What Is an Exercise Called a Rack Pull?

The rack pull is a resistance exercise and training aid for improving performance in the deadlift, a classic powerlifting movement. The deadlift is a compound movement that recruits many muscle groups throughout the body. Executing this movement successfully with heavy loads requires a dancelike choreography of posture and muscle activation. Training to improve deadlift performance often requires dividing the movement into separate parts. The rack pull constitutes the upper half of a deadlift to include the lockout.

  1. Deadlift

    • The rack pull is used to improve performance in the deadlift. The deadlift is performed by lifting a weighted barbell from the floor. This is done by grabbing the bar from a chairlike position and standing up forcefully with the bar in tow. Because this is a compound movement, there are a variety of ways the deadlift can be divided into its constituent parts. A popular way of dividing the deadlift is into an upper and a lower half. The rack pull trains just the upper half of a complete deadlift.

    Rack Pull

    • The rack pull gets its name from the powerlifting rack often used to set up the weight for the movement. Instead of starting with the weight on the floor, as with the deadlift, the weight is set up off the ground with the bar at about knee height. The exact height with respect to the knees varies depending on the training goals and techniques. The athlete sets up to perform the rack pull by assuming the same position he would be in at this point in a deadlift. The rack pull is then executed by standing up forcefully with the bar in tow.

    Lockout

    • One component of the deadlift that can be difficult for athletes to perform effectively is the lockout. Locking out the deadlift requires standing all the way up straight. The rack pull facilitates practicing the lockout by shortening the distance the weight and body must travel to arrive at the full standing position. In this simplified version of the deadlift, the athlete is free to practice and explore different techniques for completing the lockout. Any discoveries or fitness gains are readily applied to the deadlift.

    Other Applications

    • The rack pull is an effective weight-training exercise in its own right. It emphasizes the muscles of the posterior chain, namely the hamstrings, glutes and lower back. It can be used to achieve gains in strength, power and size. Bodybuilders may use rack pulls to sculpt their physique. The rack pull may also be appropriate when a deadlift is not, such as in situations where a person has limited mobility or is recovering from an injury. If you are unsure whether a rack pull is an appropriate exercise for you, consult a fitness professional.