When your deadlift breaks off the floor fine but stalls near the top, partial deadlifts are the answer. Block pulls and rack pulls let you start the bar higher and overload the top of the lift, building the strength to finish a heavy pull instead of stalling just short of lockout.
Block Pulls Versus Rack Pulls
Both start the bar above the floor. With block pulls, the plates rest on blocks or mats, so the bar still has a little give and feels closer to a real pull. With rack pulls, the bar rests on the pins in a rack, giving a true dead stop. Block pulls tend to carry over a bit more cleanly, but rack pulls are easy to set up and great for overloading the lockout.
Why They Build Your Lockout
Starting higher lets you handle more weight than your full deadlift, sometimes a lot more. That overload teaches your back, hips, and grip to handle heavier loads through the top range. Your nervous system gets comfortable under bigger weights, and your lockout strength climbs. It also builds confidence handling loads above your max.
How to Use Them
Set the height just below your sticking point so you are training through the range that fails you. Run them as a supplemental pull for low to moderate reps. Keep your form honest, pulling with your back tight and your hips driving through, rather than just heaving the weight. Do not let the heavier loads turn the lift into a sloppy yank.
If your deadlift dies near the top, partial pulls give you a way to overload and strengthen that exact range. Set the height to your weakness and build the lockout that finishes heavy pulls.