Comments on: The Rack, it’s not just for resting

By: Eustolia Misenhimer

Eustolia Misenhimer — Sun, 12 Dec 2010 20:42:16 +0000

Thanks for the info. A lot of good tips in that list. . .
Regards
Al Riyadh

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:27:29 +0000

Thanks for sending me this article, John. I am starting to realise what I need to do to improve…it’s all becoming much clearer
It’s very good to know that the flexibility work that I do is serving a purpose other than stopping me becoming a stiff wee thing

By: Nick Chertock

Nick Chertock — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:06:40 +0000

Thanks for that response John, it’s good to know that you don’t have to have one specific kind of build to find that ideal rack position. Great stories about the Russians, I feel like doing some mobility work right here at my desk after reading it.

By: John Wild Buckley

John Wild Buckley — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:41:19 +0000

@ Nick,
Sure, having a long upper arm and a high waist makes things easier but it is not a guarantee that your rack will be easy or perfect. It is also not the end of the story when it comes to having a rack. Plenty of guys who have big chests and arms have good racks. Morozov and Vasiliev pictured above are both built guys. Morozov originally was a power lifter and he has a dense solid build. Denis was a bodybuilder/arm wrestler/fighter before he became full time Kettlebell sportsman so he has the typical tiny waist huge arms/chest/back build you would desire for the beach (and he has huge legs, but I digress). In addition to the whole Adonis thing they both have going on, they both have sick flexibility. If you see other pictures of Denis and Igor you will see how low their shoulders hang and how their traps are without tension. Igor was screwing around and having us grab his traps while they were relaxed and then he would flex and turn the mush to stone. It was sick.
They work on flexibility throughout their whole bodies and it allows them to get whatever tissue and structure is in the way out of the way. When they were working on me it because clear that I had more tissue than was useful (what a nice way to put that, no?) and I needed to work on my flexibility. Coach Rudnev said that my technique was good but it doesn’t matter because I am too tight and how do you say, you know fyat. He then helped me understand what I needed to do to fix my issues and I have been working on it ever since. I almost wrote about how close I am to having a real lockout today.
Rudnev (the skinny guy in the pictures above) Has a very classic rack and boy does he need it. The weight he works with is almost his bodyweight and since he competes on the highest level he needs his technique to support and protect him.
When I was working with Mishin I was confronted with the idea that there is more than one way to do this. He was showing me his way and I thought I was going to snap my spine. He is so incredibly strong. He is beyond belief. He does not use a traditional rack.
Nick, your body is fine for a good rack. You need to stretch my man Just like I do. The rack comes down to flexibility, structural alignment, and weight distribution. All things you can figure out and work on.

By: John Wild Buckley

John Wild Buckley — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:16:42 +0000

Thank you gents!

By: Nick Chertock

Nick Chertock — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 18:16:00 +0000

Great article John, what type of build would tend to have an easier time with the rack position? Is it the athlete with longer limbs and a narrow chest?

By: Shaf

Shaf — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:02:56 +0000

Nice bit, John, with good insight.

By: Gregor

Gregor — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:02:18 +0000

Great article!

By: Mrkl

Mrkl — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 05:24:12 +0000

Very nice reading!

By: John Wild Buckley

John Wild Buckley — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:43:29 +0000

I’m so glad! I was talking with Heidi today