Rack Pulls

Set the safety pins in a squat rack to just below knee height. Grip the bar and set your back flat. Pull to full lockout, squeezing your back and glutes at the top. Lower with control back to the pins.

Pro Tips

• Reduced range of motion allows heavier loads for back development
• Great for building lockout strength on the deadlift
• Less taxing on the lower back than full deadlifts

Muscles worked

Primary: Erector spinae and upper back (traps, rhomboids) — because the range of motion begins at knee height (rather than the floor), the initial pull phase that involves the most quad work is eliminated, and the movement becomes a lockout-dominant exercise where the erectors and upper back are the primary drivers of the short, powerful pull to full extension.

Supporting: Gluteus maximus (hip extension at lockout), hamstrings (stabilise the knee and assist hip extension), forearms and grip (supporting significantly heavier loads than a full deadlift), trapezius (sustaining the bar in contact with the thighs throughout the reduced range).

Common mistakes

Setting the bar too high: Rack pulls with the bar set above knee height reduce the range of motion to the point where they become a partial shrug rather than a meaningful posterior chain exercise. Just below the knee — where the deadlift is typically at its sticking point — is the most useful position for strength carryover.

Not using straps when appropriate: Because rack pulls are used specifically to handle more weight than a full deadlift, grip often fails first. Straps allow the targeted muscles (erectors, traps, hamstrings) to be loaded appropriately without grip being the limiting factor. Using straps for rack pull work is appropriate and common.

Treating it as a replacement for deadlifts: Rack pulls develop upper back and lockout strength but do not develop the full posterior chain loading that starts from the floor. They supplement the deadlift, not replace it.

Loss of lumbar position under heavy load: Because the load is high, lifters sometimes allow the lower back to round aggressively. The same neutral spine requirement as the full deadlift applies — the goal is more load through more back strength, not more load through different mechanics.

Programming notes

Rack pulls are used in two primary contexts. In powerlifting and strength programming, they build lockout strength at the sticking point of the deadlift and allow the upper back and traps to be loaded with more than the full-pull deadlift max. In general programming, they add upper back volume and deadlift-specific stimulus with less recovery cost than full deadlifts.

Typical programming: 3–4 sets of 3–6 repetitions, typically at a percentage of rack pull 1RM (not full deadlift). Most experienced lifters can rack pull 10–25 percent more than their conventional deadlift due to the shorter range.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly should I set the pins for rack pulls?

Set the pins so the bar sits just below your kneecap — roughly mid-patella. This position targets the sticking point of the conventional deadlift and keeps the movement posterior-chain dominant rather than a glorified shrug. Setting the bar higher shortens the range so much that the exercise loses most of its carryover; setting it lower starts to replicate the floor pull and reduces the overload advantage you get from the shorter ROM.

Should I use straps on rack pulls?

Yes, using straps is appropriate and common. The whole point of rack pulls is to overload the erectors, traps, and upper back with more weight than you can pull from the floor — grip is not the target muscle here. If your grip gives out before your back does, you are leaving stimulus on the table. Save your grip-building work for conventional deadlifts and farmer carries; strap in for rack pull sets so you can actually train what you came to train.

Do rack pulls actually carry over to my deadlift?

They carry over specifically to lockout strength, which is the phase of the deadlift most lifters miss above the knee. If your deadlift stalls at the hips or you struggle to finish the lockout, rack pulls are a well-matched accessory. They also develop upper back and trap thickness that contributes to a more stable brace during the full pull. They do not replace the full deadlift, and lifters who neglect pulling from the floor will lose the strength and motor pattern needed for the initial drive off the ground.