I read all of Dorian’s training articles throughout his career. He never once mentioned “rack deads”. Never.
Ai agrees with you
According to
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In his training literature and instructional media, Yates frequently discussed his preference for movements that allowed for maximum muscular overload with controlled tension. Regarding the deadlift, Yates famously avoided the conventional barbell deadlift from the floor. He argued that the risk-to-reward ratio for a professional bodybuilder was unfavorable, as the movement often placed excessive strain on the lumbar spine rather than isolating the target muscles of the back. Instead, Yates favored movements like the bent-over barbell row, T-bar row, and various machine-based rows to build thickness.[1] [2]
When discussing "rack deadlifts"—a variation where the bar is pulled from a power rack set at knee height or slightly below—Yates did not incorporate them as a staple in his primary off-season or pre-contest routine. While he utilized partial movements for other body parts, he generally avoided heavy rack pulls for the back, fearing that the heavy loading would exacerbate his chronic lower back issues. His training methodology focused on the "stretch and squeeze" principle, which he believed was better achieved through controlled rowing motions rather than the heavy, explosive nature of rack deadlifts.[1] [2]
Yates’s training partner and contemporary observers have noted that his back thickness was primarily the result of his extreme intensity on rowing variations and pulldowns, rather than heavy deadlifting or rack pulling. By keeping the tension on the lats and rhomboids rather than shifting the load to the spinal erectors, Yates was able to maintain his massive physique while navigating the physical limitations of his lower back
