The deadlift is one of the best exercises for building overall strength. You can perform them with either a hip-to-shoulder-width stance or sumo-style, with your feet out much wider.
It’s also great for building muscle size in your lower body, but where you’re adding that muscle exactly can differ dramatically between the two styles.
A 2002 Duke University study found that while standard deadlifting used more glutes and outer hamstrings, the sumo-style deadlift used far more quads and inner hamstrings.
In short, the sumo deadlift is a good way to work your quads, while the standard deadlift is a good way to work your quads, while the standard deadlift is better for your glutes and hamstrings.
Your solution?
Incorporate both styles into your training.
Start with squats followed by deadlifts for one workout, and in the next workout switch the order to deadlift first and then squat.
This way, you’ll bring up your strength with both squats and deadlifts without compromising your numbers in either move.
