SkiptomaincontentareaAdvertisementSignupforourdailynewsletterNewsletterCloseSignmeupSectionsAdvertisementTrendingHowToDoTheRackPullExercisesBulkupyourbackandimproveyourdeadliftnumberswiththisbarbellexercisefacebooktwitterpinterestNickHarris-Fry2Sep2019AdvertisementIfyou’veseensomeonedoingrackpullsinyourgymyoumighthavemadethemistakeofdismissingthemasapoorman’sdeadlift.Whileit’struethatrackpullshaveashorterrangeofmotionthanadeadlift,theyworkthesamemusclesandbyshorteningthemovementoftheexercise,rackpullsallowyoutoliftaheavierweight.Thiswillresultinstrongerbackmuscles,aswellashelpingtoimproveyourformandpowerinthetophalfofastandarddeadlift.Youwillneedsomekittodorackpulls,namelyabarbellandapowerrack.That,andthelargeamountofweightinvolved,meansit’sdefinitelyanexercisebestperformedinagymratherthanaspartofahomeworkout,evenifyouhaveabarbellathome.Thelowerbackmusclesaretheprimarytargetofrackpulls,butthemovementalsoworksyourupperback,glutesandhamstrings,andyou’llalsoincreaseyourgripstrength.Rackpullsdon’tworkasmanydifferentmusclesandjointsasdeadlifts,soifyou’reshortontimeit’sprobablywisetooptforthelatter,butifyou’relookingtoimproveyourdeadliftorfocusedonbulkingupyourback,addingrackpullstoyourworkoutsisano-brainer.HowToDoTheRackPullStartbysettinguptheheightofyourrack.Thethreemostcommonpositionsarejustbelowtheknee,justabovethekneeorhalfwayupyourthigh.Ifyouareanexperiencedweightlifteryoucanpicktheheightinlinewiththepartofthedeadliftyouthinkyoucanimprove,orjustworkthroughasetofrackpullsateachheight.Thelowertheheight,themoreyou’llinvolveyourglutesandhamstringsintheexercise,whileahigherstartingpointplacesgreaterfocusonyourback.Whenthebarisinyourfavouredposition,graspitwithyourpalmsfacingtowardsyouandyourhandsshoulder-widthapart.Engageyourhamstringsbypushingyourhipsback.Keepingyourbackstraightandlookingforwardsthroughoutthemovement,lifttheweightbydrivingyourhipsforwardsandstraighteningyourknees.Pullyourshouldersbackatthetopofthemovement,thenslowlyreversethemovementandlowerthebarbackin