Legs
Rack Deadlift
A powerful partial-range deadlift variation designed to build posterior chain strength and dense back musculature.
How to perform.
Follow the sequence — setup is half the lift.
Set the safety pins in a power rack so the barbell rests just above or just below your kneecaps.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your shins roughly one inch away from the bar.
Hinge at the hips and grip the bar with a shoulder-width, overhand grip while keeping your spine neutral.
Depress your shoulder blades and pull the slack out of the bar until you feel tension in your hamstrings and lats.
Drive through your heels and extend your hips forward to stand upright, locking out the weight at the top.
Lower the bar under control back to the safety pins by hinging at the hips and maintaining a flat back.
Allow the weight to come to a complete stop on the pins before beginning the next repetition.
Common mistakes.
Fix these first — they cost reps, kilos, and joints.
- Rounding the lower back during the initial pull
- Bouncing the barbell off the safety pins to gain momentum
- Hyperextending the spine at the top of the movement
- Setting the pins too high, which limits the effective range of motion
Muscles worked.
The primary movers do the work; the stabilizers keep the path honest.