how are they better than normal deadlifts? my low back is bending on deadlifts now and i’m thinking i need a change, so looking into racks.
rack deadlifts can be a good movement because you can add more weight than a regular deadlift because of the decreased range of motion.
you shouldnt really stop regular deadlifts though, if your back is bending then just go down in weight, use good form, and then slowly work back up, when your back starts to bend again you know you are going too heavy. regular deadlifts are very beneficial when done correctly and rack deadlifts are generally only used as an additional movement to help deadlifting.
i suggest that you continue just regular deadlifting and forgetting about rack deadlifts until when you are advanced. Up to you though, good luck with the lifting
Rack deads are done more for the added weight to further overload the upper back/traps. Basically its much more of a back lift than a glute/ham lift. I do rack deads on my back day and RDL’s on my leg day.
who ever said they were better? they are different and depending on the height they will work different parts of the body. Do them from a low pin and you will use a lower weight than a deadlift off the floor becuase they is no leg drive. you will use a lot of back. better or worse depends on your body and your weak points.
i’m having trouble pinpointing where my weak point is. here’s a vid of it:
is it right from the start at the back? what can i do for these–simply just lower weight?
It looks like your back is doing a bit more work than it should. Is the conventional stance better for you or have you tried a sumo? I would suggest dropping some weight setting up from the top after every repetition and focus keeping your back rigid. If your weakest part is off the floor try doing some elevated DLs’ standing on a box or something.
My opinion is rack pulls are great as an accessory exercise. However, unless someone is there to see if your rack pulls look exactly the same as your deadlift at any given point it’s not going to help you at that specific point.
I have started doing rack pulls from just below the knee and when I switch back to regular deads, the weight doesn’t feel as heavy in my hands.
Also, I have been doing SLDL’s standing on 2x20kg plates on my leg days (I do deads and rack pulls on back day) and my dead has steadily improving.
Rack pulls essentially do the same thing as high board presses. They work the lockout.
So, just to chime in here, if say you do a max effort deadlift, and where you are weak is the erectors above the lumbars.
like middle - upper erectors is where you feel a bend and where you feel is holding you back.
what supplementals are best. good mornings? barbell hypers? front squats? more deadlifting?