Regular and sumo lunges are both effective at developing multiple muscle groups in your lower body. While the exercises share the primary muscled used, the techniques are different and because of that, they work the muscles differently. Additional differences between the two exercises may be of special concern to some exercisers.
Techniques
The techniques of how to properly perform lunges and sumo lunges vary. To complete regular lunges, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a large step forward with one foot. Once that foot is planted, keep your torso upright as you lower your back knee down toward the floor, stopping just short of your knee touching the ground. Return to the starting position and then repeat with the opposite leg. To complete sumo lunges, place your feet wider than your hips, with your toes pointed outward about 45 degrees. Push your butt back as you bend your knees, lowering into a squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor. As you come back up, transfer all your weight onto one foot and lift the other foot off the floor, raising it out to the side. On the next repetition, lift the opposite leg.
Muscles Involved
Both regular lunges and sumo lunges develop the same group of muscles, which according to the American Council on Exercise primarily includes the glutes, quadriceps and calves, but also is supplemented with activity by the transverse abdominus, hamstrings and obliques. However, because of the position differences in techniques, there are varying degrees of how the muscles are recruited. Regular lunges, utilizing a split stance, force the quadriceps, glute and calf of the lead leg to do most of the work. Because both legs work together during sumo lunges, the muscles of both legs work together. The wide stance of sumo lunges also causes the hip adductor muscle to be recruited, which brings your thighs back together.
Resistance Placement
When completing regular lunges, you can use dumbbells or barbells to add additional resistance. You can hold the dumbbells at your shoulders or allow them to hang down by your side, or place the barbell on the back of your shoulders. Sumo lunges can be done with dumbbells and barbells as well, but if using dumbbells, you must place them up at your shoulders. You can't hang them down by your side with the wide placement of your feet.
Additional Differences
Those who have lower-back weakness may feel more comfortable doing regular lunges than sumo lunges, which require a greater amount of lower-back strength to keep your torso in the proper position. Sumo squats may be better for those who suffer from balance issues, as the split stance of regular lunges places the body in a more off-balance position, requiring a greater amount of balance.
