Back
Block Pull
The Block Pull is a strength exercise with a barbell for your back. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: gluteus maximus 22%, spinal erectors (lower back) 20% and hamstrings (biceps femoris) 12%.
How to do it
- Set the loaded plates on pulling blocks so the bar sits just below the knees.
- Stand with feet hip-width, mid-foot under the bar, and grip it just outside the legs.
- Hinge to the bar with a flat back, shins nearly vertical and shoulders slightly ahead of the bar.
- Pull the slack out of the bar, then drive the hips forward and stand up tall.
- Lower the bar along the thighs back onto the blocks under control.
Tips
- Squeeze the lats to keep the bar pinned to the thighs.
- Use it to train a strong lockout without the leg drive from the floor.
Common mistakes
- Leaning back and shrugging at the top.
- Yanking the bar off the blocks with a loose back.
- Dropping the plates onto the blocks instead of lowering them.
Muscles worked by the Block Pull
Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.
Starting above the knee removes the quads and loads the lockout. Lifting a load from the floor with hips and knees extending together: glutes, spinal erectors and hamstrings drive it, quads break the floor, adductor magnus assists hip extension, grip and upper back hold the bar.
Block Pull alternatives
Same equipment
Different equipment
Easier
No equipment
Make it harder
Make it easier
Similar exercises
Frequently asked questions
What muscles does the Block Pull work?
Mainly the gluteus maximus, spinal erectors (lower back) and hamstrings (biceps femoris). The upper traps, hamstrings (semitendinosus/-membranosus) and adductors assist.
Is the Block Pull good for beginners?
The Block Pull is rated intermediate. If you are new, learn the Band Deadlift first and build up from there.
What is a good alternative to the Block Pull?
For example the Rack Pull, Band Deadlift and Dumbbell Deadlift. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.
How do you make the Block Pull harder?
Add weight or reps, or move on to the Paused Deadlift and Jefferson Deadlift.
Sources
- Escamilla et al. 2002, MSSE 34(4):682-688 (sumo vs conventional)
- Swinton et al. 2011, JSCR 25(7):2000-2009 (hexagonal bar)
Log your sets in Zulta
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