Squats are a tried-and-true lower body exercise for a good reason: they are simple yet highly effective. By working so many large muscle groups in your legs and core at the same time, squats give you an overall lower body training with just one movement.
But with so many variations of squats, it’s important to know which one is good for which leg muscle. If you want to hit your quads, then you’d opt for front squats; if it’s the entire back of the legs you want to target, then your first choice should be back squats; and if your goal is to hit glutes, then we have sumo squats, which is what this blog will be about.
Sumo squats differ from traditional bodyweight squats in their wider stance, focusing more on your inner thighs and glutes for a deeper lower-body workout. Adding them to your leg workouts is a great way to switch things up and target more of your glutes and inner thighs.
In this blog, we will cover everything about sumo squats for the glutes—from all the muscles targeted, how to do it, the benefits and more.
Table of Contents
- What Are Sumo Squats & What Muscles Do They Work?
- 5 Major Benefits of Doing Sumo Squats
- Are Sumo Squats Good For The Glutes?
- Sumo Squat Position for Glute Maximisation: Steps To Perform
- Expert’s Advice
- The Final Say
- FAQs
- References
What Are Sumo Squats & What Muscles Do They Work?
Sumo squats differ from traditional squats in their wider stance, focusing more on your inner thighs and glutes for a deeper lower-body workout. It is a simple but strong exercise that works for several muscle groups at the same time, making it a compound movement.
Here are all the muscles targetted when doing sumo squats:
1. Quadriceps: A collection of 4 muscles, quadriceps are located on the front of the thighs and are used for extending the legs and helping with movements like walking and jumping. Quadricep exercises like sumo squats help strengthen and develop these muscles, which increases knee stability and reduces the pressure on the knee joints.
2. Hamstrings: Hamstrings, located on the back of the thigh, act as stabilisers during squat sumo, help stabilise the knee and contribute to extending the hip while moving up. By strengthening your hamstrings, activities such as fast walking, running, climbing stairs, sitting and bending down will get easier and less painful.
3. Glutes: The gluteal muscles, including gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and gluteus minimum, are heavily involved in sumo squats and play an important role in hip movement and stabilising the body. Strong glutes help keep everything in your lower body in good condition, including knees, hips and lower back.
4. Adductor: Adductor muscles are found on the inner thighs and help stabilise the hips during sumo squats. As with the other leg muscles, stronger adductors help with everything from walking to getting in and out of the car.
5. Calves: Calf muscles, namely gastrocnemius and soleus, help maintain balance and provide stability during the sumo squat.
6. Core: The core muscles are involved in the stabilisation of the torso during sumo squats. They also play an important role in providing stability and balance during everyday activities, from lifting the laundry basket to standing on your tip-toes to reach the top shelf.
Also Read: How Can I Tone My Flabby Thighs Fast? Know The 25 Best Inner Thigh Exercises
5 Major Benefits of Doing Sumo Squats
Here are all the benefits of sumo squats:
1. Improves Overall Leg Strength
Sumo squats target all your leg muscles — quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves — leading to stronger legs with regular practice.
2. Targets The Neglected Inner Thighs
The wider stance and external positioning of the legs in this exercise shift some focus to the adductors, which are often neglected in many other lower body exercises.
3. Is Lower Back-Friendly
Unlike back and front squats that put pressure on the back and spine, sumo squats focus more on the legs and feet, reducing strain on the lower back and making it a better choice for those with back pain.
4. Improves Hip Flexibility
The wide stance of sumo squats opens up the hips and stretches your inner thighs, which can improve overall flexibility and mobility of the hips. This is especially beneficial for people who sit for a long time.
5. Stabilises The Core Muscles
Sumo squats require one’s core muscles to be active in order to maintain a vertical posture, which increases balance and stability.
Also Read: Implement These 20 Bodyweight Training Exercises For A Good Workout!
Are Sumo Squats Good For The Glutes?
The Gluteus Maximus is the largest body muscle and forms the shape of the buttocks and hips. They’re very important in helping us stand up straight and use our hip mobility.
Sumo squats are considered an excellent glute exercise because their stance places great emphasis on the glute muscles due to increased external hip rotation that supports the entire movement. Compared to conventional squats, sumo squats target the glutes much more.
Also Read: 8 Effective Glute Workouts For Men To Build Strength And Definition
Sumo Squat Position for Glute Maximisation: Steps To Perform
To perform sumo squats, follow these steps:
| Step 1 | Stand on the ground with your feet wider than your shoulder width. Keep your toes pointing out at an angle of about 45 degrees, and hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands in front of the body.
Don’t use weights if you’re a beginner or just warming up. |
Step 2
| Tighten your core and leg muscles to activate them and straighten your spine. This helps keep your back straight. |
| Step 3 | When you bend your knees, push your hips back and lower your body down as if you were sitting on a chair. Hold your chest up and shoulders back, and keep your knees in line with your toes. |
| Step 4 | Lower yourself as low as your flexibility allows without sacrificing your form, but try to make your thighs parallel to the floor. |
| Step 5 | After reaching the bottom of the exercise, press your feet into the ground and lift yourself back to the initial starting position. Focus on pressing the glutes and the femur when you get up. |
| Step 6 | Perform 10-12 repetitions for 3-4 sets, depending on your fitness level. |
Also Read: 20 Best Exercises And Tips For Lower Body Weight Training For Women
Expert’s Advice
If you want to take the maximum advantage of doing sumo squats for your glutes, I recommend getting enough protein in every meal to build those muscles and eating sufficient carbohydrates and fats to keep your body and mind active throughout the exercise and the rest of the day.
Health Expert
Lavina Chauhan
The Final Say
Sumo squats are a strong exercise that adds diversity, intensity and balance to your lower body workouts. By mastering the right form of sumo squats, gradual integration, and increasing weight for exercise, you can be on your way to achieving stronger, more carved legs and calves.
FAQs
1. Are sumo squats good for the glutes?
Yes, sumo squats are one of the best exercises for targeting and building the glutes due to their wide stance and emphasis on hip engagement.
2. Which squat is best for the glutes?
Sumo squats are one of the best squats for glutes. The wide stance and focus on hip engagement target your glutes.
3. Do you press your glutes on the top of the sumo squat?
Yes, a good glute squeeze at the top of the sumo squat is necessary for activating the muscles and maintaining muscle-to-mind connection.
References
- https://row.gymshark.com/blog/article/how-to-do-sumo-squats
- https://www.onepeloton.com/blog/sumo-squat/
- https://backmusclesolutions.com/blogs/the-ql-blawg/sumo-squats-for-glutes?srsltid=AfmBOooERncxTKUN8teEyjMW2B1rD3XRC7YxHGfINMIeuWTNkxll52b8
- https://m.netmeds.com/health-library/post/sumo-squat-benefits-variations-and-how-to-do-it-for-leg-and-calf-strength?srsltid=AfmBOorolZn0gw8dmU-FpMKN8ZH9Ukr2apn7n2envptN9ODjYDFoUhZj
- https://www.hingehealth.com/resources/articles/sumo-squat/
About ToneOp Fit
ToneOp Fit is a platform dedicated to improving and maintaining good health through a comprehensive range of goal-oriented health plans with up to 3 Coach support. With a range of Weight Management, Medical Condition, Detox Plans, and Face Yoga Plans, the app also provides premium health trackers, recipes and health content. Get customised diet, fitness, naturopathy & yoga plans and transform yourself with ToneOp.
