Skip to content
← Exercise Library

Rack Lockout

Also written as Rack lockouts

Advanced movement. Use appropriate equipment, safety pins or spotters, and a load you can control. If you are unfamiliar with the movement, learn the technique before attempting the programmed intensity.

What it trains

triceps brachii, pectoralis major

Also: anterior deltoid

Equipment

barbell, power rack, bench

Setup

  • Set the pins in the rack so the bar starts in the top portion of a bench press.
  • Lie back with the shoulder blades pinned and the eyes under the bar.
  • Grip as you would for a bench press.

Execution

  1. 1.Press the bar off the pins to full lockout.
  2. 2.Lower under control back to the pins and let the weight settle.
  3. 3.Reset the brace before the next rep.

Breathing

Inhale before the press, exhale at lockout.

Form cues

  • Keep the shoulder blades retracted even though the range is short.
  • Press straight up over the shoulder joint.
  • Settle the bar on the pins rather than bouncing it.

Common mistakes

  • Bouncing the bar off the pins to start the next rep.
  • Letting the shoulders roll forward because the load is heavy.
  • Setting the pins so high the range is meaningless.

Safety

  • This is a deliberately overloaded partial. Set the pins so a failed rep lands safely, and add load conservatively.

Technique written to align with

  • NSCA — Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning

Instructions and diagrams on this page are original to QuantumWorkout.