Hey guys I have been reading about some of the T-Nation members deadlifting or doing rack pulls for their back development. My questions are:
1- Do you guys deadlift or do rack pulls on back day?
2- Have you seen any improvements on size/thickness on your back by doing these?
3- If you guys do rack pulls on back day, do you deadlift on leg day?
I ask because Im thinking of givind these a sho.
Thnx,
S/P
alternate each week
Like sid, I alternate racks & DLs amongst my back (upper body) workouts.
I also do romanian or stiff-legged DLs once every few legs / lower body workouts, for hams & glutes. Obviously there’s a lot of overlap between muscles when it comes to working the “posterior chain” so just keep a balanced routine wrt you’re DLs and you’ll be fine.
In response to your second question, DL definitely adds a lot of musculature to one’s back. In addition it is one of those lifts that can just make you strong as hell and better able to handle heavier weights in many other key lifts.
I like doing heavy deads on my strong days and Romanian Deads on my weak leg days for a good ham stretch and some extra back work. It’s perfectly fine to do twice in a week in a weak and strong format.
Imo the only reason I rack pull is when I’m trying to strengthen my deadlift.
I do one or the other.
At my gym we have these platform things that you can make as high or low as you want.
I generally pick a weight and start from a rack pull position for x number of reps. Each week I’ll drop the platform down and pull lower and lower until I’m deadlifting from the floor.
I then work that deadlift number up to x number of reps from the beginning.
BAM!! new strength and probably added muscle. lol
I like deadlifting…probably one of my favorite exercises.
DG
You so smart.
[quote]Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Imo the only reason I rack pull is when I’m trying to strengthen my deadlift.
I do one or the other.
At my gym we have these platform things that you can make as high or low as you want.
I generally pick a weight and start from a rack pull position for x number of reps. Each week I’ll drop the platform down and pull lower and lower until I’m deadlifting from the floor.
I then work that deadlift number up to x number of reps from the beginning.
BAM!! new strength and probably added muscle. lol
I like deadlifting…probably one of my favorite exercises.
DG[/quote]
That’s exactly what I was considering doing after coming off a few weeks of trap bar deads.
I’m also doing a similar thing with my bench on the rack pins. Lower and lower until I’m benching what I was rack pressing.
I think that lowering the rack pulls each week will be a nice way to have good weight and also not really screw with my back as much.
[quote]B rocK wrote:
You so smart.
Dirty Gerdy wrote:
Imo the only reason I rack pull is when I’m trying to strengthen my deadlift.
I do one or the other.
At my gym we have these platform things that you can make as high or low as you want.
I generally pick a weight and start from a rack pull position for x number of reps. Each week I’ll drop the platform down and pull lower and lower until I’m deadlifting from the floor.
I then work that deadlift number up to x number of reps from the beginning.
BAM!! new strength and probably added muscle. lol
I like deadlifting…probably one of my favorite exercises.
DG
That’s exactly what I was considering doing after coming off a few weeks of trap bar deads.
I’m also doing a similar thing with my bench on the rack pins. Lower and lower until I’m benching what I was rack pressing.
I think that lowering the rack pulls each week will be a nice way to have good weight and also not really screw with my back as much. [/quote]
what gym do you go to where theres a trap bar?
as for the topic at hand, id say rack pulls beat out deadlifts anyday for adding back muscle. you can use more weight, end of story.
I personally don’t do DLs anymore at all, and haven’t for a good 5+ months. I do however still like to Rack Pull, I find that they are easier to maintain tight form on and I feel like I’m not risking an injury like I do when I’m pulling near max weight DLs.
I’m not trying to be a powerlifter, I’m in this to build muscle - regardless of what lifts I use to do so and I am in it for the long run.
I know too many big guys that fucked up their backs deadlifting heavy for years, I’ve chosen to take their advice and avoid it. And it definitely has not slowed my progress, I’ve actually made the best progress so far in the last 6 months - all the while not deadlifting.
I also agree with Livefromthe781 - Rack Pulls are better for building the back, you use a heavier load and for more reps - its simply more overload on the back. Do some deads then do some rack pulls with substantially more weight. Tell me which one felt more like it was trying to rip your shoulders out.
ive actually been deadlifting a lot lately. i really like rack pulls better but the only options at my gym are
A) use the Smith, which i dont like for RPs because it feels a little more awkward.
B) use the preacher curl (theres a space and two places to hold the weight) and stand on a 45 but i got yelled at for making too much noise on it before so i stopped usng it.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
ive actually been deadlifting a lot lately. i really like rack pulls better but the only options at my gym are
A) use the Smith, which i dont like for RPs because it feels a little more awkward.
B) use the preacher curl (theres a space and two places to hold the weight) and stand on a 45 but i got yelled at for making too much noise on it before so i stopped usng it.[/quote]
When I do platform deads, I build up the platforms with spare 45s. For either standing on, or putting the weight on to change the height of the bar.
Gold’s Gym in Marlborough. You can drop 700lbs when deadlifting and no one will yell at you.
There is a good group of powerlifters there; and some other equally strong dudes that train there. Grunting, chalk, respectful dropping of weight…it’s all good.
[quote]B rocK wrote:
Gold’s Gym in Marlborough. You can drop 700lbs when deadlifting and no one will yell at you.
[/quote]
Meaning YOU drop 350 lbs, twice.
Right?
having done rack pulls today in the gym for the first time in about 4 months, can deffinatly say i prefer the deadlift.feel it much more then rack pulls
Thinking about rack pulls makes me giddy.
[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
ive actually been deadlifting a lot lately. i really like rack pulls better but the only options at my gym are
A) use the Smith, which i dont like for RPs because it feels a little more awkward.
B) use the preacher curl (theres a space and two places to hold the weight) and stand on a 45 but i got yelled at for making too much noise on it before so i stopped usng it.[/quote]
There is no power rack with pins low enough for rack pulls at my gym either, so this is what I do:
Take 3-4 45’s and stack them up on both sides, and then put the weight on top. You can adjust the plates to make it as high or as low as you want with no rack. 
[quote]bushidobadboy wrote:
I think rack pulls offer a valuable alternative to DLs for those with pre-existing spinal issues/injuries or for those who may have some biomechanical issues (eg. inhibited glutes or overactive ES/QLs or hamstrings) which pre-dispose the individual to developing an injury.
Because the lumbopelvic region is much closer toa stable ‘neutral’ position during a RP Vs a DL, you can load up the weigh much more safely and with a consequent reduction in risk of exacerbating (or initiating) a herniated disc (for example).
Deadlifts offer a more ‘complete’ exercise IMO, but carry a greater risk of injury.
Once again, it boils down to risk Vs reward, just like so many other things in life
BBB[/quote]
Absolutely, Bushy.
I’ve dealt with low-back issues for years.
DG has a great idea (thanks Gerdy)which I’m going to incorporate into my training. Hopefully I can avoid injury… THIS time. lol
I love DL’s, haven’t done them in awhile but am gonna get back into them soon. For those of you worried about back issues with conventional deadlifts, maybe try Sumo pulls out for awhile. they hit the posterior chain like nothing else. you don’t necessarily have to take a close grip and use a super short range of motion either.
im going to try rack pulls for the first time in my next program. cant wait to do em. im told they are great upper back builders.
bushido-- why are you concerned with thoracic spine rounding with deads? lots of big deadlifter’s I’ve seen don’t keep their upper back super tight. I find it impossible to do with heavy weights from the floor. you are much more knowledgable than I am regarding exercise mechanics but I feel as long as the lower back is kept tight and arched things are ok.
i don’t know about this thick waist business. if you mean a thicker lower back, then yeah, conventional deadlifting will do that for you. but i can understand why many pro bb’ers stay away from the lift once they’ve built a base. once you are pulling massive weights like that, its hard to do it safely over and over when you are doing a traditional body part split. a bb’er split doesn’t generally give you the time to fine tune the big lifts with specific assistance work compared to a strength / westside type routine.