Muscle Activation Differences During The Conventional, Sumo, And Hex Bar Deadlift

The deadlift is an exercise used to build strength and power in the core and lower extremities. The most common variations of the deadlift are the conventional, hex bar, and sumo versions. Although the conventional deadlift has been compared to the sumo and hex bar options, a comparison of the sumo to the hex bar deadlift, as well as the primary muscle activation of all three deadlift variations needs further investigation. PURPOSE: To compare muscle activation in the erector spinae (ES), biceps femoris (BF), and gluteus maximus (GM) muscle agonist groups during the conventional, sumo, and hex bar deadlift in resistance trained, college-aged students. METHODS: Following a five-minute warm-up on a stationary bike, participants (N = 19) performed a 1-repetition maximum (1RM) deadlift protocol. The same 1RM protocol was performed for each deadlift variation across three separate sessions. During the final session, participants performed a set of 6 repetitions at 80% of recorded 1RM for each of the three deadlift variations while wearing electromyography (EMG) electrodes on the muscle bellies of the GM, BF, and ES. A repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the EMG amplitude data for each muscle group based on deadlift variation. RESULTS: Gluteus maximus activation was found to be significantly higher in the conventional compared to the hex bar deadlift (p = 0.034). There were no significant differences in GM, BF, and ES activation between the other deadlift variations (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This data suggests that individuals with the goal of strengthening their ES and BF muscle groups may utilize any of the three deadlift variations. However, the conventional deadlift is optimal for GM activation.