Sumo Deadlifting and Conventional Deadlifting: how to program?

[Karl Schudt]

Hi,

I'm getting ready for my first meet in March, and I just decided that I want to pull sumo for the contest. Should I switch over to it exclusively in training, or keep doing conventional, Ed Coan-like, until the week before the meet?

Currently I program two week cycles:

Week 1 = 75% x 5 reps , 80% x 5 reps , 85% x 5 reps
Week 2 = 75% x 5 reps , 85% x 3 reps , 95% x 1 rep
Rinse, repeat.

My best conventional deadlift was 430, with a rounded back. I train up to a 1rm at 400 currently, with the back issues corrected. I tested sumo deadlifts yesterday, and pulled 455. My squat 1rm is 455. I'm a long-torsoed short-armed guy. Age 41, 250lbs, if it matters.

My primary goal is back strength. The secondary goal is to do well at the meet.

Thanks for your time!

[Andy Baker (KSC)]

You would have to ask someone with more experience pulling sumo than me. I have never pulled sumo and I have never dealt with anyone who has to much extent. Let me get Reynolds over here and see what he thinks......he doesn't pull sumo but he has probably trained with guys that do.

[Zach Passman]

Hi,

I'm getting ready for my first meet in March, and I just decided that I want to pull sumo for the contest. Should I switch over to it exclusively in training, or keep doing conventional, Ed Coan-like, until the week before the meet?

Currently I program two week cycles:

Week 1 = 75% x 5 reps , 80% x 5 reps , 85% x 5 reps
Week 2 = 75% x 5 reps , 85% x 3 reps , 95% x 1 rep
Rinse, repeat.

My best conventional deadlift was 430, with a rounded back. I train up to a 1rm at 400 currently, with the back issues corrected. I tested sumo deadlifts yesterday, and pulled 455. My squat 1rm is 455. I'm a long-torsoed short-armed guy. Age 41, 250lbs, if it matters.

My primary goal is back strength. The secondary goal is to do well at the meet.

Thanks for your time!

Karl-
If your goal is to develop a stronger back, stick with conventional pulling. If you want to maximize your deadlift at the meet (and why would you NOT want to do this?), you need to incorporate sumo pulling into your training.
You're not Ed Coan, so using his style of programming preparation is not going to yield the same results.
Why not either:
Incorporate sumo deadlifts into your training template above, OR
Deadlift sumo until after your meet. It is not as if your conventional deadlift is going to disappear, as sumo deadlifting does work your back. Just not the same/as effectively as a conventional pull. You won't have much ground to "re-gain" after the meet. Then you just carry on with your regular (ie NOT contest prep) training.

I pulled sumo for years in competition (722 sumo/633 conventional), but am now back to conventional.

Good luck with your decision,
Zach