Rack pull
Log this in the trackerA partial deadlift from blocks or pins, training the top half with heavier loads.
What it is
A deadlift that starts at or just below the knee instead of the floor. The shortened range lets you handle more weight and hammer the back and lockout.
Muscles worked
Primary: Spinal erectors, Glutes, Hamstrings. Secondary: Traps, Lats, Forearms.
How to perform it
- Set the pins or blocks so the bar starts just below, at, or just above the knee.
- Set up as you would for a deadlift: bar close to the legs, lats tight, back flat.
- Push the floor away and drive the hips through to a tall lockout.
- Lower back to the pins under control rather than dropping the bar from the top.
Common form faults
- Hyperextending at lockout to prove the rep. Finish tall with ribs down and glutes squeezed. Leaning back adds nothing but shear.
- Bar drifting away from the legs off the pins. Set the lats before you pull and keep the bar dragging up the thighs.
Programming
3 to 6 reps with heavy loads, or 8 to 10 for back size. Use it to build the lockout, not as a substitute for pulling from the floor.
Plan your training
Variations & substitutions
Frequently asked questions
- Why rack pull instead of deadlift?
- To overload the top half when the floor start is the limiting factor, to train around a range that irritates you, or to build the upper back with heavier loads.
- How high should the pins be?
- Just below the knee is the most useful position for most people. Much higher and it becomes a shrug with a very heavy bar.