Rack Pulls
The Rack Pull is a heavy compound lift performed from an elevated position in a power rack, focusing on the top portion of the deadlift movement. It is designed to build immense strength and thickness in the upper back, traps, and spinal erectors.
Because Rack Pulls often utilize supramaximal loads (heavier than your full deadlift), they place significant stress on the central nervous system (CNS). Our AI analyzes your HRV and sleep data to determine if your recovery status supports this high-intensity loading or if you should reduce volume to prevent burnout. Additionally, by tracking RPE and performance trends, the app can identify if your grip strength or lower back fatigue is becoming a limiting factor, adjusting your accessory work accordingly.
Form Cues
- Set the safety pins just below knee height
- Brace your core and engage your lats by pulling your shoulders down
- Drive your hips forward forcefully to meet the bar
- Keep the bar in contact with your thighs throughout the lift
- Squeeze your glutes hard at the top lockout position
- Don't let your spine round or lose tension before pulling
- Don't jerk the bar off the pins; pull the slack out first
- Don't hyperextend or lean excessively backward at the top
- Don't bounce the weights off the pins between reps
- Don't shrug your shoulders up towards your ears at the lockout
Common Mistakes
- Bouncing the bar off the pins
- Setting the pins too low or too high
- Leaning back too far at lockout
- Using a jerking motion to initiate the lift
- Allowing the knees to travel too far forward
Muscles Worked
Rack Pulls primarily target the entire posterior chain with a specific emphasis on the upper back, traps, and erector spinae due to the heavy static load carried at the top. While the glutes and hamstrings are the primary movers for hip extension, the reduced range of motion shifts significant tension to thickening the back musculature and strengthening the grip.
Primary
Secondary
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