What is everyone’s starting point for these?? Everywhere I read it says about an inch below kneecap but to me it makes more sense if the weight is set about an inch above the kneecap.
Thoughts… suggestions?
You can start from anywhere really. Above the knee, at or just below the knee, mid-shin level, anywhere. Do them at one height for a few weeks, and then change it a few weeks after that.
The starting height depends on your purpose but if you start above your knees your form is often quite different from a deadlift so even though you can use a lot of weight in that position there is minimal carryover to a real deadlift, if that is important to you. That is why most people go from mid-shin to just below the knees as a starting point, of course the lower it is the harder it is.
I do rack pulls every other week and vary the height from mid shin, to just below the knee to just above the knee.
Another deadlift variation that you might find useful; I pull from the floor into a pin set just above the knee. Pull into the pin as hard as you can and try to “lift” the rack for two or three seconds.
Rick
P.S.: If you succeed in lifting the rack, add weight.
Either is fine. I typically set the pins just below the kneecap, but will also change things up and have them just over the kneecap.
Are rack pulls a good way to get back in to deadlifting after a shoulder injury? I want to bring my max back up tp where it was in Jan. as fast as possible.
sorry to steal your thread!
[quote]DF85 wrote:
Are rack pulls a good way to get back in to deadlifting after a shoulder injury? I want to bring my max back up tp where it was in Jan. as fast as possible.
sorry to steal your thread![/quote]
The best way to get back into deadlifting is to get back into deadlifting.
It seems as if my traps are the muscle group that respond the least on my body, so I started doing rack pulls above the knee, so I’d only have a 3-4 inch ROM but would load the shit out of that bar and doing them really helped bring up my upper back.
It depends on what you’re doing them, for, really. But as stated above, they dont have much carryover to a deadlift unless you’re a freak of nature and are stronger off the floor than you are at locking out.
[quote]DF85 wrote:
Are rack pulls a good way to get back in to deadlifting after a shoulder injury? I want to bring my max back up tp where it was in Jan. as fast as possible.
sorry to steal your thread![/quote]
Probably not. Depends on the injury. I had surgery for a slap tear in 2005 and any type of heavy pulling was aggravating. It was months before I could get back to pulling heavy again. Try doing good mornings, front squats with straps rather than cradling the bar, GHR if you access to one, standing single leg curls and pull throughs. Once my shoulder healed, the trap bar helped me get back into lifting heavy off the floor with less stress on my shoulder and eventually I was able to go back to the straight bar.
The rack pull is a great movement to help supplement the dead. It is great for working your sticking points.
That being said, I see most people doing the movement wrong. What I normally see is some form of stiff legged dead-where the lower back does most the work. What I tell people is to visualize your dead and what you are doing at different points during the lift. for example, if you put the pins above your knees the motion should be more of you pushing your hips through to get the lockout. what i see normally is the legs straight and all lower back.
Whatever the placement- keep the form tight and as close to your normal dead as possible if you want it to carry over to full ROM off the floor.
meat
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback everyone.