Isometric Mid-Thigh Pull

A step-by-step form guide from the Ægir Iron exercise library: how to do the lift, what to watch for, and the muscles it trains.

HOW TO PERFORM

Fix a bar in a rack at mid-thigh height with the safety pins set just above it, so it cannot rise.
Stand under the bar with the feet hip width apart, the knees and hips slightly bent and the shoulders just ahead of the bar.
Grip the bar, straighten the arms and pull the slack out so you are already pushing before the effort starts.
Pull as hard and as fast as you can, driving the feet through the floor, for three to five seconds.
Release, rest fully, and repeat for the set's reps.

Reach full effort in the first second. The test scores how fast force rises as well as how high it goes.
Use straps if the grip gives out first, and keep the torso fixed. Leaning back to pull harder changes the position being measured.

Log it in Ægir Iron to track your PRs and estimated 1RM, and to see the sets each muscle gets every week. Free for individual lifters.