Dumbbell Sumo Pull Through

How to do the Dumbbell Sumo Pull Through

1. 1Set feet wider than shoulder width with toes turned out 30–45°, grip one head of the dumbbell with both hands, arms straight and hanging between the legs.
2. 2Brace the core, keep a neutral spine, and push the hips back while bending the knees slightly; let the dumbbell travel between the thighs.
3. 3Keep shins near vertical, knees tracking over toes, shoulders packed, and weight through mid‑foot to heels.
4. 4At the end of the hinge, pause with the torso angled forward without rounding the back.
5. 5Drive the feet into the floor and snap the hips forward, squeezing the glutes to stand tall; let the arms stay straight as the dumbbell is pulled forward by hip extension.
6. 6Finish with hips and knees fully extended, ribs down, and no low‑back hyperextension.
7. 7Repeat by hinging again, guiding the dumbbell back between the legs under control; maintain a smooth tempo and neutral neck throughout.

Tip: Tuck the pelvis slightly and keep the ribs down so the glute, not the lower back, gets the squeeze.

Muscles worked

Common mistakes

• Arching to get higher — the range ends when the hip is fully extended, not when the spine bends; stop at the point where the glute is squeezed and go no further.
• Rushing the reps — most hip extensions are a squeeze exercise; pause at the top for a count unless the variation is meant to be rhythmic.
• Kicking instead of extending — on kickbacks keep the knee bent at a fixed angle so the glute drives the hip back; if the leg straightens as you lift, it has turned into a leg kick.
• Pull-throughs with a vertical torso — on a cable pull-through you need to hinge far forward with the hips back so the cable stretches the glutes before they fire.

Where it fits in a workout

Hip extensions are accessory glute work for after squats, deadlifts or hip thrusts. Cable pull-throughs superset well with cable rows on the same stack, and kickbacks with abduction work.

How many sets, how heavy and how hard: see what the ACSM position stands support.

Variations and alternatives

When to talk to someone

• Chest discomfort, feeling faint or lightheaded, or trouble breathing during or after exercise can be signs of a heart attack. In the US, call 911 right away; elsewhere, call your local emergency number.
• Heart, metabolic or kidney disease, or symptoms like these when you are active: talk to your doctor before you start or step up training.
• Pregnant: ask your obstetric care provider which exercise suits you.

More exercises

• All legs exercises
• All glutes exercises
• All dumbbell exercises
• Dumbbell glutes exercises
• Kneeling Machine Hip Extension
• Prone Bench Flutter Kicks

Sources

1. ACSM position stand on exercise quantity and quality (Garber et al., 2011)
2. ACSM preparticipation health screening (Riebe et al., 2015)
3. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804 on exercise in pregnancy (2020)
4. CDC: About Heart Attack Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery (2024)

Sources checked on October 17, 2026. Full citations are in the exercise library.