“Wrestling” with how to get your whole body more fit with just one exercise?
Try The Sumo Squat!
This effective, functional training exercise could help boost your health and fitness levels.
Sumo Squats will help improve your strength, endurance, balance, and range of motion. This exercise – and all functional training exercises – will provide you with improved movement efficiency. Since Sumo Squats work multiple muscle groups simultaneously (as opposed to exercises that isolate muscle action), you should benefit from improved movement patterns, also.
The improved movement efficiency from functional training like Sumo Squats is the type of training that helps athletes perform at higher levels of their sport.
Functional training exercises like the Sumo Squat will help you give an improved physique. Sumo Squats and other Functional Training exercises use multiple muscle groups. And this helps develop a lean, more athletic body.
Functional Training will help improve your coordination and mobility. As an added benefit, these exercises will help improve joint mobility. This will help prevent injury and reduce joint pain.
Increase your “Calorie Burn”! Because the Sumo Squat works multiple muscle groups simultaneously, it increases the number of calories burned. Plus, this full body workout will boost your metabolic rate, because it helps add muscle, which further increases calorie consumption (as muscle tissue burns more calories at rest compared to fat).
The Sumo Squat will help you increase your aerobic capacity. As you perform the squat, large muscle groups – like the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core – become engaged. They require substantial oxygen; this will help increase your respiratory rate and help improve your heart function over time. In fact, this compound movement not only builds muscle strength, but it also mimics the cardiovascular demands of traditional aerobic exercises like running or cycling.
This one simple exercise will also help enhance your everyday life. The compound movements found in the Sumo Squat help mimic some motions required in everyday living … like picking up grocery bags, kids, and grandchildren. Also, the Sumo Squat uses multiple small muscle groups known as stabilizer muscles that support larger muscle groups. So, balance, stability, and mobility can benefit greatly. Very simply, this exercise helps teach your body to work as a single, well-coordinated unit.
What Makes The Sumo Squat Different?
The Sumo Squat works all the muscles as a traditional squat, but also strengthens adductors (muscles of the inner thigh that extend from the pelvic bone to the knee) and the pelvic floor. The Sumo Squat also puts less pressure on the lower back than some other types of squats.
Here’s How To Do It!
The Sumo Squat is as simple to perform as it is beneficial:
- Grab one dumbbell for this exercise. You can start with five pounds and work your way up as you feel stronger and more confident.
- Plant your feet a little wider than shoulder width. Point your toes out.
- Hold the weight it both hands and let it hang down the center line of your body. See the exercise video on this page for details.
- Now squat down pushing your buttocks out, as if you’re sitting in a chair.
- Next, straighten your legs … keep your chest out and your back straight.
- A good goal is three to four sets with 15 reps per set.
When To Do Sumo Squats …
You can work Sumo Squats into your regular workouts … especially on leg or core days. Plus, you can do Sumo Squats as a “burner” at the end of your workout. Note: a burner is a quick circuit or series done at the end of your workout to “burn out” a muscle group or to work a group of muscles to help your burn calories and fat.
Sumo wrestlers are known for their power and surprising speed and agility. Give Sumo Squats a try and see how they can boost your strength, cardio, and functional capacity.