Article on Rack Pulls for those who have asked…

Understanding the Rack pull

I have received my questions on this lift, as it has been a regular guest in my personal training program over the years. I would like to talk about my opinion of it, specifically what I believe it can do and what it cannot do in a training program.

What is a rack pull? A partial range of motion or “Strong range” pull typically done at serious overload in comparison to your deadlift off the floor. There are several other names I have heard tossed around such as “Health lift” “pin pull” or perhaps “hand and thigh lift”

What does it do? Using this lift allows a lifter to use their upper limits of strength to move weight. I can think of only one other lift that allows you to move more weight in the standing position- the partial squat. The advantage of this lift is involvement in the arms and shoulder griddle, which will often be the number one limitation for the lift. The rack pull allows you to move the highest intensity weights which will provide extreme taxes upon your central nervous system. It also has the psychological benefit of handling heavy weights–what is your 560 pull off the floor compared to a partial pull of 1200+? Much easier.

For building power in the lumber, upper back, and traps I rate this exercise as first class. Using it will quickly allow you add dense muscle to your frame in a hurry. The extreme weight will build the strength of your connective tissues through out the body, over several years effort this significantly reduces your chances of injury and transforms you from average to stronger than anyone can imagine. You will not see someone handle impressive poundage in the rack pull and not be a strong person through out. Tendon development is a missing element in many peoples program. Why is this? Many people advocate light weight training as a sole or primary method of training. Kettlebells, crossfit type workouts, or the hundreds of so called systems stemming from these methods. While I believe Kettlebell training is an extremely productive method for GPP and conditioning, it is never going to be the end all of strength in an absolute sense. Snatching a KB does not rival a dead lift for building maximum pulling power. Period. BTW Stop having to pick! No one can force you to pick, so stop thinking it is so. Rack pulls are an example of an older method of building deep power in the body. Tendon development, made famous by lifters in the early 1900′s whose lifts have not been bested by the “cutting edge” fitness generations of today. And if things stay the way they are, or get worse (as I suspect they will) you will see fewer and fewer strongmen and women. While I am on this topic, it is interesting to me how people will do everything they can to get away from the fact that they have neglected proper training protocol to get strong. That’s a whole different article.

Limitations of the rack pull- Most people will find the grip element to be the stopping point, after that lumber stability, and finally FEAR. I personally have found my absolute tolerance to weight it is my limiting factor through years of hard grip work, I simply am tapping out how much I can move in one effort. Many people will be stopped 100-200lbs short because of their grip. This is a good thing overall, the bicep tendon is vulnerable in the over/under position and can be injured if a lifter pushes too fast with this. Straps will allow you to keep an overhand grip, which is going to protect the biceps. This may expose the next problem–weak back and abs. Weak abs will be exposed with this drill. I see many people using a weight belt for their pulls, I strongly disagree with that practice. Rather than explain why, here is food for thought, my best pull this rotation has been over 1,300lbs and I did it with straps, a t shirt, and some exercise pants. No belt needed. You do not need one either. FEAR is a powerful performance inhibitor! People are not confident in their ability to handle the weight. Remember the mind moves the body, not the other way around. if your afraid the weight will hurt you, you will most likely pull the plug way before you hit your true limits.

The partial pulls MOST LIKELY WILL NOT help your dead lift from the floor. Allow me to explain. There is not the same skill for the rack pull as a dead lift. The firing sequence is different. The back positioning is very different. I have seen lifters use it successfully to push up their dead, but they used very light poundage’s and worked from a low position. In this role, it has been proven to assist with a stalled pull. However, working towards a big hand and thigh lift will not carry over to a better pull off the floor. In fact I believe it will make your DL from the floor WORSE. This is my opinion from rack pulling for years now; maybe others will have something different to say. Why is this? Most people will learn the optimum power position for a heavy rack pull is a straight (vertical) spine and bend legs, its like a quarter squat movement holding the bar. While it is possible to use the rack pull in the correct DL spine positioning, you will be severely limited on the weight by comparison to the method I just described.

The rack pull when done with heavy weights is extremely demanding upon the central nervous system and your recovery systems. When I say these will wipe you out, I am not exaggerating by even one percent. This lift can derail a training program if randomly inserted with no rhythm or reasoning. Consider from a recovery point of view the body is being taxed seriously beyond your best DL or Sq. If your 1RM from your DL leaves you hurting, wait to learn how far you can go with this. So intelligent planning with load and volume must be included if you choose to do this.

So there is some info.

I have received many messages concerning this lift over the last few months. I have seen everything from “why do you do that” to the most amusing “what muscle does that work?” to my favorite of all time “you’re going to hurt yourself” I will answer two out of three.

Why do I do this? I position myself in a flexion position that is of an intensity and angle very different from any other convention training I know of. The angles to kink big steel places the body in a serious flexion position for extend periods of time and that can be very degrading to the core human movement patterns over time. I am now consistently putting some big damage on 3/8 cold rolled steel bar, and I will bend it to 2″ this year, a feat and demonstration of power that less than 8 men on the planet have done. I have seen the steel calibrations from Eric which indicates these bars take over 700 to 800lbs to bend to 30 degrees. The point of that-How do I balance the extension element of the movement? Since I am in a flexion position of that intensity, I had to figure out an extension piece to the puzzle. swings, snatches, rows, dead lifts off the floor–all too low on the intensity scale. This movement is the key. Maximum intensity and considerably safer than any of the above exercise

On the topic of safety. No one who has worked with me has declared this lift unsafe for me. Thus far it has only been people who seen an internet video of me and think they comprehend how strong I am. For the record- I do not recommend YOU do this, I do not prescribe this to my clients, or any of my friends. Anyone who has seen the other things I do would surely realize I calculate the safety risk involved with any feat of strength and build tolerance to mitigate the dangers. Naturally this is a so called risky lift, as is anything involving floor lifts, overhead lifts, moving weights quickly, or anything that involves lifting something over your face. So do yourself a big favor, do you sweat this for me, worry about yourself.

Where is my ceiling? Right now I am thinking low 1,400s. I have confidence in this new bar I bought. I have to figure out how to load more weight on it. I do not own 100lbs plates, that would seriously help out with the loading problem. I will write it here and now–I will pull over 1,500lbs this summer. 3/4 of a ton lifted perhaps two inches, that will be surface of the sun intensity upon my posterior muscle structure. IN several years I easily have sights on 2,000+ Steve Justa wrote in his book he was topping out at 2,010lbs, and I think he surpassed that number since it was written. Without a doubt others have pulled more (Imagine what Andy Bolten could rack pull!!? First time trying Maybe 2,200?)

So that is my thoughts on the rack pull…