Rack or Block pulls. Are they worth doing?

[Skeletor]

Am considering adding in heavy rack pulls or deads off blocks as part of my deadlift routine using 110+ % of my max. The question is, are they a useful excercise for the purpose of building the overall deadlift. I think my weaker area is the initial pull from the floor so are they still worth doing? Also at what height do you generally have the blocks?

[BeastBuilder]

I've never seen them as much of an exercise for building the pull tbh.

Some people love them, some people swear by them, some people hate them. Like most things in the training world you'll get 20 different opinions from 10 people lol.

But in saying that I'll explain my views.

So in effect with a block pull or rack pull your shortening the range of motion and making it easier on your body to lift the weight. Seems pointless to me as sure you can lift, for arguments sake, 180kg from two inches below your knees to lock out but if you can only lift 150kg from the floor then it doesn't matter wtf you can pull from two inches below your knee cos it'll never leave the floor.

Especially as you have said that your weak point is from the floor so putting the weight higher in relation to you seems to defy logic lol.

Be much better to make use of Deficits, get faster and stronger at those and then you'll be even stronger once you go back to from the floor since it's effectively reducing the range of motion.

Also another point against block/rack pulls imo. Given that there is no eccentric portion of the lift your body is free to get into whatever position it pleases to lift the weight. This will likely be a different position than your body would be in if you reached the same point when you pulled from the floor. So you'll be training the wrong position/motor pattern anyway more than likely.

If you want to overload the top portion of the pull you're better to look at options like Band (Over or Reverse)/Chain Deadlifts as you're still pulling from the floor so in the right positions but can end up using more weight or tension

This is strictly from a powerlifting perspective for building the Deadlift as a whole, I believe there may be some merit to heavy block/rack pulls from a hypertrophy perspective for overloading the upper back if you can't pull heavy from the ground. Even then I would likely suggest to stop being a bitch and get stronger lol.

Cliffs - Mostly an exercise done by bros to stroke their ego and bend the bars on the safeties to make them feel strong.

- Much better to do Deficits in your situation imo

- Some people love them but I don't see the logic and I think the time and energy is spent better elsewhere.

- Band or Chain Deads are better options imo

[Skeletor]

Thanks man yeah I was wondering if it was even worth it being the initial pull is the weakest . Just send everyone doing them on IG but guessing their weaker area is top part/lockout. Defecits are definitely the better idea by the sounds of it so I think I'll bring those in. Like you say doesn't matter what I can do from just below knees or what not if I can't do it from the floor it'll never budge. I do also have the meaty short 15kg weight lifting chains I could use should I decide on overloading and that way I'm still doing the full rom.

[BeastBuilder]

Thanks man yeah I was wondering if it was even worth it being the initial pull is the weakest . Just send everyone doing them on IG but guessing their weaker area is top part/lockout. Defecits are definitely the better idea by the sounds of it so I think I'll bring those in. Like you say doesn't matter what I can do from just below knees or what not if I can't do it from the floor it'll never budge. I do also have the meaty short 15kg weight lifting chains I could use should I decide on overloading and that way I'm still doing the full rom.

Lol IG, FB etc are king spots for ego stroking bro. Hence the Rack Pulls.

They don't wanna put a vid of grinding a 170kg pull from the floor but are happy as to put a five plate Rack Pull/Shrug vid up for all the bitches to get moist over haha.

And by bitches I mean their other bros, females couldn't give two hoots what you lift lol

[Wookie]

I think reverse band deadlifts are a far superior exercise to help off the floor (emphasize speed off the floor) and work the lockout.

 

Block pulls have value only if you use the same position as you do off the floor.

The technique for a big rack pull is very different. I've been able to pull over 100kg more from below the knees once I worked this out.

[maccaz]

I think reverse band deadlifts are a far superior exercise to help off the floor (emphasize speed off the floor) and work the lockout.

 

Block pulls have value only if you use the same position as you do off the floor.

The technique for a big rack pull is very different. I've been able to pull over 100kg more from below the knees once I worked this out.

 

wookie, any idea why Sheiko always includes these in programs? 

Usually a combo of deadlift to knee and block/rack pulls

[Wookie]

I think its because Sheiko calls for submaximal weights and stresses that you use the same form. Its a means of extra volume with less stress than a full deadlif.

[donz]

For lifting from the floor I found deficits helped my speed a lot - I don't have bands so never tried them. Have used racks before but not really for increasing dead just for upper back at the start of a back day haha