Regular Deadlifts can be a very effective exercise. No doubt Rich used them in his back routines over the years. Yet if you have knee or lower back problems, lifting a heavy weight from the floor might not be the best exercise you could do. So how can you get many of the benefits of the regular Deadlift without aggravating a lower back or knee problem? Easy - Top Deadlifts! Read on and find out more about this great exercise.

What Are Top Deadlifts?

Sometimes called Partial Deadlifts and similar to Rack Pulls, Top Deadlifts are a partial range-of-motion Deadlift. This exercise is performed in a Power Rack with the long safety pins set around knee height. It’s a good exercise if you have lower back problems or knee problems. For example, if you are someone who’s had a lower back spinal fusion, this is a smarter way to perform Deadlifts. 

The Difference Between Rack Pulls And Top Deadlifts

With Top Deadlifts, the long pins are set at a predetermined height right below the knee, although you can set it at knee height or slightly above. Rack Pulls can help you get stronger in regular Deadlifts by allowing you to work any weak link in the range of motion. The pins can be a few inches below the knee or even a few inches from the top of the movement. 

Performance Tips

Since you’re starting at about knee height, this becomes less of a whole-body exercise and more of an upper-back exercise. When performing this exercise, you can use heavy weight, or, you can use moderate weight and go for more reps. Either way, make sure you squeeze the back muscles at the top of the movement. 

Perform your reps in a slow and controlled manner, no pulling the weight up and just dropping the bar. Use a rep tempo of 2 seconds up, pause and squeeze, and 4 seconds down. 

While not as versatile as Rack Pulls, Top Deadlifts allow you to work on the upper range of motion and use heavier weight. After all, it’s a lot harder to pull a “dead” weight from the floor than it is from 2 or 3 pins up in a Power Rack.

How To Use It In Your Routine

Here’s an example Rich Piana-style back routine using Top Deadlifts:

Top Deadlifts -  5 sets -  20, 15, 12, 10, 8 reps

Pause and squeeze at the top.

Lat Pulldowns - 5 sets - 30, 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 reps

Pull down and squeeze at the bottom. Feel free to add a 2-second pause just before the top of the movement, at the full stretch position.

Behind the Neck Pulldowns - 5 sets - 10-20 reps

Pull down and squeeze.

T-Bar Rows - 5 sets - 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 reps

Hold and squeeze at the top. 

Seated Cable Rows - 5 sets- 25, 20, 15, 12, 10 reps

Get a complete range of motion, pull back and squeeze. 

Cable Pullovers - 5 sets of 20 reps

Rich used these as a finishing movement. 

Don’t Forget 5% Nutrition!

Top Deadlifts can be tough so you’ll want to start this intense routine with a potent 5% pre-workout such as Kill It Reloaded. With 328 mg of caffeine, an exclusive Creatine Blend, plus a powerhouse N.O. Blend and Nootropic Blend, it will get the job done! 

Take it further by mixing up and freezing (for 30 minutes) All Day You May for a potent, delicious intra-workout drink. Once your workout is over, take a tip from Rich and start recovering with a Real Carbs (or Real Carbs Rice) and Shake Time post-workout shake. Add any of our powerful natural muscle builders and optimize your results. 

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