The sumo deadlift is safer than the conventional deadlift because you're in a wide position and it allows you to focus on the posterior chain instead of the lower back.
Space your feet out wide with toes pointed out. Grip the bar so that some of your hand is touching the knurling, where the smooth meets the rough part of the bar (on most bars).
Get into the set-up position and execute the lift by driving the knees out like you're spreading the floor with your feet. Brace the core and finish with the glutes.
What is it about Canada and great strength coaches? For some unknown reason, the Great White North produces some of the world's best coaches and trainers, with Charles Poliquin, Christian Thibaudeau, and Charlie Francis being just a few examples. Now, another young Canadian is beginning to climb into the ranks of the elite: John Paul Catanzaro.
Originally coined "The Bear" by John Davies, this series of five exercises in one teaches the body to move with great ROM in a fluid, powerful, and fast manner. It's fantastic as a total body warm-up, improving overall power production and motor skill coordination in a short period of time.