# Give me info on "Rack Deadlifts"



## AKIRA (Apr 15, 2006)

After looking this workout up, is a rack deadlift just like a regular deadlift with a shorter ROM?

Doing this exercise helps what purpose rather than doing a regular deadlift with light weight?


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## P-funk (Apr 15, 2006)

yea, it is jsut a partial deadlift pulling off the pins, working on whatever point in your deadlift you want to strength (above the knee, mid thigh, that the knee, below the knee, etc...).

It is great for working certain ROMs of your deadlift that you may be struggeling at.  It is also good for overloading the muscles and handeling more load.


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## gopro (Apr 15, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> yea, it is jsut a partial deadlift pulling off the pins, working on whatever point in your deadlift you want to strength (above the knee, mid thigh, that the knee, below the knee, etc...).
> 
> It is great for working certain ROMs of your deadlift that you may be struggeling at.  It is also good for overloading the muscles and handeling more load.



Agreed.

I will also add that for bodybuilding purposes I feel rack deads to be more beneficial than full deads for pure back development. Because you are not pulling from the floor, much of the quad, glute, and hip recruitment is taken out of the movement, meaning most of the pull is taken up by the back musculature.


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## faller (Apr 15, 2006)

Ok, so here's the thing.....Iron man will tell you that partial DL do nothing for back development. I'm not trying to stir up shit here, but damn, why so much conflicting opinions/information??


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## CowPimp (Apr 15, 2006)

faller said:
			
		

> Ok, so here's the thing.....Iron man will tell you that partial DL do nothing for back development. I'm not trying to stir up shit here, but damn, why so much conflicting opinions/information??



Where did he say that?


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## faller (Apr 15, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Where did he say that?



My appologizes, i reread that post and what he accually said was partial DL cannot replace a rowing movement for back thickness.


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## gopro (Apr 15, 2006)

faller said:
			
		

> My appologizes, i reread that post and what he accually said was partial DL cannot replace a rowing movement for back thickness.



I believe I have built more pure back "thickness" from rack deads than from bent rowing. Pulling 550-600 lbs from below the knee to the standing position in good form for reps, builds mass faster than anything. Perhaps rowing will build more mass into the lats than deads can, but the pure thickness from the lumbars up through the top of the traps is built through deads.

You can always tell a "deadlifter's" back from a "non-deadlifters" back (in most cases). There is just a look of thickness and density in a deadlifters back that is undeniable.


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## faller (Apr 15, 2006)

gopro said:
			
		

> I believe I have built more pure back "thickness" from rack deads than from bent rowing. Pulling 550-600 lbs from below the knee to the standing position in good form for reps, builds mass faster than anything. Perhaps rowing will build more mass into the lats than deads can, but the pure thickness from the lumbars up through the top of the traps is built through deads.
> 
> You can always tell a "deadlifter's" back from a "non-deadlifters" back (in most cases). There is just a look of thickness and density in a deadlifters back that is undeniable.



See thats what i thought. I'v done partial's, and the next day the feeling i would get across my upper back was far better than anything i would get from rowing.
I see you go below the knee, i have done them at knee level. Is below the knee better?


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## CowPimp (Apr 15, 2006)

My suggestion is that you deadlift and row, because both are kickass exercises.  Heh.


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## AKIRA (Apr 16, 2006)

faller said:
			
		

> See thats what i thought. I'v done partial's, and the next day the feeling i would get across my upper back was far better than anything i would get from rowing.
> I see you go below the knee, i have done them at knee level. Is below the knee better?



Below the knee being a full deadlift you mean?  Then I dont know.


I had to start all over for my lower body so I am thinking that I can do rack deads on a pull day and sldls on a leg day.  But in the rack's case, I can go heavier since the rom is much shorter.


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## Mudge (Apr 16, 2006)

You could consider Romanian deadlifts as a changeup.


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## faller (Apr 16, 2006)

AKIRA said:
			
		

> Below the knee being a full deadlift you mean?
> 
> No, the pin's are positioned so that when you stand by the bar, the bar is touching just below the knee.
> 
> The way i have done them is the bar is just above the knee.


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## gopro (Apr 16, 2006)

faller said:
			
		

> See thats what i thought. I'v done partial's, and the next day the feeling i would get across my upper back was far better than anything i would get from rowing.
> I see you go below the knee, i have done them at knee level. Is below the knee better?



I vary my ROM on partials. I will go as high as knee level some workouts, and as low as mid-shin level during others. 

When I used to go super-heavy on these, I would try to set a personal best at knee level, then next workout would drop the pins to below knee level, while using the same weight. Then next workout would go to mid-shin level. 

If I was successful using the new weight at the lowest level I would then go back to knee height and try a new personal best.


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## gopro (Apr 16, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> My suggestion is that you deadlift and row, because both are kickass exercises.  Heh.



Absolutely. I was not suggesting that bent rowing should be dropped, but used in addition to partial deads.


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## CowPimp (Apr 16, 2006)

gopro said:
			
		

> Absolutely. I was not suggesting that bent rowing should be dropped, but used in addition to partial deads.



Yeah, I know you weren't.  I was just jokingly kind of saying that arguing which exercise is better for back development is kind of moot, because both exercises deserve a place in your routine.  It was more directed at the guy rehasing Ironman's statements.


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## gopro (Apr 16, 2006)

CowPimp said:
			
		

> Yeah, I know you weren't.  I was just jokingly kind of saying that arguing which exercise is better for back development is kind of moot, because both exercises deserve a place in your routine.  It was more directed at the guy rehasing Ironman's statements.


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## themamasan (Apr 17, 2006)

I started doing rack deadlifts about 2 months ago.  The first few times I did it I was very sore for 2-3 days after (and this after a year and a half of other back workouts).  Now my back is bigger than ever, and I am stronger on all my row exercises as well.  Thanks rack deadlifts!!!   


P.S. I have a hard time doing regular deadlifts for some reason.  I don't know if it is because of my height or not, but my form suffers because the bar always wants to hit my knees.  So I find the rack deadlift a good alternative.


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## AKIRA (Apr 17, 2006)

themamasan said:
			
		

> I started doing rack deadlifts about 2 months ago.  The first few times I did it I was very sore for 2-3 days after (and this after a year and a half of other back workouts).  Now my back is bigger than ever, and I am stronger on all my row exercises as well.  Thanks rack deadlifts!!!
> 
> 
> P.S. I have a hard time doing regular deadlifts for some reason.  I don't know if it is because of my height or not, but my form suffers because the bar always wants to hit my knees.  So I find the rack deadlift a good alternative.



Well If I want to start it, what rep scheme is good for this?  I mean, its such a shorter rom, so I dont know.

Oh..and you did a lot more weight than your regular deadlifts I assume?  Err...when you did reg deads


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## themamasan (Apr 17, 2006)

AKIRA said:
			
		

> Well If I want to start it, what rep scheme is good for this?  I mean, its such a shorter rom, so I dont know.
> 
> Oh..and you did a lot more weight than your regular deadlifts I assume?  Err...when you did reg deads




Well, actually I do less weight than I would with regular deadlifts since I use less leg power.  After a really light warmup, I do 3 sets of 8-10 reps.  But I perform them slower and try to concentrate more on form.  If I go too heavy, I feel as though I will injure my lower back for some reason.


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## BulkMeUp (Apr 19, 2006)

gopro said:
			
		

> When I used to go super-heavy on these, I would try to set a personal best at knee level, then next workout would drop the pins to below knee level, while using the same weight. Then next workout would go to mid-shin level.


So, if you start with the pins at knee level for example, do you go as far as needed to train the ROM you are targetting or go only as far as the level of the pins only? or am i overthinking this?


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## P-funk (Apr 19, 2006)

BulkMeUp said:
			
		

> So, if you start with the pins at knee level for example, do you go as far as needed to train the ROM you are targetting or go only as far as the level of the pins only? or am i overthinking this?




huh?   

are you speaking with your mouth full?


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## Dale Mabry (Apr 19, 2006)

I would think lowering it beyond the pins would be very difficult given the pins will be in the way, but that's just me.


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## P-funk (Apr 19, 2006)

Dale Mabry said:
			
		

> I would think lowering it beyond the pins would be very difficult given the pins will be in the way, but that's just me.


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## BulkMeUp (Apr 19, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> huh?
> 
> are you speaking with your mouth full?


No mouth is not full. Dale is not here with me  i didnt get around to editing the previous post properly.

Gopro was referring to training part of the ROM. So what i meant was, if the pins were at, say, knee level. Was he suggeting to only go down to the level of the pins or a bit lower. Thus using the pins to avoid "much of the quad, glute, and hip recruitment is taken out of the movement," as he put it, on the initial lift. Hope I'm making sense.  Am just asking.  

But i guess what Gopro was saying is that he lifts from the pins, and lowers down to the pins. Once he gets that ROM under control, then lowers the pins. And lowers the bar to that lower level.. and so forth. Right?



			
				Dale Mabry said:
			
		

> I would think lowering it beyond the pins would be very difficult given the pins will be in the way, but that's just me.


I take a small step back after lifting  off the pins. But methinks you are gonna shoot me down for that being a bad idea.


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## P-funk (Apr 19, 2006)

BulkMeUp said:
			
		

> No mouth is not full. Dale is not here with me
> 
> Gopro was referring to training part of the ROM. So what i meant was, if the pins were at, say, knee level. Was he suggeting to only go down to the level of the pins or a bit lower. Thus using the pins to avoid "much of the quad, glute, and hip recruitment is taken out of the movement," as he put it, on the initial lift. Hope I'm making sense.  Am just asking.  (and i didnt get around to editing the previous post properly.)
> 
> ...




i think you are talking about different pins.  you are saying the J-hooks that hold the bar.

we are talking about the actual safety pins in the power rack (you know, the ones that catch you when you bottom out with your 135lb squats)....you place those so that the bar rests at knee level and you deadlift from that position up to lock out.  training that specific ROM  (from the knee to a full standing position).  That is what Gopro is talking about.


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## Dale Mabry (Apr 19, 2006)

Yeah, they aren't rack deadlifts unless they are done in the rack.  You are supposed to set the bar down each time so that you are not using the stretch-shortening cycle when you lift.


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## faller (Apr 19, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> (you know, the ones that catch you when you bottom out with your 135lb squats).  .



lmao...this thread is hilarious   I gotta come here more often.


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## P-funk (Apr 19, 2006)

faller said:
			
		

> lmao...this thread is hilarious   I gotta come here more often.




thanks.  we try.


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## AKIRA (Apr 20, 2006)

P-funk said:
			
		

> we are talking about the actual safety pins in the power rack (you know, the ones that catch you when you bottom out with your 135lb squats)....you place those so that the bar rests at knee level and you deadlift from that position up to lock out.  training that specific ROM  (from the knee to a full standing position).  That is what Gopro is talking about.




I am curious as to how volume is delivered.  Lets say one does 275lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps for a regular deadlift.  Would you use the same intesity and volume for the rack?  Or can you go heavier since the ROM is shorter.  Or do the same weight, same weight, same reps?

Just wondering what the 'norm' is for this exercise.  I dont know if Rack Deadlifts are for focusing on strength or error-reduction.


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## CowPimp (Apr 20, 2006)

AKIRA said:
			
		

> I am curious as to how volume is delivered.  Lets say one does 275lbs for 3 sets of 8 reps for a regular deadlift.  Would you use the same intesity and volume for the rack?  Or can you go heavier since the ROM is shorter.  Or do the same weight, same weight, same reps?
> 
> Just wondering what the 'norm' is for this exercise.  I dont know if Rack Deadlifts are for focusing on strength or error-reduction.



You can definitely use more weight on rack deadlifts, just like bench press lockouts.  The focus is on strengthening the top portion of the movement, or in a bodybuilding context it might be to allow additional overload of your upper back musculature.


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