Lower back exercises are constantly neglected, so you end up with a weak back because you don’t do any. How do you fix it? Rack pulls are the answer.

What The Hell Are Rack Pulls?

You’ve probably seen guys do rack pulls at the gym but you may have thought they were doing barbells rows funny. I don’t find it’s a very popular exercise in of itself, but it’s definitely effective.

In short, rack pulls are a modified deadlift with a limited range of motion.

Rack pulls are performed in a rack (duh). The bar is set on the safety guides at about knee height, depending on how deep you want the range of motion.

Rack pulls are effective at really working your lower back since you’re not limited by leg strength like deadlifts. This way you can target your lower optimally, without relying on your quads or hamstrings.

How Are Rack Pulls Different Than Deadlifts?

When you deadlift, whatever grip it may be, the bar is set on the ground. In some instances, you can step on a platform or plate to increase the range of motion of the deadlift.

As you straighten up with a deadlift you metaphorically push your feet through the floor, using the strength of your legs and back to raise the weight.

Now for rack pulls, the barbell is resting on the safety guides of the rack. For most, the safety is set to around knee height. If it’s too low, you’re just doing a deadlift and if it’s too high, the range of motion will be too short.

Just like a deadlift, you want to hinge your hips as you complete the exercise. Since your legs will be left out of the equation, your lower back will be constantly worked during the exercise.

Since the range of motion is shortened, you can overload the weight on rack pulls. Having said that, if you have a sensitive or weak lower back, this will be the last thing you want to do. Warm up with a lighter exercise such as hyperextensions, with or without additional weight, before you jump into rack pulls. This will reduce the chance of injury by literally warming up the muscle.

You’ve probably heard of sumo, Romanian and snatch grip deadlifting techniques, but have you heard of the Reeves deadlift? It’s a killer exercise to nail your upper back and work your forearms. In this article I’ll show you what the Reeves deadlift is and why it’s a great exercise.

Deadlifting, in the general sense, works many different muscles. This is why it’s called a compound exercise. Deadlifting will hit your quads, hamstrings and back (and a whole lot of other smaller muscles!).

Your posterior chain, which is is a group of muscles running from your calves to your rear delts, is used primarily when deadlifting.

The reason why deadlifting is such a great exercise is because it has real world applications and explosively works your posterior chain muscles.

For example, on the beginning of the lift, your quads will take dominance in raising the weight off the ground, which then engages your glutes and hamstrings. During the lift, your back muscles engage (lats) then the trapezius muscles.

Since you will be gripping the shit out of the bar, you’ll feel the burn in your forearms. The deadlift isn’t an exercise that works your biceps, shoulders or forearms as other exercises. This is where the Reeves deadlift comes in.

Your rear deltoid muscles are a small muscle group compared to the rest of your shoulder.The only way to grow rear delts is to hit them hard with the best rear delt exercises. Your rear deltoid is one of the muscles responsible from making you look big and fuller from the side and from the back, something that every guy wants. 

Having said that, the rear deltoid muscles are often the most neglected.

Unless you hit them directly, they won’t be worked as efficiently.

Your rear deltoid muscle is responsible for shoulder stability and keeping your rotator cuff in check. During most pressing movements, such as the shoulder press and bench press, your front (or anterior) delts get worked. For side laterals and upright barbell rows, your front and side (or lateral) delts are worked.

In this picture, Red denotes your front delt, Green is your lateral or side delt, and Blue is your posterior or rear delt.

Today I’m going to show you a few techniques and tips to help fix your rear delts not growing.

The Meadows Row is a hard-hitting back exercise that packs on lean muscle. If you can’t feel back exercises, you need to add the Meadows Row to your workout.

The Meadows Row is named after one of my favourite bodybuilders, John Meadows. He’s an old school bodybuilder from the United States, that has been working out since he was 13 years old. His workouts are intense and carefully planned out to get the most out of a workout. He’s one bodybuilder I admire the most because even after he almost died from his colon bursting, he just kept on going. THAT is what bodybuilding is all about!

The core muscles of your back are worked during any rowing exercise. You get the benefits of the full stretch on the muscle during the concentric phase and eccentric phase. Using the full range of motion is key in bodybuilding: the strength and size of the muscle will be greater where there is a longer range of motion.

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So you want to look big hey? Your trap muscles separate the small guys from the jacked guys. In this article, I’ll show you how to build big trap muscles and look huge from every angle.

Trapezius muscles are one of the most overlooked muscles (just like your calf muscles) that make you looked like you actually lift. Apart from your shoulders, your traps are going to be the one thing people notice about you when they see you for the first time. Just like your back and chest, your traps create a much fuller, properly built physique that others will die for.

Other than looking jacked, your trapezius muscles help with proper posture and optimal shoulder (scapula) retraction.

When I’m at the gym and I see guys trying to work their traps, most of the time it’s wrong. The idea is there but the technique needs some work. Today I’m going to show you 5 ways to build huge traps.