Muscle outlines from Body Muscles by Ivan Vulović, Apache 2.0 — regrouped and recoloured for Muscle Train.
Position the bar over the top of your shoelaces and assume a wide stance (determined by your hip structure and limb length). Push your hips back and hinge forward until your torso is nearly parallel with the floor. Reach down and grasp the bar using a shoulder width, double overhand grip. Inhale and pull up slightly on the bar while allowing your hips to drop in a seesaw fashion. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as “pulling the slack out of the bar”. As you drop the hips and pull up on the bar, set the lats (imagine you’re trying to squeeze oranges in your armpits) and ensure your armpits are positioned directly over the bar. Drive through the whole foot and focus on pushing the floor away. Ensure the bar tracks in a straight line as you extend the knees and hips. Once you have locked out the hips, reverse the movement by pushing the hips back and hinging forward. Return the bar to the floor, reset, and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Experiment with stance and toe angle — find what feels best for hips and power. Wedge hips close to the bar, keep armpits over bar and midfoot for a straight path. Engage lats (“squeeze oranges in armpits”) to keep bar tight and vertical. Hips below shoulders, chest up, shins vertical. Drive through whole foot (big toe, little toe, heel), not just heels. Push knees out (“spread the floor”) to activate glutes and stabilize knees. Neck position is individual — neutral or slightly up depending on anatomy. Don’t retract shoulder blades; keep elbows locked out. Use full grip, squeeze bar hard, avoid false grip. Drop bar on singles if allowed; control eccentric on reps. Weak lockout → add rack pulls, RDLs, band/chain pulls. Weak off floor → add paused or deficit pulls, plus upper back & glute work.
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