Rack Pull vs Deadlift Reddit

You’ve seen the arguments online. Half the people in a forum say rack pulls are cheating, and the other half swear they built a massive back with them. The reason the rack pull vs deadlift reddit debate is so endless is that people are arguing about two completely different tools. It’s like arguing whether a hammer is better than a screwdriver. The answer depends entirely on the job.

Here’s the simple truth: The deadlift is a full-body strength builder. The rack pull is an upper back and trap builder. They are not interchangeable. One builds the foundation, the other builds the second story. Once you understand which job each lift is for, you can stop guessing and start building real strength and size.

Key Takeaways

• Deadlifts are a full-body movement for building foundational strength, engaging your legs, glutes, and entire back.
• Rack pulls are an accessory lift that isolates your upper back, traps, and grip by using a partial range of motion.
• You can typically lift 10-20% more weight on a rack pull than a conventional deadlift, allowing for massive upper body overload.
• For building a thick upper back, set the bar just below your kneecaps for rack pulls in a 6-10 rep range.
• Rack pulls are not a replacement for deadlifts; they are a tool to supplement your training and break through specific plateaus.
• Stop thinking of it as "rack pull vs. deadlift" and start thinking of it as "rack pull AND deadlift" for a complete program.

What Is the Real Difference Between a Rack Pull and a Deadlift?

Let's cut through the noise you see on Reddit. The core difference isn't about one being "easier" or "cheating." It's about the range of motion and, as a result, the muscles being targeted.

The Conventional Deadlift: The Foundation Builder

The deadlift starts with the barbell on the floor. From a dead stop, you have to break the bar's inertia using power from your quads and glutes, maintain a rigid core and flat back, and pull the weight up past your knees to a standing position. It is a full-body test of strength.

• Range of Motion: Full. From the floor to lockout.
• Primary Muscles Worked: Hamstrings, glutes, quads, spinal erectors (lower back), lats, traps, and grip.
• Purpose: To build maximum raw, functional, full-body strength.

Think about it: an average 180-pound man working on his deadlift is probably pulling somewhere between 185 and 275 pounds. Every muscle from his hands to his ankles is firing to make that happen. It's a total-body event.

The Rack Pull: The Overload Tool

The rack pull starts with the barbell resting on the safety pins of a power rack, typically set just below or just above the knees. By starting the lift from an elevated position, you completely skip the hardest part of the deadlift: breaking the bar off the floor.

• Range of Motion: Partial. From the knees to lockout.
• Primary Muscles Worked: Traps, lats, spinal erectors (upper/mid-back), and grip.
• Purpose: To overload the upper back and grip with weight you couldn't handle from the floor.

That same 180-pound man who deadlifts 225 pounds might be able to rack pull 275 or even 315 pounds for reps. This is the magic of the rack pull. It allows you to hit your upper back and traps with a level of intensity that rows, shrugs, or even deadlifts can't match. It's a hypertrophy (muscle-building) machine for your back.

An easy way to think about it is this: a deadlift is like building an entire house. A rack pull is like hiring a specialized crew to build a massive, reinforced roof. You need the house first.

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Why People Get Confused (And Argue on Reddit)

The confusion comes from people treating the rack pull as a deadlift variation instead of its own distinct exercise. This leads to a few persistent myths that fuel the online arguments.

Myth 1: "Rack Pulls Are a Cheater Deadlift"

This is the most common and most ignorant argument. It's only "cheating" if your goal is to perform a full-range-of-motion deadlift. But that's not the goal of a rack pull. The goal is to overload the top portion of the movement.

Calling a rack pull a "cheater deadlift" is like calling a bicep curl a "cheater pull-up." They are different exercises with different goals. You're not cheating a deadlift if you're not trying to do a deadlift in the first place. You are performing a rack pull to build your back.

Myth 2: "Rack Pulls Will Automatically Increase Your Deadlift Max"

This is a half-truth that gets people into trouble. Rack pulls can help your deadlift *if* your specific weakness is your lockout strength or your grip. If you can get the bar to your knees but struggle to stand up straight, heavy rack pulls can absolutely help.

However, for 90% of beginner and intermediate lifters, the weakness is breaking the bar off the floor. The first 6 inches of the lift are the hardest part. Rack pulls completely bypass this. If you struggle off the floor, doing endless rack pulls will give you a big back but won't add a single pound to your deadlift max. You need to fix your setup and leg drive, which is something only deadlifts can do.

Myth 3: "One Is 'Safer' Than the Other"

Both lifts can be safe, and both can be dangerous. It all comes down to form and load management.

The deadlift from the floor requires more hip mobility and hamstring flexibility. If you lack these, you might round your lower back, which is a major injury risk. In this sense, a rack pull, with its reduced range of motion, can put less stress on the lumbar spine.

But the danger of the rack pull is ego. Because you can lift so much more weight, people load the bar with 100+ pounds more than their max deadlift, use terrible form, and hitch the weight up. This can be just as dangerous. The safest lift is the one you perform with perfect technique, regardless of the weight on the bar.

How to Use Each Lift for Your Specific Goal

Stop asking which is "better." Start asking, "What is my goal today?" Then pick the right tool for the job. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Goal: Maximize Overall Strength and Build a Powerful Body

Your Tool: The Conventional Deadlift.

This is non-negotiable. If you want to be brutally strong from head to toe, the deadlift is your primary tool. It builds the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, back) which is the engine of human performance.

How to Program It:

• Frequency: Once per week.
• Intensity: Work up to a top set in the 3-5 rep range.
• Volume: Perform 3-5 heavy sets total.
• Example: Warm up, then do 3 sets of 5 reps at 80% of your 5-rep max.

Goal: Build a Thicker, Wider Upper Back and Huge Traps

Your Tool: The Rack Pull.

This is where the rack pull shines. It allows you to use more weight than any other back exercise, creating an unmatched stimulus for growth in your traps, lats, and rhomboids.

How to Program It:

• Frequency: Once per week, either after deadlifts or on a separate back-focused day.
• Bar Height: Set the pins so the barbell is just below your kneecaps. This ensures a good range of motion for back engagement without turning it into a leg exercise.
• Intensity: Use a weight that challenges you in the 6-10 rep range.
• Volume: Perform 3-4 sets.
• Execution: Focus on squeezing your back muscles to initiate the pull. Hold the peak contraction for a second before lowering the weight under control.

Goal: Break Through a Deadlift Lockout Plateau

Your Tool: The Heavy Rack Pull (Advanced).

If you're an experienced lifter who consistently fails deadlifts at the knee, the rack pull is your secret weapon. This is about neurological adaptation-teaching your central nervous system to handle supramaximal weights.

How to Program It:

• Frequency: Every 2-3 weeks, in place of your normal deadlift accessory.
• Bar Height: Set the pins so the barbell is just above your kneecaps. The range of motion is very short.
• Intensity: Use a weight that is 100% to 110% of your 1-rep deadlift max.
• Volume: Work up to 2-3 sets of 1-3 reps. This is about intensity, not volume.
• Execution: This is a pure strength movement. Get tight and pull explosively.

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Sample Programming: Putting It All Together

Theory is great, but a plan is better. Here are three simple ways to incorporate both lifts into a logical training week, depending on your primary goal.

Option 1: The Strength-Focused Routine (Powerbuilding)

This program uses the deadlift as the primary strength builder and the rack pull as a secondary hypertrophy tool on a different day to allow for recovery.

• Day 1: Lower Body & Strength
• Conventional Deadlifts: Work up to a top set of 3-5 reps.
• Leg Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Hamstring Curls: 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
• Day 2: Upper Body Push
• Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips, etc.
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Back & Hypertrophy
• Rack Pulls (Below Knee): 4 sets of 6-8 reps. Focus on the squeeze.
• Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Barbell Rows: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.

Option 2: The Bodybuilding Routine (Aesthetics First)

This program prioritizes back thickness and development, using the rack pull as the main heavy back movement and omitting the conventional deadlift to save recovery capacity for more volume.

• Day 1: Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
• Day 2: Pull (Back, Biceps)
• Rack Pulls (Below Knee): 4 sets of 8-10 reps. This is your first and heaviest exercise.
• Dumbbell Rows: 4 sets of 10-12 reps per arm.
• Lat Pulldowns: 4 sets of 12-15 reps.
• Bicep Curls.
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)
• Squats, Leg Press, Lunges, etc.

Option 3: The Powerlifter Routine (Deadlift Focus)

This program uses the rack pull as a direct accessory movement on the same day as deadlifts to improve lockout strength and add targeted volume.

• Day 1: Squat Focus
• Day 2: Bench Press Focus
• Day 3: Rest
• Day 4: Deadlift Focus
• Conventional Deadlifts: Work up to a top single at 90% of 1RM.
• Rack Pulls (Above Knee): 3 sets of 3 reps at 105% of your 1RM deadlift.
• Glute-Ham Raises: 3 sets to failure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What height should I set the bar for rack pulls?

For building back muscle, set the safety pins so the barbell is just below your kneecap. This provides a good range of motion for your lats and traps. For pure lockout strength, set it just above the knee. Any higher becomes a sloppy shrug.

Can rack pulls replace deadlifts?

No. Rack pulls are an accessory to build your upper back or lockout, not a replacement for a full-range-of-motion strength lift. A program with only rack pulls will leave you with a weak posterior chain off the floor.

Are straps okay for rack pulls?

Yes, and they are often recommended. The goal of a hypertrophy-focused rack pull is to overload your back, not to test your grip. Using straps allows you to continue the set long after your grip would have failed, leading to more back growth.

How much more can you rack pull than deadlift?

From a below-the-knee position, you should be able to lift about 10-20% more than your conventional deadlift. If you are lifting 50% more, the bar is set too high, you're using momentum, or your form is breaking down.

Are rack pulls bad for your back?

No single exercise is inherently "bad." A rack pull done with proper form and controlled weight is safe. In fact, it can be less stressful on the lower back than a deadlift. The danger comes from ego-lifting extreme weights you can't control.

Conclusion

Stop seeing it as a competition between rack pulls and deadlifts. They are two different tools for two different jobs. Use the deadlift to build your foundation of full-body strength. Use the rack pull to add slabs of muscle to your upper back and traps.

Understand the purpose of each lift, pick the right one for your goal, and execute it with perfect form. That's how you get real results.