When talking about back squats, the two most popular variations are the Standard Back Squat and the Sumo Back Squat. But which one is better and what is the difference?

Sumo Squat Vs. Standard Squat Key Differences:

The Standard Squat is performed by placing feet shoulder width apart, or slightly wider, positioning the bar somewhere in-between the top of the trapezius muscle and top of the rhomboid, and, starting with the hips, squatting down to about a 90 degree bend at the knees, or whenever your thighs become parallel with the ground. The movement should never force your knees to go forward past your toes as this puts major stress on your knee joints and leads to injury. The Sumo Squat is performed by placing feet much wider and pointing the toes outward at a 45 degree angle. The bar is still positioned somewhere between the top of the trapezius muscle and top of the rhomboid, and the motion, starting with the hips, is brought down to about a 90 degree bend at the knees, or when your thighs become parallel with the ground. The Sumo Squat will place much less strain on the knees and is almost impossible to force the knees beyond the front of the toes.

Target Muscles Worked:

Both variations of squats will mainly involve the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, flexors, calves, and low back. However, the Sumo Squat puts more emphasis on the adductor muscles (inner thighs) and the glutes while putting less stress on the low back.

And the Winner Is….

Based on the information provided above, one may logically choose the Sumo Squat over the Standard Squat due to the slight benefits of the Sumo including, less stress on the knees, less stress on the low back and more beneficial for building glutes and adductors. In my personal experience, both variations are important to keep in a weekly routine. While the Sumo Squat is the cornerstone of my back squat routine, I still use the Standard Squat often to make sure my body is always improving in multiple areas. Although I don’t believe in removing the standard squat completely from any routine, it is a true fact that the Sumo Squat will build the Standard Squat, but the Standard will NOT build the Sumo.

For further information on how to implement the Sumo and Standard squat into your weekly routine, check out my article on “Squat Every Day” in the Power section of the blogs.

Article by: OFG Trainer Joe Kendall