Conventional or Sumo? NEITHER! In fact the squat stance deadlift might be the best way to deadlift for many athletes. The Conventional & Sumo deadlifts both have their downfalls. The conventional deadlift while having the largest range of motion tends to place greater shear force on the spine due to the more bent over torso position. However, this also makes it more conducive for eliciting muscular hypotrophy. Taller lifters with longer legs tend to find this method more challenging due to both