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Rack pull

Hip hinge for the back with a barbell.

How to do it

1 of 3

Bar on the supports below your knees

  1. Starting position

    Stand hip-width in front of a bar on rack supports just below your knees and grip it just outside your legs.

  2. The movement

    Hinge at your hips, push the floor away and extend your hips until you stand tall, then lower the bar with control to the supports.

Most common mistake

Don't round your back or lean back at the top, brace your core and stand tall once your hips are extended.

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Muscle group
Back
Equipment
Barbell
Where
Gym
Logged as
Weight × reps

Muscles worked

The rack pull is the top part of a deadlift. With the bar starting just below your knees, your quads do little. Your glutes and hamstrings extend your hips, the muscles along your spine keep your back straight, and your traps and lats hold the bar close. Higher supports give a shorter lift with more work for your upper back and grip, lower ones bring it closer to a deadlift.

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the bar off the supports. Turning the rep around the moment the bar lands lets momentum help you up. Let it settle and brace again before the next pull.
  • Bending your arms. When it gets heavy, many people try to yank the bar up with their arms. Your hips do the lifting, and bent arms only put needless load on your biceps. Keep them straight.
  • Changing the support height between sessions. One hole higher makes the lift shorter and easier, so the weights no longer compare. Note which hole you used.

Variations and alternatives

  • The deadlift is the full lift from the floor and also trains the start, where your quads help more.
  • The Romanian deadlift starts from the top and is lowered under control, a better choice when your hamstrings are the target.
  • The barbell shrug when your traps are what you are after, with less work for your lower back.

Sets and reps

The rack pull is usually done heavy. For strength, 3 to 5 reps over 3 to 5 sets is common, with two to four minutes' rest, and to build muscle 6 to 8 reps works. Rack pulls and deadlifts both load your lower back, so give it time to recover between heavy sessions. The guide to sets and reps covers the planning.

Most people lift more here than in a deadlift, which tempts you to load more than your form can handle. Warm up with a few lighter sets, as in the guide to warming up, then add weight in small steps. That is progressive overload. Lifting straps help when your grip fails before your back. If your back hurts, rather than just feeling heavy, stop and have it looked at by a doctor or physiotherapist.

Swap for

Taken, or missing the equipment? The same movement with something else.

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