2:
Weeks 5-9
Conventional Deadlift 10RM
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

Deadlift Mesocycle 3:
Weeks 10-14
Rack Deads for high-intensity metabolic stress work
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

i do deadlifts 2-3 times a week any way so it’s not going to be a problem

 

[Kgkle]

If you are primarily focused on body composition you can alternate on a 4-week basis using mesocycles. This gives you the benefit of variety, a new lift selection to pr in regularly to keep from ever stagnating, and by changing rep ranges you get the benefit of phasic potentiation for the next 4-week mesocycle.

Example:

Deadlift Mesocycle 1:
Weeks 1-4
Sumo Deadlift 6RM
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

Deadlift Mesocycle 2:
Weeks 5-9
Conventional Deadlift 10RM
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

Deadlift Mesocycle 3:
Weeks 10-14
Rack Deads for high-intensity metabolic stress work
Start at minimum effective volume
End 4-week cycle at maximum effective volume

And I am concerned about body composition but I am more in the realm of power lifting. I just try to look as good as I can but my lifts are priority.

 

[Test_Subject]

Both. Like @weighted chinup said, you can swap between the lifts every meso cycle. There's enough carryover that prioritizing one or the other for a month or so won't make the other style suffer.

Just realize that sumo is most posterior chain dominant and conventional involves more back. Throw in more back work during sumo cycles and more posterior work during conventional cycles and you'll stay balanced out.