1. Place a loaded barbell on the rack at knee height. 2. Stand facing the barbell with your feet shoulder-width apart. 3. Bend at the hips and knees to lower yourself into a squat position, reaching down to grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. 4. Keep your back straight and engage your core. 5. Push through your hips and legs to lift the barbell up, driving your elbows back and squeezing your shoulder blades together. 6. Straighten your knees and hips fully at the top of the movement, with the barbell just below your knees. 7. Lower the barbell back down in a controlled manner by bending at the hips and knees. 8. Repeat for the recommended number of repetitions.

How to perform the Barbell Rack Pull

  1. Set up. Set up in a stable, balanced starting position appropriate for the Barbell Rack Pull using your barbell.
  2. Brace and execute. Brace your core, control the descent, and move through a full pain-free range of motion while emphasizing your glutes.
  3. Reset. Reverse the movement under control and reset between repetitions, keeping your form crisp on every rep.

Coaching cues

  • Move with intent — every rep should feel deliberate, not rushed.
  • Drive force through your glutes rather than momentum.
  • Keep your breathing steady: exhale on the hard part, inhale on the reset.

Common mistakes

  • Using too much weight and losing positional control.
  • Cutting the range of motion short and missing the target muscle.
  • Letting your spine round or hyperextend instead of staying neutral.

Detailed cues, common mistakes, and demonstration video are available in the Fitly app.

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