Rack pulls

[EjnarKolinkar]

Do you do them, and what do you feel are the benefits?

[Knights16]

I do them.

I use them and low-back extensions to target the muscles of the lower back since I don't do the traditional barbell dead-lift anymore due to suffering from low-back problems in the past; however I do dead-lift with a trap bar, which I find is perfect since the weight is on the same axis as the body.

[Mark1T]

I think the are great, especially as an alternative to Deads. As Knight above says, I also on occasion have bouts of sciatica. The solution for me is Rack Pulls. You still get most of the benefits of Deads, but easier on the back.

Racks Pulls are not a replacement for Deads, but an alternative.

[wesleysh21]

I've been doing them for a while now. I don't deadlift anymore.

[baker]

This thread is timely E, it's like you're in my head! I just wrote my next 12 week program and will be alternating rack pulls and deficit deads to try and bring my deadlift up to the same level as all my other lifts. Should be an interesting experiment.

[EuphoricRage]

I do them off and on depending on my sciatica, as others have stated. For me, rack pulls hit my traps and back nicely. Some days even rack pulls are tough though.

[ironwill2008]

Do you do them, and what do you feel are the benefits?

Other than to work the top ROM of a Deadlift if locking out the rep were a sticking point for someone, I don't see any value in them. IMO, pulling full-ROM off the floor is a better use of time and effort.

[DuracellBunny]

I personally hate them.

DLs yay: good as gold.

Rack pulls: bad, evil, don't like them.

The loading phase before the bar starts to move feels very stressful on my lower back with rack pulls, but DLs are stress free. With that taken in to account, I can't personally justify doing them, when I can DL instead.

[Hammerhagen]

I've been doing them as a Deadlift variant on my current training block for my upcoming meet. I still do conventional deads which is the main focus but These are part of the program on days that I do not Deadlift. Like Ironwill said, I set the rack hight at my sticking point which for me is midway up my shins. The goal is to generate power at the sticking point. I'll find out in a few weeks if it helps my 1RM, but so far I can tell you I find them harder than full ROM Deads because I am starting from my weak spot. I just did a set of 405x8 yesterday and a video is in my journal. I go for controlled reps and focus on lat engagement at the onset of the pull.

[baker]

I've been doing them as a Deadlift variant on my current training block for my upcoming meet. I still do conventional deads which is the main focus but These are part of the program on days that I do not Deadlift. Like Ironwill said, I set the rack hight at my sticking point which for me is midway up my shins. The goal is to generate power at the sticking point. I'll find out in a few weeks if it helps my 1RM, but so far I can tell you I find them harder than full ROM Deads because I am starting from my weak spot. I just did a set of 405x8 yesterday and a video is in my journal. I go for controlled reps and focus on lat engagement at the onset of the pull.

With Rack Pulls did you start your progression at a certain percentage of your off the floor 1RM?

[itsagoodday]

I have always liked the theory of starting at a dead stop with full or partial ROM to build power or work a sticking point. As such, I love pin presses for bench. And I like andersons for squats. Rack pulls for deads though... eh... less enthusiastic on those. I do work them in occasionally, but I'm not a huge fan.

I know people who can use below-the-knee rack pulls to overload their normal deadlift numbers, and there's certainly something to be said for overload work. Unfortunately, I rack pull less than I deadlift, so I can't use them for that. I've also known people who swear rack pulls are easier on the CNS due to shorter ROM than a regular deadlift, but I'm not convinced of that. I find rack pulls quite difficult, it's hard to believe they'd be easier on anything

[Jtbny]

Very beneficial although I haven't done them in ages. I've opted for paused deadlifts instead. If I were looking for hypertrophy for my upper back I'd certainly add in RPs starting just above the knee.

[Hammerhagen]

With Rack Pulls did you start your progression at a certain percentage of your off the floor 1RM?

I started based on feel but looking back at my numbers, I've been doing my rep sets basically same % of 1RM as deads, but I do them in the higher rep range (6-8 reps)For example, my last session I did 405x8 and I think 8 reps at 405 is about all I could do on a full ROM Deadlift.

[Plateauplower]

Just deads and RDLs for me. I guess I do a few rack pulls lifting the bar off the preacher curl rack for RDLs. If I'm going to exert the effort I would rather just do the full ROM I guess...

[ljimd]

If I were looking for hypertrophy for my upper back I'd certainly add in RPs starting just above the knee.

I've done them for this reason. Also, occasionally morph them into power shrugs just for funzies.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Interesting the different thoughts between working sticking points and hypertrophy.

If I were looking for hypertrophy for my upper back I'd certainly add in RPs starting just above the knee.

I remember Yates explaining why he does a ROM that looks something like RDL to me because it was a back workout and he thought coming off the floor was different muscles.

I have always liked the theory of starting at a dead stop with full or partial ROM to build power or work a sticking point.

I've no experience with rack pulls, probably in some large part because if I can get a weight to above the knee I'm certain to finish. I guess that is why I made this thread to get others perspectives on the lift.

[Plateauplower]

Interesting the different thoughts between working sticking points and hypertrophy.



I remember Yates explaining why he does a ROM that looks something like RDL to me because it was a back workout and he thought coming off the floor was different muscles.


I've no experience with rack pulls, probably in some large part because if I can get a weight to above the knee I'm certain to finish. I guess that is why I made this thread to get others perspectives on the lift.

Well yeah I would say it is different muscles. Lock out is going to be upper back and hips/glutes. From the fooor from me is going to be more hams/lower back and rear delts from keeping my shoulders and lats tight.

If your strong point is above the knee I don't see much point in doing them. Deficits would be better if your weaker from the floor, but I still think your better off just doing the full movement unless a very advanced lifter. I throw some deficits in occasionally and they seem to help. I should be doing banded full ROM conventionals too as an accessory because my speed really sucks, I'm like a tractor. There is zero explosive in my pulling. Still all of those accessories I would work with lighter weight after my work sets of conventional DLs. Except RDLs those are like a completely different animal to me. Very effective for both upper back and hams.

Also for anyone that cares, I tried a form Que Dru Dixon posted about imagining a wall extending up from the bar and getting as close as possible to that wall. I tried it last week and it seemed to put me in a slightly better position from the floor. It dropped my hips just a touch from my normal form and I was able to use a little more leg and a little less lower back initiating the pull.

[DuracellBunny]

if I can get a weight to above the knee I'm certain to finish.

I'm the same. You may well find that your DL becomes more about squatting than actual DL'ing, due to the carryover on the bottom part of the lift from squatting.

[bigtallox]

Other than to work the top ROM of a Deadlift if locking out the rep were a sticking point for someone, I don't see any value in them.

For powerlifting and strongman, the reason to do them is that most people can rack pull more weight, so it gets your body used to holding more weight than you can pull from the floor ( or some other height for strongman ), and thus your max feel light when you pull from the floor.

IMO, pulling full-ROM off the floor is a better use of time and effort.

For some yes, for others no.

OP, If I were you, I'd consider asking this in the Powerlifting/Strongman section.

[Iceman1800]

I've done them for this reason. Also, occasionally morph them into power shrugs just for funzies.

Useless bit of trivia after reading this. George Hecter (sp?) was one of the powerlifting greats from the 70's and he did a type of power shrug like this in training. Called them heavies. Didn't mean to thread jack, it just reminded me of his story.

[EjnarKolinkar]

Well making threads is free, I'll try to get one up in PL/SM soon.

[Jtbny]

Well making threads is free, I'll try to get one up in PL/SM soon.

FWIW Robert some of the biggest guys in my gym filled with big guys ( and girls ) do rack pulls on regular. They also seem to all deadlift off the floor too.

[Mark1T]

Just like any other exercise. Some people like it and some don't. Works for some and doesn't for others.

Works for me because Deads kill my lower back. But, I like them anyway.

[Iceman1800]

18" rack pulls are good for strongman. Rack pulls are useless for powerlifting since you'll never be in the same groove as a pull from the floor.
For basic lifting, it allows you to work the whole back minimizing the stress on the lumbar and you can still train heavy. It also gives you some variety in training.

[EjnarKolinkar]

18" rack pulls are good for strongman.

Is that pin height off the floor?

Rack pulls are useless for powerlifting since you'll never be in the same groove as a pull from the floor.

Right, makes sense (to me).

It's such a short distance from when the bar makes my knee cap to lockout it's the fastest part of the lift for me. I think it always will be. I don't know that rack stuff is a good use of my time ATM mainly because it's where I'm strongest already.

For basic lifting, it allows you to work the whole back minimizing the stress on the lumbar and you can still train heavy. It also gives you some variety in training.

That's a good point, and I'll save it as an option for variety. Plus lumbar always fails/fatigues first for me. It would be a way to still hold a "heavy" bar without taxing that area as much.

[Hammerhagen]

Rack pulls are useless for powerlifting since you'll never be in the same groove as a pull from the floor.

I hope your wrong because i've been doing them as part of my powerlifting meet prep. Working on sticking point and lockouts. I set the rack hight pretty low, about 1/2 way up my shin....I'll do my best to hit a PR and prove you wrong

[itsagoodday]

I hope your wrong because i've been doing them as part of my powerlifting meet prep. Working on sticking point and lockouts. I set the rack hight pretty low, about 1/2 way up my shin....I'll do my best to hit a PR and prove you wrong

1/2 way up shin is going to be very close to the same ROM as a pull off the floor, isn't it? Well, depending upon the length of your shins, I guess If you were rack pulling with even slightly less than a normal floor ROM, I'd expect you to build strength because the rack pull is going to be harder with the bar starting dead in the rack / no slack.

[TnTNZ]

Rack pulls are useless for powerlifting since you'll never be in the same groove as a pull from the floor.

I hope your wrong because i've been doing them as part of my powerlifting meet prep. Working on sticking point and lockouts. I set the rack hight pretty low, about 1/2 way up my shin....I'll do my best to hit a PR and prove you wrong

Ditto. Although I have block pulls in my prep, looked at rack pulls as we don't, you know, have any blocks but there was a lot of talk about the bar slack being different between the two.

So I'm using bumper plates as blocks.

[Hammerhagen]

1/2 way up shin is going to be very close to the same ROM as a pull off the floor, isn't it? Well, depending upon the length of your shins, I guess If you were rack pulling with even slightly less than a normal floor ROM, I'd expect you to build strength because the rack pull is going to be harder with the bar starting dead in the rack / no slack.

I do have pretty long shins ...I just measured, my rack was set at 15" from floor, and edge of plates are about 7" off ground.

[itsagoodday]

I do have pretty long shins ...I just measured, my rack was set at 15" from floor, and edge of plates are about 7" off ground.

OK, giraffe legs That's got to be tough for a rack pull, I have a hard enough time starting below the knees. I don't think I could ever be talked into mid-shin rack pulls.