I hate rack deadlifts

[Doktor Bollix]

I can't get comfortable doing these at all, I just have no feel for the exercise. I'm definitely weakest at the top of the deadlift and I'm squatting 3 days a week so I want to get my lockout strength up while not doing full deads.

I have put the bar from knee height to half way up the thigh but they feel like shit and I'm using less weight than I use for full ROM.

A friend of mine suggested starting with the rack set quite high, doing 5 sets of 3 with a timed hold at the top, and dropping the pins a couple of holes every week while keeping the weight the same, and then repeating the cycle with more weight each time.

I do shrugs another day.

Insight anyone?

 

[Scaggs]

I wouldn't worry about the weight factor right now. get comfortable with them. i agree they are not fun when you first start them. but soon you will be able to attack them with such force it'll blow your Romanian style away and you'll be getting stronger in your entire back. delts, traps, lats, lower back, mid back and surprisingly neck. everything is flexed on heavy sets of racks. strap your wrists if needed. that will help you focus more on your movement. don't give up on them. keep the bar close to your body as you lower almost rolling it down your thighs. your form will play a major part on getting the bar back up on heavy sets. I usually aim for failure at 5-7 but pull close to 12 somehow.

here is a link to how rack deadlifts look.


http://rackdeadlifts.html

Hope this helps

Scaggs

 

[Doktor Bollix]

Thanks Scaggs. I'll just keep hitting them hard. I do them with shoulders retracted and squeezed for a better hit to the upper back.

 

[Greek Freak]

A lot of times you have to do a movement for a while with lighter weights(and not to failure) until you can really get the motion down well enough to handle some heavy poundages. If you just dont like it I am sure you could find something to substitute, or at least something that is close enough that you could do less sets of rack deads.

 

[louden_swain]

I love them!! I like to use over 600lbs on these for reps. I consider these a major upper back builder. Just keep experimenting with the exercise to become comfortable.

 

[Scaggs]

I agree. Rack's are my favorite back movement of all. They thickened my back nicely and feel great hitting them hard.

Any new movement is awkward in the beginning. I think the hardest movement I had training a beginner was Stiff legged deadlifts. it took a month of light weights before they could get the form down before they could really tax them.

Scaggs