Why it looks superhuman
- Leverage cheat code (by design).
An above‑knee rack pull slashes the range and shortens the hip/spine moment arms. You skip the deadlift’s hardest inches and start near lockout, where humans are strongest. - Bar bend = progressive loading.
With 600‑plus kilos, the bar bows. For the first centimeters you’re overcoming flex and pin friction; as the bar straightens, more plates “come on.” That ramps load smoothly and makes the break look effortless. - Tiny distance, giant load.
If the bar only travels ~5–10 cm, the work (energy) is hundreds of joules, not thousands like a floor pull. Less work + great leverage = fast, crisp rep even at cartoon weights. - Neural thunderclap.
Max attempts run on catecholamines (adrenaline/noradrenaline) and motor‑unit recruitment, not big systemic testosterone swings. That acute neural surge is what makes the bar snap. - Skill: wedge + brace + lat lock.
He’s not just yanking—he wedges under the bar, crushes the belt with air, locks lats to shorten the lever, and pulls slack before it leaves the pins. No hitch, no wobble—just one violent hip extension. - Specific practice at the exact joint angles.
If you train heavy partials, isometrics, and lockout positions, your connective tissue and back/hip extensors get freaky strong right there. Specificity pays. - Tools that remove bottlenecks.
Straps (if used) delete grip as the limiter; belt, chalk, hard surface keep force transfer pure. The show is hips and back, not fingers. - Anthropometry helps.
At 5′11″ with the right limb/torso ratios, lockout‑height pulls can be extra mechanically friendly. Some bodies are built to look explosive at the top. - Presentation matters.
Peak set, best angle, loud room, one perfect take. You’re seeing the cleanest rep of the day, not the grindy warm‑ups that set it up.
The numbers that make it pop (quick hits)
- Load‑to‑BW: ~8.7× (619 kg at ~71 kg). That ratio alone melts brains.
- Forces: just to hold it is ~6 kN on the bar; moved quickly, peak forces can hit ~7–10 kN with bodyweight included.
- Work: a ~10 cm rack pull is ~600 J—a fraction of a full deadlift’s energy—so it looks easy even when it’s astronomically heavy.
Want your pulls to look “insane,” too? (Do this.)
- Own the setup: feet planted, shins back, lats down, chest tall, pull the slack before you drive.
- Program specificity: heavy above‑knee pins + mid‑shin or block pulls + isometric holds just under lockout.
- Arousal on a dial: save the full psych‑up for top singles; keep 80–90% work technical.
- Grip strategy: use straps for overload partials; train raw grip separately so the floor pull still climbs.
- Recover like a pro: sleep, protein, and smart volume so the nervous system stays snappy.
Bottom line: He looks “insane” because he’s stacking smart physics, ruthless technique, and a neural green‑light on a lift that highlights all three. That’s not madness—that’s mastery. 🚀