Rack Pull Exercise Guide: How to Master Rack Pulls

The rack pull is a bodybuilding exercise that activates muscle groups throughout your body. Perform rack pulls by standing in front of a racked barbell around knee height. While keeping your back straight, hinge your hips and grab the barbell with a shoulder-width grip. Squeeze your glutes and move your hips forward, lifting the barbell close to your body. Stand tall again, keeping the weight hanging in front of your body. Lower the barbell back onto the rack and repeat this movement for the desired number of repetitions. Including rack pulls in your strength-training program can have several benefits. 1. __Rack pulls activate muscles throughout your posterior chain__. With proper form, the rack pull can build muscle mass and encourage muscle hypertrophy throughout your lower body—specifically in your hamstrings, spinal erectors, quadriceps, and lower back muscles. 2. __Rack pulls can increase your pulling strength and grip strength__. By strengthening muscles in your forearms and back, the rack pull can increase your grip and pulling strength for more challenging deadlift variations and other compound exercises like the bench press and pull-up. 3. __Rack pulls allow you to lift heavier weight than a standard deadlift__. With a shorter range of motion, the rack pull allows you to lift a greater amount of weight than the regular deadlift. For experienced lifters, consider using rack pulls to break through strength plateaus. Although rack pulls are a variation of the [conventional deadlift](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deadlift-form-guide), they differ from each other in a few distinct ways. - __Range of motion__: With a higher rack height, rack pulls use a shorter range of motion than deadlifts. Once you’ve practiced rack pulls, consider setting the weighted barbell on the ground and trying a deadlift with a full range of motion. - __Muscles worked__: Although they work the same muscle groups, the deadlift exercise puts even more emphasis on your glutes and hamstrings than the rack pull. - __Difficulty level__: Although you can lift heavier weight during the rack pull, the deadlift’s greater range of motion generally makes it a more difficult powerlifting exercise. For rack pulls, begin by using a weight that you can control for 2–4 sets of 5–10 repetitions. Choose a weight that allows you to maintain good technique throughout all sets and repetitions. 1. Set up a barbell to the appropriate height in the squat rack according to your height. The barbell should be set just above your knees. Use the squat rack pins to hold the barbell in place. 2. While maintaining a neutral spine, hinge your hips back and bend your knees just enough to lower yourself toward the barbell. Your feet should be hip-width apart and your knees should be bent while maintaining an upright shin position. 3. Grab the barbell with an overhand grip that is slightly wider than your shoulders. Your shoulders should be slightly ahead of your hips. Your chin should remain tucked throughout the movement, as if you were holding an egg under your chin. 4. Rotate your shoulders outward to engage your lats and upper back. Evenly distribute your weight and grip the floor with your feet to create a stable position. Pre-tension your shoulders and hips, and engage your core. All repetitions should begin from this starting position. 5. While maintaining a neutral spine and a strong back position, keep the barbell close to your body and start your upward movement by pushing your feet through the floor. As you begin to stand up, squeeze your glutes and allow your hips to travel forward. 6. As your hips move forward, keep your arms long and finish the movement by squeezing your glutes while maintaining a neutral spine position. At the end of each repetition, your shoulders should finish directly over your hips. 7. While maintaining a neutral spine, hinge from your hips and slowly lower the barbell back to the squat rack pins. 8. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions. If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort. To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery. Throw on some athleisure, fire up a [MasterClass Annual Membership](https://www.masterclass.com), and get ready to sweat it out with exclusive instructional videos from Nike Master Trainer and *GQ* fitness specialist Joe Holder. Want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? Give Joe’s HIIT workout a go. Trying to get a little swole? He’s got a strength training workout for that. From fitness tips to nutrition hacks, Joe will have you feeling healthier in no time. If you’re looking for a beginner-level weightlifting exercise to build up strength for a full deadlift, practice rack pulls.