rack deads

**zinghigh89** · 03-01-2016, 09:16 AM

Hey guys,
after a few years of reading about DC training and incorporating some of it's principles into my workouts, I've decided to give the original template a go. I will not be messing with the template as Dante is much bigger than me and has been in the trenches so to speak much longer than I have. The volume workouts are beating me up a bit so I'm gonna give this a shot. Anyways, I know there is no direct trap work and that traps are hit with the back thickness exercises. Question is, I've read how some guys when they do rack pulls they squeeze up and back at the top? Maybe I'm just weak but if I'm pulling 4-500lbs rack deads, I'm not gonna be able to shrug that at the top. Can someone elaborate?

**novastepp** · 03-01-2016, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by zinghigh89

Hey guys,
after a few years of reading about DC training and incorporating some of it's principles into my workouts, I've decided to give the original template a go. I will not be messing with the template as Dante is much bigger than me and has been in the trenches so to speak much longer than I have. The volume workouts are beating me up a bit so I'm gonna give this a shot. Anyways, I know there is no direct trap work and that traps are hit with the back thickness exercises. Question is, I've read how some guys when they do rack pulls they squeeze up and back at the top? Maybe I'm just weak but if I'm pulling 4-500lbs rack deads, I'm not gonna be able to shrug that at the top. Can someone elaborate?

First of all, you aren't weak. Your numbers are up there with some of the strongest guys in this forum. I haven't hit a 600lb deadlift, but I've pulled 565 and that was brutal and NO I cannot shrug it with any semblance of form.

That being said, when I have done rack pulls, I do indeed shrug at the top, but I do it in one motion as I posture up and flex my glutes (just like the end of the deadlift) but its emphasized more on back shrug rather than an upward shrug, if that makes sense. Honestly, its awkward at first and some times I feel like its not friendly to my SI joints to even do rack pulls and try to shrug upward.

So it may be that you just arent used to it so its weird. Or it may be that your body doesnt like that part of the movement and you performing that part of the move would be counter productive.

Last, rack pulls with numbers like yours, are going to hit the traps regardless of the shrugging motion on top. Keep the shoulders down and back and your traps will be engaged, literally, throughout the entire move.