10 Best Barbell Sumo Deadlift Alternatives for Glute Strength
If you can't do the Barbell Sumo Deadlift, pick movements that reproduce the wide-stance hip-drive and adductor contribution. Strong substitutes include trap-bar deadlift, Romanian deadlift, barbell hip thrust, dumbbell sumo deadlift, and Bulgarian split squat. Cue a firm hip hinge, squeeze the glutes at lockout, and maintain a neutral spine.
Original Exercise: Barbell Sumo Deadlift
How to Perform Barbell Sumo Deadlift
- Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing outwards.
- Place a barbell on the ground in front of you, centered between your feet.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips, keeping your back straight and chest up, to grip the barbell with an overhand grip.
- Engage your core and drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
- As you lift, keep your chest up and back straight, and push your hips forward to fully engage your glutes.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back down to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Best Barbell Sumo Deadlift Alternatives
1. Barbell Rack Pull
96% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Set up a barbell on a rack at knee height.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outwards.
- Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees, pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position by bending at the hips and knees.
2. Barbell Deadlift
94.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower your torso and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and chest lifted as you drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.
- As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.
- Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
3. Barbell One Arm Side Deadlift
86.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in one hand with an overhand grip.
- Keep your back straight and your core engaged.
- Bend at the hips and lower the barbell towards the outside of your leg, keeping your arm straight and your chest up.
- Lower the barbell as far as you can while maintaining good form.
- Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the starting position.
4. Dumbbell Deadlift
85.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing forward.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body, arms extended downwards.
- Bend at your hips and knees, lowering the dumbbells towards the ground while keeping your back straight.
- Push through your heels and extend your hips and knees, lifting the dumbbells back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
5. Cable Deadlift
84.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at the hips and knees, lowering your torso until your back is parallel to the ground.
- Grasp the cable handles with an overhand grip, keeping your arms straight and your shoulders back.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to lift the cable handles, extending your hips and standing up straight.
- Pause for a moment at the top, then slowly lower the cable handles back down to the starting position.
6. Barbell Hip Thrust
81.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin seated on the ground with a bench directly behind you. Have a loaded barbell over your legs. Using a fat bar or having a pad on the bar can greatly reduce the discomfort caused by this exercise.
- Roll the bar so that it is directly above your hips, and lean back against the bench so that your shoulder blades are near the top of it.
- Begin the movement by driving through your feet, extending your hips vertically through the bar. Your weight should be supported by your shoulder blades and your feet. Extend as far as possible, then reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
7. Barbell Stiff Leg Good Morning
81.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Hold the barbell across your upper back, resting it on your traps.
- Keeping your back straight, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your glutes back.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Engage your glutes and hamstrings to return to the starting position.
8. Dumbbell Clean
81.1% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
- Bend your knees and lower your hips into a squat position, keeping your back straight and chest up.
- Explosively extend your hips and knees, driving through your heels to jump off the ground.
- As you jump, shrug your shoulders and pull the dumbbells up towards your shoulders, keeping them close to your body.
- Catch the dumbbells at shoulder height, with your elbows pointing forward and your palms facing up.
9. Axle Deadlift
80% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Approach the bar so that it is centered over your feet. You feet should be about hip width apart. Bend at the hip to grip the bar at shoulder width, allowing your shoulder blades to protract. Typically, you would use an over/under grip.
- With your feet and your grip set, take a big breath and then lower your hips and flex the knees until your shins contact the bar. Look forward with your head, keep your chest up and your back arched, and begin driving through the heels to move the weight upward.
- After the bar passes the knees, aggressively pull the bar back, pulling your shoulder blades together as you drive your hips forward into the bar.
- Lower the bar by bending at the hips and guiding it to the floor.
10. Deficit Deadlift
79.4% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin by having a platform or weight plates that you can stand on, usually 1-3 inches in height. Approach the bar so that it is centered over your feet. You feet should be about hip width apart. Bend at the hip to grip the bar at shoulder width, allowing your shoulder blades to protract. Typically, you would use an overhand grip or an over/under grip on heavier sets.
- With your feet, and your grip set, take a big breath and then lower your hips and bend the knees until your shins contact the bar. Look forward with your head, keep your chest up and your back arched, and begin driving through the heels to move the weight upward. After the bar passes the knees, aggressively pull the bar back, pulling your shoulder blades together as you drive your hips forward into the bar.
- Lower the bar by bending at the hips and guiding it to the floor.
Why You Might Need a Barbell Sumo Deadlift Alternative
You may need a substitute because of limited equipment, hip or lower-back pain, mobility limits, or sport-specific goals. For example, a trap-bar deadlift shortens the lever arm and reduces lumbar shear, which lowers low-back stress while preserving hip extension. A barbell hip thrust isolates glute max with minimal hamstring load, useful when hamstrings are the limiting factor. Mobility or adductor pain may push you to unilateral options like Bulgarian split squats, which shift load to knee extension and single-leg hip extension. Use cues such as pushing knees out over toes to engage adductors and driving the hips forward to emphasize glute activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Choose based on equipment, injury history, and the movement pattern you need. If you lack a barbell or worry about lumbar loading, use a trap-bar deadlift and cue a vertical torso to move force through the legs. If you want pure glute activation, pick barbell hip thrusts and cue maximal hip extension and a 2-second squeeze at the top. For limited mobility or asymmetries, use Bulgarian split squats and focus on driving the front heel into the floor to recruit glute and quad fibers. Consider range of motion, bilateral versus unilateral work, and whether you need more hip-extension or knee-extension emphasis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Barbell Sumo Deadlift work?
The sumo deadlift emphasizes the gluteus maximus and adductors through hip extension, with secondary loading of the hamstrings and quadriceps. It also recruits spinal erectors isometrically to maintain trunk stability.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Barbell Sumo Deadlift?
A deep single-leg Romanian deadlift (bodyweight or with dumbbell) is the top bodyweight option: hinge at the hips, keep a neutral spine, and push the non-working heel back to load the glute and hamstring. Cue a controlled hip hinge and a firm glute squeeze through the top of the movement.
Can I build muscle without doing Barbell Sumo Deadlift?
Yes. You can build glute and upper-leg mass using alternatives that maintain progressive overload and proper muscle activation, such as trap-bar deadlifts for heavy loading or barbell hip thrusts for high glute recruitment. Prioritize progressive loading, full range of motion, and technique cues that emphasize hip extension.
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