Rack Pull
Set the pins at knee height and the deadlift's hardest half disappears, letting you overload everything above it. The rack pull trains the spinal erectors, upper back, glutes, and grip with weights beyond your full deadlift, which builds lockout strength and back thickness at once. Use it as a deadlift accessory, or as the main hinge for lifters whose mobility or history makes pulling from the floor a poor fit.
How to do the rack pull, step by step
- Set the safety pins in a rack so the bar sits just below or at knee height.
- Stand with the bar over mid-foot and grip it just outside your legs.
- Hinge into position: hips back, chest up, spine neutral, lats pinned down.
- Take a deep breath, brace hard, and pull the slack out of the bar against the pins.
- Drive the hips forward and stand tall, dragging the bar up your thighs.
- Squeeze the glutes at lockout without leaning back, then lower the bar to the pins under control and reset.
Form cues that fix most reps
Treat every rep off the pins like a deadlift — brace first, then break the bar, never yank it.
Push your hips through at the top like closing a car door with them.
Pick a pin height and keep it for the whole block; changing heights weekly makes progress unreadable.
Common mistakes (and the fix)
Rack Pull sets and reps
Match the rep range to your goal, not the other way around. These are the standard evidence-based ranges:
| Goal | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | 3–5 × 3–6 | 2–3 min |
| Muscle growth | 3–4 × 8–12 | 60–90 sec |
| Endurance | 2–3 × 15–20 | 30–60 sec |
Rack Pull FAQ
What muscles do rack pulls work?
The spinal erectors and glutes drive the lift while the traps, lats, and forearms fight to control the heavier-than-usual bar. Hamstring involvement is smaller than in a full deadlift because the range starts at the knee.
How many sets and reps for rack pulls?
Do 3–4 sets of 3–6 reps, resetting on the pins between reps. Because the shortened range invites big loads, hold yourself to weights where the spine stays neutral and the bar stays quiet on the pins.
Rack pulls vs deadlifts — should I do both?
The deadlift is the more complete lift; rack pulls are a targeted overload of its top half. Deadlifting as the main pull and adding rack pulls in a block where lockout or upper-back strength lags works well. If pulling from the floor does not suit your body, rack pulls can stand alone as your heavy hinge.
More lower back exercises
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