Rack pulls to improve dead lift?

[CLEEPER]

My Dead lift is not really on par and I would like to get my back stronger to be able to lock out at the top better on dead lifts with out rounding my back. Is this a good way to do that or just keep dead lifting and looking for progression to let it build all together?

[Off Road]

My deadlift lags a bit too, mostly due to an injury. But some big lifters have always given me the advice to always pull from different heights. Say one day full range, the next day from just below the knees, and another day at the knees. You get the idea, just mix it up.

Brooks Kubik suggests starting with a higher rack pull and lower the bar every session until you are pulling from the floor with the same weight. I've never tried it but it sounds interesting. One problem with this is you need small adjustments in your rack.

One more thing, rack pulls can bend a good bar. Better to pull from blocks, most guys feel it's more natural too.

[Spartigus]

I am no expert on deadlifts. But from what I have read and learnt, barbell rows are very good for the deadlift, and so are good mornings. I have never really done rack pulls though.

[CLEEPER]

I may give them a shot in the future, feel them out anyways. I have seen many on here doing them and just wondering what advantage there is to not just picking up from a dead lift position.

[BendtheBar]

Originally Posted by CLEEPER

My Dead lift is not really on par and I would like to get my back stronger to be able to lock out at the top better on dead lifts with out rounding my back. Is this a good way to do that or just keep dead lifting and looking for progression to let it build all together?

Off topic, do you focus on hip drive through the deadlift lockout?

Back rounding can come from a number of form flaws, including head positioning, which is generally number one. If you lead the deadlift with the head, and focus on standing up, it will help a lot with the back rounding. Don't focus on lifting or leg pressing the weight off the ground.

A lot of lifters start the lift and they start to look down. The body follows the head. When the eyes/head go down the hips come up, and your back rounds too much.

Start the deadlift by moving your head up, next focus on standing up with the bar in your hands instead of pulling it, and finally thrust your hips forward during lockout, like you were having sex with the bar.

As far as rack deads, they can help, but for some they don't do much. I might suggest RDLs instead. Check out the Rippetoe video on the site. I think the RDL may be more beneficial for you right now. It will help you focus on that lower back and keeping it tight, and will help build lockout strength.

You certainly could add rack deads to this equation.High pulls are also a good choice.

[CLEEPER]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Off topic, do you focus on hip drive through the deadlift lockout?

Back rounding can come from a number of form flaws, including head positioning, which is generally number one. If you lead the deadlift with the head, and focus on standing up, it will help a lot with the back rounding. Don't focus on lifting or leg pressing the weight off the ground.

A lot of lifters start the lift and they start to look down. The body follows the head. When the eyes/head go down the hips come up, and your back rounds too much.

Start the deadlift by moving your head up, next focus on standing up with the bar in your hands instead of pulling it, and finally thrust your hips forward during lockout, like you were having sex with the bar.

As far as rack deads, they can help, but for some they don't do much. I might suggest RDLs instead. Check out the Rippetoe video on the site. I think the RDL may be more beneficial for you right now. It will help you focus on that lower back and keeping it tight, and will help build lockout strength.

You certainly could add rack deads to this equation.High pulls are also a good choice.

Ill focus on keeping my head up next time. Not sure if I do now but it makes sense to keep it up.
I do straight leg dead lifts on monday, Regular dead lifts on friday. So tomorrow when I do straight leg, ill make it a point to look up before lifting the bar.

[big_swede]

I sometimes pull from rack becaouse it lets me handle weights far heavier than i can pull from the floor, and it is not as taxing as pulls from the floor. If it helps the lockout? Yes, in a way. Doing rack lockout or speedpulls from the floor and "**** the bar" (hipdrive) so to speak is good for getting an explosive lockout, atleast it helped me some. What really made my deadlift fly was when i started to do cleans, and alot of em.

On a side note - heavy rackpulls build great trapzorz, which attract girls, which is win =)

[CLEEPER]

I am interested in doing them, just not sure how to add them into my routine. Reeves classic has me dead lifting on fridays in place of Barbell rows. I may run this routine for a while and the next routine add these in maybe as a finisher to dead lifts? Or should it be different days spread apart?

[big_swede]

When I started, I cleaned at the beginning of every session as a general warmup, that was when weights were still pretty light and form was under developement.

Now once form is nailed and weigt is up i do them after deadlifts or other heavy pulls.

[CLEEPER]

I just watched the video
clean and jerk technique - Bing Videos

seems this one move could replace squat , dead lift and military press. But doing the squat or dead or military press solo instead of a clean and jerk you could maybe do more weight?