What does this mean? That competitive powerlifters generate about 21% more force when the barbell is placed just above their knee caps than when it is resting on the floor. Peak force when pulling against an immobilized barbell at the four different positions. Here are examples of the different positions. At the same height as in position #3, but the lifters were instructed to use a body position similar to how they would lock out a regular competition deadlift. Additionally, the lifters were allowed to shove their knees out in front of the barbell. 22.5 cm above the ground, which is the same height as a barbell loaded with standard olympic plates. Here are the four positions they tested, and the height at which the barbell was placed. The objective was to measure their strength (how much force they could produce) at three different key positions of the deadlift plus in a mid-thigh pull. The researchers recruited fourteen competitive powerlifters with a minimum deadlift 1RM of 2.5x bodyweight, and had them perform isometric (static) pulls against an immobilized barbell, at four different heights, while standing on a force plate. How much stronger are you in the rack pull compared to a deadlift off the floor? While this of course varies between individuals, a study from 2012 gives us a hint of the general ratio.

Test various heights and techniques and see if you can find something that you can perform pain-free, and the rack pull can help you not only maintain (or build) strength and mass in your deadlift muscles, but also help you rehabilitate and get back to regular deadlifts sooner. If you currently have back issues keeping you from performing the deadlift off the floor, rack pulls can be a way to work around that. You can emphasize your posterior chain even further by performing the rack pull with a Romanian deadlift-style technique, meaning that you only bend your knees slightly and instead only hinge at the hips. This takes work off your quadriceps and shifts the remainder of the work to your posterior chain muscles: your glutes, lower back, hamstrings, and trapezius. Isolate Your Posterior Chain Musclesīecause the rack pull begins at a greater height, your knees don’t need to bend and extend as much as in the conventional deadlift. This might be enough to drive up your 1RM in the regular deadlift. Set up the racks or blocks so that the barbell rests just below your sticking point, and add extra training around this point. Target Your Sticking Pointĭo you always fail your deadlifts at a certain point in the lift? Use the rack pull to target your weak point. This might be beneficial for powerlifters, weightlifters, or anyone else looking to improve their back strength.

Since the rack pull removes the initial part off the floor, they can be used to overload the top half of the deadlift, using weights that otherwise would have been too heavy for you. This means that traditional deadlifts off the floor mostly challenge you in the bottom position, and not so much in the top half.

Most people can lift more weight when the barbell begins higher (more on this later). Voilà! You’re doing regular deadlifts! Now you can move on to adding weight to the bar. Eventually you should be able to lower the barbell all the way to the floor.As you gain proficiency, lower the barbell rather than adding weight, and keep practicing.Practice bending forward by hinging in your hips and keeping a neutral back while you lift. Begin with a barbell in a rack, placed somewhere above your knee.One way to learn it is to simply work your way down from the top: Learning Tool For the Deadliftįor some people, learning the deadlift can be tricky. The rack pull has several benefits, depending on your goal. The deficit deadlift increases the range of motion while the rack pull decreases it.

Stronguard barn back to back pulls