The rack pull is an excellent lift to help with the lockout portion of the deadlift. It is a heavy stress on the hamstrings and the low back, so it fits in with the general programming guidelines of deadlifting in that it shouldn’t be done more than once a week and at higher levels will need to be cycled with other types of pulling.

The low back muscles aim to maintain isometric contraction in order to keep the positioning of the lumbar spine and pelvis constant. The hamstrings rely on the lumbar muscles anchoring the pelvis so that the hamstrings can maintain tension to extend the hip. If the lumbar region rounds, then the pelvis posteriorily tilts and causes the hamstrings to shorten from the proximal attachment at the hips. If the hamstrings are shortened, then they can’t shorten effectively to extend the hip, and this is what they are trying to do at the lockout of a pull.

Back rounding will occur at higher intensities, but that doesn’t mean all training should habitually include this lumbar rounding. Rack pulls should aim to accumulate volume and higher intensities with decent lumbar positioning. It’s an exercise that shouldn’t be trained hardcore unless you’re experienced, especially with deadlifting (assume 12 to 18 months of consistent deadlifting, and a longer duration of accumulated training).

Rack pulls can be done with different heights from different people, so it isn’t easy to compare rack pulls to one another. Be sure to choose an appropriate position on the leg for your rack pulls. The rack pulls that will work the entire lockout the best put the bar right below the patella. This is primarily where I have people pull from, because I want them to work the entire range of motion of the lumbar/hamstring deadlift lock out. Doing them higher will neglect part of that range of motion but will allow much higher loads to be used, but again, I aim for appropriate work given the deadlift mechanics. This doesn’t mean that rack pulls that are pulled from mid-thigh are bad, it’s just that I would reserve them for specialized cases or lifters.

The only available video I have is this grainy piece of shit from Mike’s phone. It’s Chris rack pulling 610×5 — below his meet PR of 633. Having him pull 700+ from mid-thigh for fewer reps would not meet the volume goals we had in doing the set of five as well as not working through the full ROM of the deadlift lockout. Note that his starting position is below the knee cap and the use of straps (multi-rep rack pull sets should use straps so the grip isn’t the limiting factor and so the hands and forearms don’t get rocked). Also note his comically small t-shirt that fit him a few years ago (it has a picture of him and his girlfriend on it).



The rack pull is a great exercise that can help work the lockout ROM of the deadlift. Pulling from below the knee cap will arguably be the most effective method to help increase the deadlift when programmed effectively. Rack pulls work well to get some pulling volume on the hamstrings. I’ve made the observation that most people who low bar back squat don’t have trouble with the first part of a deadlift (or “getting it off the floor”). A combination of a) effective hamstring training during the low bar back squat and b) not being stupid with deadlift attempts (including for sets in training) will eliminate “off the floor” problems. Locking the hips out (via hip extension) when fatigued becomes the limiting factor, and the rack pull helps this. I’m more impressed with rack pull numbers that are pulled from below the knee because they require rigid discipline of the low back and hamstrings as opposed to pulling insanely higher loads from the mid and upper thigh.
Edit: Don’t rack pull with an alternated grip. Getting a biceps strain will be counter productive. Instead, use straps.

For those of you who don’t use Facebook, this 70’s Big Short was posted the other day. You’re welcome.

Strong isn’t just about numbers. It isn’t about records or medals. It isn’t about stacking plate after plate onto a bar. It isn’t about impressing the average gym goer. It isn’t about being asked how many sets you’ve got left and replying with, “Oh, I’m just warming up right now.”

Strong is about stepping to the bar every week. It’s warming the cold steel throughout the workout. It’s gritty. It’s daring. When your body says, “Quit…just quit…make the pain stop,” you say, “It’d be too easy to quit.”

Strong is the build-up. It’s chalk slowly floating through the air, a haze through the sunlight. It’s about the panicky anticipation of struggle. It’s the uncomfortable unknown. It’s the adrenal release, the goose bumps. It’s the decision to attack instead of flee.

Strong is focusing rage into steel. Strong is the deafening moment occurring during a maximal strain, an all-out effort. It’s the audacity to keep pushing when gravity says no. It’s ignoring the world closing on your senses. It’s the commitment to finish.

Strong is elation. It’s the release. It’s victory. It’s the feeling of staggering away from the bar, knowing that you gave everything. It’s the panting breath and the self-assurance. It’s knowing that you tried and never once thought about failing.

Strong is doing this every week, every month, every year.

Strong is 70’s Big.

Here are two videos. The first is a quick vid I shot last night that talks about three very good stretches for a lifter who doesn’t stretch at all. Keeping your structures pliable and loose will be important for preventing injury as well as being able to do non-lifting things (use your imagination). For more mobility work, see Kelly Starrett’s Mobility WOD series on YouTube (two of the stretches are referenced a lot by Kelly).



The second video is from my friends Jacob and Hom in California. Jacob sports a gnarly-ass beard while they eat a gigantic, 70’s Big burrito. California may be weird, but damn they have good food.



Question of the Day
What do you eat for breakfast every day?

Australian Story
I meet all kinds of people through this website. I hesitate to accept lots of Facebook friend requests (it’s getting harder to tell a creeper from his profile picture), but I’m glad I accepted Tom’s. Tom is an Australian, ginger version of Brent Kim. Except Tom is taller. And is nothing like Brent except for his internet trolling ability.

In any case, he told a compelling story on his Facebook status the other day. I deemed it good enough to share. Behold…

February 10 at 2:00am:
I got to the gym today and as I was walking to the door I saw a hawk fly across my path. I walked over to where he’d been and saw what was left of the rooster that used to reside in a pen next to the gym (R.I.P. Blacky). I walked in to the gym and started warming up.

February 10 at 2:03am:
Later on, I went to put some water in my shaker for my PWO Shake (2 scoops waxy maize, 1.5 scoops WPC) and noticed there was a little frog in the sink drain. I undid the u-bend and Australia’s strongest powerlifter took him from me and placed him in the little garden beside the entry. I went back in to finish my chins.

February 10 at 2:04am:
Finally, as I was getting ready to leave I was notified by another mate that a goanna had arrived and decided that Blacky’s remains looked to be a delicious meal. We all stood around for 5-10 minutes and watched a goanna eat his dinner. After this, I went and collected my gear and drove home.

The tone of this story makes me think of this video. Later in the comments, some guy (presumably Australian) said that it sounded like a Pokemon episode. Australia sounds interesting, no?

St. Patrick’s Day Sale
The 70’s Big Store is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by offering a 17% discount on orders $35 or more. Make sure to use the coupon codes:



Additionally, the “original logo” is now available on a green shirt so that you can look excessively manly while you get excessively drunk on March 17th. Win-win. Australians also celebrate St. Patty’s Day.

Question of the Day
Do you have any sweet lifting stories from a country not in north America?

I’m working on those “other projects”, and this post seemed extremely relevant. Courtney is 5’2″, 125 lbs, is from Reston, VA, and can deadlifted 332lbs. As they say around the interwebz, that’s “mega hawt”. Her goals for this year are to deadlift 350 and squat 275.

Here’s a video of her doing a 290 pound sled drag. She had 135 lbs. in bumpers on there, but it wasn’t heavy enough so her friend jumped on to make it 290. No big deal.



What we have here is a cute girl who deadlifts over 300 pounds, and wants to deadlift and squat more. Courtney said in her e-mail,

I hope you will share this on your site as I work to show women just how much fun strength training can be! Hopefully I will be making those lift goals in no time :)

Yes it’s true; stronger women are the best.

What have I got to say to those of you who aren’t significantly stronger than this girl? Step up your game, son.