Learn the rack pull: pin height, setup and lockout cues in plain English, a coaching video, answers to common questions, and free rack pull progress tracking with rep PRs and tonnage.
A rack pull is a deadlift that starts from pins or blocks instead of the floor, usually with the bar just below the knees. The shorter range of motion lets you handle more weight than your deadlift, which builds the upper back, traps and hip extensors that lock out a heavy pull.
It also gets you comfortable with heavy weight in your hands. Many lifters use rack pulls alongside the deadlift, and some use them to keep pulling heavy through a stretch when a full range deadlift does not suit them.
Set the pins so the bar starts a few inches below your knees, keep your shins close to vertical, and finish tall without leaning back. Sets of 3 to 5 reps tend to carry over well, and pulls from very high pins carry over less.
Log your rack pulls and this page charts your rep PRs and tonnage, ready to compare with your deadlift, so you can see how the two move together.
Where the rack pull fits“Haltings work from the floor up, and rack pulls fill in the top part of the pull.”
Just below the knee is the most common height, because it keeps your body position close to the middle of a real deadlift. Pulls from above the knee let you lift far more weight but look much less like the deadlift you want to improve.
They can, especially for lifters who find the top of the lift hardest. They work best as a supplement to regular deadlifting, with the pull from the floor staying the main event. Track both, and see the deadlift guide for the full lift.
From just below the knee, many lifters rack pull around 10 percent more than their deadlift, and higher pins allow more. The size of the gap is useful information: a large one often means the floor portion of your deadlift has room to grow.
Straps are a sensible choice for heavy rack pulls. The goal is to load your back and hips with more than you can deadlift, and that weight will often outrun your grip.
The shorter range means less distance under load on each rep, but the weights are heavier. Keep your back flat and the reps controlled, and give heavy rack pulls the same care as a heavy deadlift.
Once a week is plenty for most lifters, usually on a pulling day alongside or in place of lighter deadlifts.
