Exercise guide · evidence-graded

Rack Pull

The rack pull is a partial deadlift: you pull a barbell from pins or blocks set around knee height up to a standing lockout. With the bottom of the lift removed it takes heavier loads than a full deadlift, and it trains the back, traps and glutes through the top half of the pull.

Also called: Rack Deadlift, Pin Pull, Partial Deadlift · Equipment: barbell · Pattern: hinge

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How to do it

Step by step

  1. Set the safety pins or blocks so the bar starts just below or just above your knees. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart and the bar close to your legs.
  2. Hinge at the hips with a slight knee bend and grip the bar just outside your legs, double overhand or with straps.
  3. Set a flat back with your shoulders over the bar, take a big breath into your belly and brace hard.
  4. Pull the slack out of the bar, then push through the floor and drive your hips forward to stand up, keeping the bar against your thighs.
  5. Finish tall with your hips and knees locked and glutes squeezed, without leaning back.
  6. Return the bar to the pins under control by pushing your hips back with a flat back, and reset your brace before the next rep.
Coaching cues
  • Big brace, flat back
  • Take the slack out first
  • Bar stays on your thighs
  • Hips through to finish
  • Stand tall, no lean back

In VALDA, these cues are one tap away on the exercise while you train.

Muscles worked

What it trains

MuscleRoleEvidence
Erector spinaePrime moverC
Trapezius: middlePrime moverC
Gluteus maximusPrime moverC
Hamstrings: biceps femoris (long head)SecondaryC
Quadriceps: vastus lateralisSecondaryC
Forearm flexorsStabiliserD

Evidence grades: A = strong research base · B = good · C = limited · D = coaching consensus.

Common faults

What goes wrong, and the fix

Rounding the back under heavy load

Fix: Brace hard, set a flat back and use a weight you can hold in that position.

Leaning back at lockout

Fix: Finish by squeezing your glutes and standing tall with your ribs down.

Bar drifting away from the legs

Fix: Keep the bar dragging up your thighs all the way to lockout.

Jerking the bar off the pins

Fix: Pull the slack out of the bar and build tension before you drive up.

Bent arm on a mixed grip

Fix: Use a double-overhand grip or straps and keep both arms straight.

Programming

What the research says

Strength · first choiceMuscle growthRehab & prehabGeneral fitnessSport performance

  • Overload — A study of college wrestlers found a rack pull from just above the knee allowed about 18% more load than a full deadlift, and the two maxes were strongly related.
  • Range of motion — A meta-analysis found full range of motion produced greater strength gains than partial range, so rack pulls are commonly used alongside the full deadlift rather than instead of it.
  • Load and reps — Research comparing loads finds maximal strength favours heavier loads (about 8 reps or fewer per set). A common approach is 3–5 sets of 3–5 reps.
  • Effort — Studies find strength gains are largely insensitive to how close to failure sets are taken, so heavy rack pulls are commonly kept a rep or two short of failure.
  • Pin height — Pin height sets both the range and the load, and pins set below the knee sit closer to the full lift. There is no research comparing pin heights for training.
Alternatives · VALDA FLEX

Swap it mid-workout

With VALDA Pro, FLEX offers alternatives like these when you swap an exercise mid-workout.

Log the rack 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.