KEY AREAS: Quads, Glutes, Core, Calves, Inner thighs
START POSITION: Clasp a dumbell by one end and let it pull your arms down vertically in front of you close to your body. The dumbell should be pointing vertically, not horizontally. Place feet much wider than shoulder width apart so that feet and knees are pointing outwards at an angle of about 45°.
NOTES: Slowly bend the knees and push backwards with your hips, thrusting out your buttocks slightly. Keep your back straight at all times (no rounding or bending). Note that this is the typical form used for all types of squat.
Bend your knees as much as you can whilst continuing to look forwards with your chin slightly up.
Squat down until your knees are bent at an angle of no more than 90°. 80° is more than enough for most people.
The Sumo Squat is a perfect squat to do for beginners and those with injured or weak areas such as lower back pain. This is because the centre of gravity is kept lower by holding the dumbell very low instead of over the shoulders. It also works your inner thighs which are often omitted in workouts, and so you should select a smaller dumbell than used for other types of squat.