Rack Pulls

Rack pulls are like a deadlift that starts halfway up the tree. Set the bar on sturdy pins, brace your belly like a bear before a big hug, then stand tall and proud. Less distance to travel means you can practice strong lockouts while still waking up your back, hips, and paws of steel.

Instructions

1. Set the barbell on rack pins/safety arms around just below knee to mid-shin height (choose your target range).
2. Step in so the bar is over mid-foot; feet about hip-width apart.
3. Grip the bar just outside your legs (use double overhand, mixed, or hook grip).
4. Brace your core, set your back neutral, and pull your shoulder blades down and back to engage the lats.
5. Pull the slack out of the bar, then drive through your feet to stand up, extending hips and knees together.
6. Finish tall with hips fully extended and ribs down; do not lean back.
7. Lower the bar back to the pins under control, reset your brace, and repeat.

Benefits

• Builds deadlift lockout strength with reduced range of motion
• Allows heavy loading of the posterior chain with less lower-back fatigue than full deadlifts for many lifters
• Improves upper-back and lat strength for maintaining position under load
• Trains grip strength, especially with double overhand work
• Useful for practicing bracing and hip extension mechanics

Key Points

• Keep a neutral spine and strong brace throughout the rep.
• Start with the bar close to your body; keep it tracking vertically.
• Think "push the floor away" and "hips through" at lockout.
• Use the same setup ritual each rep: brace, lats tight, slack out, then pull.
• Choose a pin height that matches your goal (higher for lockout focus, lower for more carryover).

Common Mistakes

• Rounding the lower back or losing a neutral spine
• Jerking the bar off the pins instead of pulling slack and driving smoothly
• Letting the bar drift forward away from the legs
• Overextending at the top (leaning back and flaring ribs)
• Setting pins too high and turning it into a short shrug/lockout
• Bouncing reps off the pins without resetting position and brace