Fysiqal

Hip Hinge · Advanced

Rack Pull

Compound hip hinge exercise using barbell, squat rack.
Rack Pull demonstration (no audio).
Movement pattern
Hip Hinge
Difficulty
Advanced
Equipment
Barbell, Squat rack
Mechanics
Compound
Sides
Bilateral
Main plane
Sagittal

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How to do the Rack Pull

Cues reviewed by Kwabena Osei on

Setup

Set the safety pins at just below or at knee height, bar loaded and resting on the pins.

  1. Set up the same way you would for a deadlift -- flat back, hips back, chest up -- but starting from the pins instead of the floor.

  2. Drive through your heels to stand up, pulling the bar up your legs and locking out at the hips.

  3. Lower the bar back to the pins under control rather than dropping it.

Common mistakes

  • Loading far heavier than a full-range deadlift just because the range is shorter -- the reduced range doesn't make the lockout portion inherently safe at any weight.

  • Rounding the lower back to start the pull off the pins instead of setting a flat back before initiating.

Muscles worked

Primary

Secondary

How the knowledge graph models this movement

Each joint action, with the role and emphasis the graph assigns each muscle. These are qualitative anatomical labels, not measured muscle activation.

  • Hip extensionprimary action

    Gluteus maximus (prime mover, high emphasis); Biceps femoris long head (prime mover, moderate emphasis); Semitendinosus (synergist, moderate emphasis); Semimembranosus (synergist, moderate emphasis); Adductor magnus (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Knee extensionsecondary action

    Vastus lateralis (synergist, low emphasis); Vastus medialis (synergist, low emphasis)

  • Spine extensionsecondary action

    Erector spinae (stabilizer, high emphasis); Multifidus (stabilizer, moderate emphasis)

  • Scapula depressionsecondary action · resisted

    Trapezius (stabilizer, high emphasis); Levator scapulae (stabilizer, moderate emphasis)

Related exercises

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From the Knowledge Library

Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified professional for individual guidance, especially around injury, pregnancy or medical conditions.