Andy Bolton Rack Pulls Video

Training Powerlifting
1

Many of the experienced guys in this forum have said that you are fans/advocates of rack pulls for increasing the deadlift. My question is, how much leg drive do you use when doing rack pulls? In an actual deadlift, your legs are almost straight when you get past the knees, so wouldn’t it make sense to mimic this when you do rack pulls?

In that video, Andy Bolton does a set of rack pulls but doesn’t use much leg drive at all.

Also, is there value in doing rack pulls from much higher than the knee, or is this just ego training?

2

I’ve always preferred rack pulls from just below the knee as that is where it is hardest for me.

3

i think a lot of people use rack pulls to get the spinal erectors accustomed to holding that much weight.

also, there is significant hip (if not knee) flexion

4

That was a sick video. The speed pull with like 500 pounds was amazing

5

You shouldn’t be using much leg drive in a rack pull. If you are, then you are squatting the weight and using sub-maximal loads. But just because you aren’t getting leg drive doesn’t mean that you are only working your back. Your glutes and hams are still getting plenty of stimulation. If you are doing them correctly, it will look like the top portion of a dl and you will start the movement with little knee flexion.

As for your last question you need to clarify things a bit. I don’t think the carryover to a DL is very good when you go much above the knee, but rack pulls never give much carry over for me anyways. This does not mean there isn’t value to the lift, as it is still hard and still works your back and glutes very well. I wouldn’t call it an ego lift as it still makes you stronger, just not necessarily stronger in the deadlift.

6

[quote]gi2eg wrote:
i think a lot of people use rack pulls to get the spinal erectors accustomed to holding that much weight.

also, there is significant hip (if not knee) flexion[/quote]

This is where I think it has helped me… along with grip strength. Same reason i will load up the bar and do 1/4 squats with heavy ass weight.

7

thats how i do them.

mimic ur dl as much as possible.

rack pulls (to me) are more about squeezing the shit out of ur glutes and getting that hip drive than knee flexion.

i could be doing them wrong im sure, but thats just how i do them.

i do pulls at my knees but never above.

i do them at my knees more so to overload my upper back/spinal erectors and such its more of a hypertrophy movement than for building up my dl. though Im sure it might help with lockout the best thing that really helps my lockout is speed work

8

Did you notice how before the 5 plate pull 29 seconds in he jerked the weight off the floor with arm strength only??? that is just fucking sick.

9

If I use knee flexion, I can use more weight.

If I use more hip flexion, I can’t use as much weight.