10 Best Rack Pulls Alternatives for Limited Rack or Low-Back Pain
If you can’t do rack pulls, use Romanian deadlifts, trap-bar deadlifts, single-leg RDLs, glute-ham raises, or good mornings to load the hamstrings and posterior chain. Emphasize a hip hinge: push your hips back, maintain a neutral spine, and feel tension through the hamstrings on the descent.
Original Exercise: Rack Pulls
How to Perform Rack Pulls
- Set up in a power rack with the bar on the pins. The pins should be set to the desired point; just below the knees, just above, or in the mid thigh position. Position yourself against the bar in proper deadlifting position. Your feet should be under your hips, your grip shoulder width, back arched, and hips back to engage the hamstrings. Since the weight is typically heavy, you may use a mixed grip, a hook grip, or use straps to aid in holding the weight.
- With your head looking forward, extend through the hips and knees, pulling the weight up and back until lockout. Be sure to pull your shoulders back as you complete the movement.
- Return the weight to the pins and repeat.
Pro Tips
- Category: Powerlifting
- Force: Pull
- Movement type: Compound
Best Rack Pulls Alternatives
1. Clean Deadlift
81% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Begin standing with a barbell close to your shins. Your feet should be directly under your hips with your feet turned out slightly. Grip the bar with a double overhand grip or hook grip, about shoulder width apart. Squat down to the bar. Your spine should be in full extension, with a back angle that places your shoulders in front of the bar and your back as vertical as possible.
- Begin by driving through the floor through the front of your heels. As the bar travels upward, maintain a constant back angle. Flare your knees out to the side to help keep them out of the bar's path.
- After the bar crosses the knees, complete the lift by driving the hips into the bar until your hips and knees are extended.
2. Clean
74.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand (or hook) grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
- Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended.
- As full extension is achieved, transition into the third pull by aggressively shrugging and flexing the arms with the elbows up and out. At peak extension, aggressively pull yourself down, rotating your elbows under the bar as you do so. Receive the bar in a front squat position, the depth of which is dependent upon the height of the bar at the end of the third pull. The bar should be racked onto the protracted shoulders, lightly touching the throat with the hands relaxed. Continue to descend to the bottom squat position, which will help in the recovery.
3. Barbell Good Morning
73.9% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell resting on your upper back.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, pushing your buttocks back as if you were trying to touch the wall behind you with your glutes.
- Lower your torso until it is parallel to the ground, feeling a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Pause for a moment, then return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes and pushing your hips forward.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
4. Barbell Straight Leg Deadlift
69.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Hold the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Bend at your hips and lower the barbell towards the ground, keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent.
- Lower the barbell until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings.
- Engage your hamstrings and glutes to lift the barbell back up to the starting position.
5. Double Kettlebell Alternating Hang Clean
66.6% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Place two kettlebells between your feet. To get in the starting position, push your butt back and look straight ahead.
- Clean one kettlebell to your shoulder and hold on to the other kettlebell.
- With a fluid motion, lower the top kettlebell while driving the bottom kettlebell up.
6. Cable Deadlifts
65.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Move the cables to the bottom of the towers and select an appropriate weight. Stand directly in between the uprights.
- To begin, squat down be flexing your hips and knees until you can reach the handles.
- After grasping them, begin your ascent. Driving through your heels extend your hips and knees keeping your hands hanging at your side. Keep your head and chest up throughout the movement.
- After reaching a full standing position, Return to the starting position and repeat.
7. Barbell Deadlift
65.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the barbell on the ground in front of you.
- Bend your knees and hinge at the hips to lower your torso and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your back straight and chest lifted as you drive through your heels to lift the barbell off the ground, extending your hips and knees.
- As you stand up straight, squeeze your glutes and keep your core engaged.
- Lower the barbell back down to the ground by bending at the hips and knees, keeping your back straight.
8. Barbell Rack Pull
65.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- Set up a barbell on a rack at knee height.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly outwards.
- Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself down and grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
- Engage your core and lift the barbell by extending your hips and knees, pulling your shoulders back and squeezing your glutes at the top.
- Lower the barbell back down to the starting position by bending at the hips and knees.
9. Car Deadlift
65.2% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- This event apparatus typically has neutral grip handles, however some have a straight bar that you can approach like a normal deadlift. The apparatus can be loaded with a vehicle or other heavy objects such as tractor tires or kegs.
- Center yourself between the handles if you are a strong squatter, or back a couple inches if you are a strong deadlifter. You feet should be about hip width apart. Bend at the hip to grip the handles. With your feet and your grip set, take a big breath and then lower your hips and flex the knees.
- Look forward with your head, keep your chest up and your back arched, and begin driving through the heels to move the weight upward. As the weight comes up, pull your shoulder blades together as you drive your hips forward.
- Lower the weight by bending at the hips and guiding it to the floor.
10. Clean Pull
64.7% MatchHow to perform this exercise
- With a barbell on the floor close to the shins, take an overhand or hook grip just outside the legs. Lower your hips with the weight focused on the heels, back straight, head facing forward, chest up, with your shoulders just in front of the bar. This will be your starting position.
- Begin the first pull by driving through the heels, extending your knees. Your back angle should stay the same, and your arms should remain straight and elbows out. Move the weight with control as you continue to above the knees.
- Next comes the second pull, the main source of acceleration for the clean. As the bar approaches the mid-thigh position, begin extending through the hips. In a jumping motion, accelerate by extending the hips, knees, and ankles, using speed to move the bar upward. There should be no need to actively pull through the arms to accelerate the weight; at the end of the second pull, the body should be fully extended, leaning slightly back, with the arms still extended. Full extension should be violent and abrupt, and ensure that you do not prolong the extension for longer than necessary.
Why You Might Need a Rack Pulls Alternative
You might substitute rack pulls for several reasons: no rack access, lower-back pain with high lockout loads, or a need to target different parts of the posterior chain. Alternatives change leverages and range of motion so you can shift work from lumbar extensors to hamstrings and glutes. For example, Romanian deadlifts increase hamstring length-tension and eccentric loading; trap-bar deadlifts reduce shear on the lumbar spine by keeping load closer to your center of mass. Use cues like bracing the core and hinging at the hips to control spinal loading and ensure targeted hamstring activation.
How to Choose the Right Substitute
Select a substitute based on equipment, your weak link (lockout vs hip hinge), and spinal tolerance. If you lack a rack but want heavy load, choose trap-bar deadlifts and cue: drive through the mid-foot and keep the chest up. To emphasize eccentric hamstring work pick Romanian deadlifts or Nordic curls and cue: push hips back and keep knees slightly soft. For unilateral stability or imbalance, use single-leg RDLs and touch the floor lightly as a depth cue. Consider progression options and how each exercise shifts load between hamstrings, glutes, and lumbar extensors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What muscles does Rack Pulls work?
Rack pulls primarily load the posterior chain: lumbar erectors, glutes, and hamstrings, with secondary activation of traps and forearms. The partial range of motion emphasizes lockout strength and spinal extension, so you’ll feel high activation in the upper erectors and traps during the finish.
What is the best bodyweight alternative to Rack Pulls?
The Nordic hamstring curl is the best bodyweight substitute for hamstring hypertrophy and eccentric strength; anchor your ankles, keep hips aligned, and lower slowly to maximize eccentric tension. If you lack an anchor, use single-leg Romanian deadlifts with slow tempo and a strong hip-hinge cue.
Can I build muscle without doing Rack Pulls?
Yes. You can build the same hamstring and back mass using Romanian deadlifts, trap-bar deadlifts, good mornings, glute-ham raises, and targeted eccentric work. Focus on progressive overload, proper hip-hinge mechanics, and sufficient volume to stimulate hypertrophy.
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