Hey there, I was wondering if there’s a specific reason for the rack pulls in the press template. Or can one substitute it with another exercise to adress a more specific weak point, like deficit deadlifts for example.
Thanks!
It’s a mid shin rack pull and we like it as a somewhat specific deadlift variant. I don’t think that any particular variation trains a “weak point” better than another (in general) and I probably wouldn’t modify the template the first time around.
Thanks, Jordan. I’ll keep the template as it is. Maybe I don’t entirely get what you are saying, but what do you mean when you say that you don’t think any particular variation trains a weak point better than another in general? You don’t think that specifically training “weak points” is that relevant? Or you don’t think the excersise selection matters that much as most variations have enough carry over anyway?
Good question, Starx.
I mean both.
Let’s consider the deficit DL vs the rack pull for a moment. Most folks would say that the deficit DL trains a “weak point” off the floor whereas the rack pull trains a “weak point” at lockout, but that seems…unlikely.
The concept of an inherent weak point that is not the result of a person’s specific anthropometric leverages (non modifiable), technique (modifiable), and overall development (modifiable) does not make sense to me.
A lifter who is “weak off the floor” likely benefits from deficit deadlifts because it improves their technique via dedicated practice and it improves their strength via both neuromuscular and muscle cross sectional area training adaptations. They would get the same benefits from doing rack pulls - especially when done from the mid shin (it’s similarly specific compared to the deficit DL) given similar volume and fatigue.
Instead of thinking that we’re training “weak points”, I think we’re just training, you know?
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Interresting! Thanks for the comprehensive response, I’ll let that sink in for a while.
I get the strength improvement from rack pulls carrying over, but if there is a technique deficiency that manifests itself at a certain point in the lift, how would doing a movement that omits that portion of the lift correct it? I’m not following that part of your argument.
My N=1 supports this. I finished LP @345x5 but couldn’t pull 365 off the floor. During every pull session on the Bridge it was really obvious by my bar speed that my weakness was off the floor. I thought about switching Rack pulls out for deficits too but decided I didn’t know enough to change the template as written. 8 weeks later I pulled 400, after losing 11 lbs – and bar speed seems to suggest I don’t have a discernible weak point now.
I think that movements with significantly different ROM by definition are less specific to the movement we’re discussing and thus, have less ability to improve the technique.
That said, I can not think of a single case where a technique issue is isolated to a single point of a lift’s ROM, but not present at other points.
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