The universe of squats is very wide and varied. So much so that it’s almost impossible to get tired or bored of them, no matter how long you’ve been training and exercising. One of the least known forms of squatting is the sumo squat or sumo squat. This type of squat allows us to work on motor areas that are not normally performed in classic squats. In fact, it is very likely that in the first few sessions you will not feel at all comfortable with them, but with practice and results, you will surely be convinced. How to perform sumo squats correctly, what are the benefits of performing sumo squats? Let’s take a look.

What sumo squats bring to your workout.
Bar squats, goblet squats, pistol squats….. The universe of squats seems endless. Why is it interesting to introduce sumo squats into your training routine when preparing for a padel game? Consider that in this modality of squatting, we will be working mainly on the inner leg area, clearly prioritising the abductors and hamstrings. So, at the same time as toning your glutes, you are strengthening the entire abdominal motor apparatus. More specifically, the major, middle and minor abductors, as well as the pectineum and inner rectus.

The benefits of the sumo squat that will convince you…..
Have we convinced you to incorporate the sumo squat into your training programme yet? Read carefully about the benefits of these sumo squats.

Sumo squats improve muscle strength
What all squats have in common is that they help strengthen your leg muscles, which helps you achieve high performance in the padel game. And the deeper the squat, the more work and the more muscles involved. Sumo squats have a quality because of the depth they require that they make the glutes, hamstrings and all the thigh muscles work simultaneously.

Also, keep in mind that once you master the technique of doing sumo squats like a pro, you can add either a bar, dumbbells and even Russian kettlebells to increase the effort and challenge to your muscles.

Calorie and fat burning
This benefit is common to all forms of squatting, but no less interesting. Of course, one of the goals of the workout is to control weight and especially the presence of fat in the muscles. When you introduce sumo squats, you will develop more muscle to replace the fat you burn. Remember that squats are a good exercise for doing repetitions, so the training cycle will be more intense in terms of performance in a padel competition.

Especially if you are diabetic, as the movement of squats increases the burning of excess glucose, so this will incidentally help control diabetes.

Improves blood circulation
If you have circulatory problems, sit-ups won’t be a panacea – running or cycling is more desirable in this regard – but it will help open up blood vessels and increase the benefits of other types of cardio activity like padel. Sumo squats help strengthen your heart muscle, lower your resting heart rate, fight bad cholesterol more effectively and lower blood pressure.

With this exercise, you will notice that the moments when you feel numbness in your lower limbs and even the tingling sensation that comes with poor circulation are reduced.

More flexibility, better posture, less injury
Indeed, by introducing other muscle groups into the squat equation, overall flexibility is increased, as well as better posture (which is common to all squats, as this is key to preventing damage and injury when performing them). More active and stronger muscles, along with better posture, prepares our bodies to avoid injury.

This is a low-impact exercise
Unlike running for our joints, sumo squats train our knee and ankle joints without the pressure of impact, allowing us to focus more on joint movement. So, although the exercise is very challenging for these areas, the impact is less because it involves more of the neighbouring muscles.

How to do a proper sumo squat
In order to do a sumo squat or sumo squat, you need to place your feet further apart than in traditional squats. As a guideline, you can take the distance between your shoulders and separate them a little more than the distance marked by this.

The posture of the legs is also important so that the entire muscle group can be articulated without risk of injury. They should be open at a 45º angle to their own body, and the leg should follow the direction of the foot position. If we do not observe this point, we risk making the knee fall.

During the descent, keep your stomach tight and never tilt your torso or arch your back. When bending the legs, the body should come down straight. When your thigh is completely parallel to the ground, return to the starting position.

The most important thing is to concentrate on the muscles. Feel how they stretch and contract at each stage. When you manage to perform the exercises almost mechanically, you can think about adding weight or increasing the number of repetitions.

And play padel!