Wide Stance Squat - aka Sumo Squat

Leg Exercise Targets the Quads, Thighs and Glutes

How to do it:

1. Stand with your legs spread about 24 to 36 inches apart.
2. Point your toes slightly outward.
3. Tense your stomach muscles to help keep your torso stable.
4. Squat down until your quads are almost parallel to the floor.
5. Press up with the heels of your feet - not the balls.

Do it safely:

• Experiment with the width of your legs to find what is comfortable for you.
• Keeping the toes pointed outward will help keep your knees in alignment with your quads. Your knees should move out over your feet as you do this exercise.
• Maintaining tension on your abdominal region has two benefits. First it keeps your torso more stable as you do this exercise. Secondly, maintaining tension on your stomach works your abs. Always a good thing.
• Lower yourself only until parallel to the floor. Any deeper puts undo stress on your knees.
• Press up with the heels of your feet. You will be able to focus the motion of the exericse on the quad and also be more stable.
• Control your movement up and down. Going slower is better and will keep tension on your leg muscles longer. This is not a race, speed is of no benefit here.

Fitness Objective:

• Get toned legs and lose weight:
• • 3-4 sets of 25-30 repetitions
• Strength and muscularity:
• • 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions with weight
  • Make sure you can do at least 3 sets of 30 reps with no weight first
• Mass and size:
• • Not recommended as a mass builder

Fitness Level

• Beginners
• • Focus on learning to do the squat correctly without any weight.
  • Go down to where it is comfortable at first. You can go deeper as you get used to the exercise.
• Intermediate
• • Follow all the recommendations for beginners.
  • If you are planning on using weight, start off with just using a weight bar at first and then gradually add more weight.
• Advanced
• • Follow the intermediate and beginner recommendations.
  • Increase the time it takes you to complete a set. If you think going slow is easy try it without weight, then try it with some weight.

Variations

At Home

1. Stand in a doorway or at the edge of a wall and place your hands on one side of the doorframe or wall at about stomach height with your arms straight.
2. Follow the rest of the steps listed in the How to do it section.

Using Weight

1. Position yourself within a squat rack (a Smith Machine is best) making sure the bar is at the correct height your body is when your legs are spread apart. I have seen too many people lift a weighted bar off the rack and then try to position their feet. The potential here for injury is huge.
2. Follow the rest of the steps listed in the How to do it section.