Block Pull
The block pull is a deadlift started with the plates raised on blocks, so the bar begins above the floor, commonly between mid-shin and just below the knee. It works the glutes, back extensors and upper back through the top half of the pull and lets you handle heavier loads than a full deadlift.
Also called: Block Pulls, Rack Pull from Blocks, Elevated Deadlift, Block Deadlift · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: hinge
Step by step
- Set the plates on blocks or stacked mats of equal height so the bar sits at your chosen height. Centre the bar over the blocks.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and the bar over your midfoot, touching your shins or knees.
- Hinge at the hips with a slight knee bend and grip the bar just outside your legs with straight arms, using a double overhand grip, a hook grip or straps.
- Set a flat back, pull the slack out of the bar and bring your chest up so your shoulders sit just in front of the bar.
- Take a big breath and brace your trunk hard.
- Push the floor away and drive your hips forward, keeping the bar in contact with your legs, until you stand tall with hips and knees straight.
- Finish with your glutes squeezed and your shoulders stacked over your hips, without leaning back.
- Return the bar to the blocks with control by pushing your hips back first, then reset your brace before the next rep.
- Pull the slack out before you pull
- Bar touching your legs all the way up
- Big breath, brace hard
- Push the floor away
- Hips through, stand tall at lockout
- Flat back from the blocks to lockout
In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.
What it trains
| Muscle | Role | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Gluteus maximus | Prime mover | C |
| Erector spinae | Prime mover | C |
| Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head) | Secondary | C |
| Quadriceps: vastus lateralis | Secondary | C |
| Trapezius: middle | Stabiliser | C |
| Forearm flexors | Stabiliser | D |
Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.
What goes wrong, and the fix
Jerking the bar off the blocks
Fix: Pull the slack out of the bar until it is tight, then push the floor away.
Bar drifting away from the legs
Fix: Keep the bar in contact with your legs from the blocks to lockout.
Hips rising before the chest
Fix: Push the floor away so your hips and shoulders rise together.
Leaning back at lockout
Fix: Finish with glutes squeezed and shoulders stacked over your hips.
Back rounding under the heavier load
Fix: Brace before every rep and use a load you can pull with a flat back.
Uneven blocks
Fix: Set both blocks to the same height and centre the plates before each set.
What the research says
Strength · first choicePowerMuscle growthRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessSport performance
- Range of motion — A meta-analysis found full-range training produced greater strength gains than partial-range training, and a range-of-motion trial found strength gains were largely specific to the range trained. Block pulls are commonly used alongside full deadlifts rather than in place of them.
- Muscle growth — Reviews find full range favours leg and hip muscle growth over partial range, so block pulls are mainly used as a strength and overload tool.
- Load — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads, about 8 reps or fewer per set. Block pulls are commonly trained in low-rep sets.
- Effort — Studies show strength gains appear largely insensitive to how close to failure you train, and failure adds no strength advantage over finishing a rep or two short.
- Block height — There is no direct research comparing block heights. A common approach is to set the bar at or just below the point where a lifter's deadlift slows.
- Grip — Block pulls often exceed a lifter's grip strength, and straps or a hook grip are commonly used at heavier loads.
Swap it mid-workout
With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.
Log the block pull in VALDA, with these cues one tap away while you train and your history for it in one place.
General information about exercise technique, not medical advice. If you have an injury or a health condition, your healthcare provider is the right person to ask.