Are Sumo Deadlifts Cheating? Photo: SOK Family, Shutterstock A deadlift, in which you grab a barbell from the ground and stand up with it, is both one of the simplest barbell lifts and one of the heaviest. But what happens if you do the lift with your feet stretched out to the sides? Does that make it any less of an accomplishment? To hear whiny commenters on Instagram talk about it, sumo deadlifts are cheating because widening your legs gives you less distance to lift the bar. Less ROM, or range of motion, means you’re making the lift easier. It makes sense, in theory.