How to Dead Hang for Your Purpose – Ultimate Guide

Just hang from the bar! Pretty straight forward, right? Wrong.

Did you know that there are a ton of different ways you can hang? Depending on the goal you’re pursuing, there is probably a better way.

In this post, we’ll teach you how to dead hang for grip strength, core stability, shoulder health, mobility, or spinal decompression. No matter what you prepare for, we’ve got you covered.

The Basic Dead Hang

Let’s start by looking at the basics of the hanging exercise, before we dive into the specific applications:

1. Find an object that you can hang from, for example a pull-up bar. Choose a height that is over your head and, ideally, slightly outside of your reach. Use a stool or block to stand on in order to reach the object. Choosing that height allows you to let your feet hang freely in the air.
2. Grab the object with both hands and hold on to it. Let your body sink down. You should be hanging directly underneath the bar or the object of your choice.
3. Fully extend your arms and lock your elbows. Don’t bend your arms.
4. Keep your head leveled above your spine. Tuck your chin slightly and pull your head back into alignment, preventing it from tilting forward.
5. If you are performing an active hang, keep tension in your whole body by pulling your shoulder blades down and flexing your core. Alternatively, if you are performing a passive hang, try to relax your body as much as possible and let your body sink down into a stronger stretch.
6. Your feet are freely hanging in the air. They can also be placed on the floor, a box, or stool underneath you and carry some weight to assist you and decrease the stretch.
7. The dead hang is an isometric exercise. Hold this position as long as you want to and as you safely can. Start with three sets of 20 to 30 seconds as a beginner and progress over time.

Passive vs Active Hanging

The dead hang can be performed as a passive or an active exercise. The main differences are your shoulder position and the amount of tension in your body.

Passive Hanging

In the passive hang, your goal is to relax your body as much as possible. The only parts of your body that are supposed to work are your hands and forearms, which you need to hold on to the bar.

Your shoulders and shoulder blades are completely relaxed, letting your body and head sink down toward the floor. Your ears are at the height of your shoulders and they may touch them. Keep your head leveled by slightly tucking your chin and pulling it into alignment with your spine.

Your core is lose and your body weight pulls your spine into length. This is where the dead hang gets its name from. You hang there without any tension, like a dead person would if their hands were tied to the object – except that your neck holds up your head.

In general, passive hanging is best for spinal decompression and mobility work.

Active Hanging

In contrast, you engage your whole body during the active hang. If you take the word dead hang by its literal meaning, the active hang doesn’t really fit the description.

By pulling your shoulder blades towards the floor and then together, you create a very stable shoulder position.

The act of pulling your shoulder blades down, pulls your whole body up because your hands are anchored to the object you hang from. Your head position is above your shoulders, almost as high as when you stand on the floor.

Now, flex your core and stabilize your spine. Point your toes and get into a hollow body position by just slightly bringing your legs forward.

Objects You Can Hang From

Pull-up Bar

Using a pull-up bar to hang from is the most straight forward and common method. As a beginner, start from there.

Pull-up bars are specifically created for the purpose of hanging on to them to exercise.

They have an ideal height and thickness to hold on to. Their smooth metal surface makes them a safe training tool, as this prevents splints and other injuries to the skin.

Rings

Hanging from rings is more advanced than using a pull-up bar.

The rings are not fixated but move around. Therefore, you have to put in a lot of effort to stabilize your body during the exercise.

This can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on what you’re training for.

One advantage of the rings is that they allow you to use a variety of different grips and, as a result, different hand and shoulder positions.

Tree Branch

Hanging from a tree branch will be appealing to you if you like to work out outdoors and are in touch with nature.

It can be challenging for you to find a tree branch that has all the necessary attributes to be a decent exercise tool.

The branch has to be grown horizontally and at a height you can reach. Additionally, it has be stable enough to carry your weight while not being super thick. After all, you still have to be able to grab it.

Be Creative

The dead hang can be performed on a lot of different objects. Use whatever you have access to as long as you keep your safety in mind.

Ideally, the equipment is just reachable if you stand on your toes or if you use a step. That way, you can extend your whole body while hanging. The height still allows you to touch the ground or use your feet in case you want to take some weight off your arms.

Grip and Grip Width for Hanging

Grip Width

You can experiment with a range of different grip widths. In the beginning, start with a grip that is shoulder width apart or slightly wider.

A grip at shoulder width or slightly wider translates best into overhead mobility and really stretches your latissimus. Moreover, it will be the easiest to hold on to in terms of grip strength since your body weight hangs directly under hands.

A wider grip opens your chest more. It targets your mobility straight overhead less but has a more lateral component. You will feel this really stretching your pectorals and biceps while the stretch in your lats is less intense.

Overhand Grip: Palms Forward

The palms forward (pronated) grip is the most basic grip if you are using a pull up bar. It will feel most natural and is a good option for beginners.

This grip translates very well into a lot of overhead barbell movements because they utilize the same grip.

It is an excellent tool to improve your overhead press and Olympic lifts.

Underhand Grip: Palms Backward

If you choose a grip with your palms facing backward (supinated), you are creating a lot of external rotation in your shoulders.

This is a position you are not in often. Depending on your shoulder mobility, it is hard to get into position and it can be challenging to fully extend your arms.

On top of that, you are also not able to hold on as long as you can with other grips. You feel a stretch in the front or on top of your shoulders while hanging with a palms backward grip. When performing an active hang, a supinated grip also recruits your biceps.

Neutral Grip: Palm to Palm

The palm to palm grip is also called the neutral grip because it is the most natural shoulder position if you lift your arms over your head.

Ideally, you have two parallel bars that you can grab (e.g. monkey bars). Most chin-up stations also enable this grip option.

This grip is an excellent option for you if other grips cause you shoulder pain or discomfort.

Mixed Grip: One Palm Forward, One Palm Backward

Using an overhand grip on one side and an underhand grip on the other side is called a mixed grip. Your body slightly rotates to the side with the overhand grip.

So, how is this useful? Your shoulder on the underhand side externally rotates but to a smaller degree than when using a supinated grip. Give the mixed grip a try if you want to introduce external rotation to the dead hang but an underhand grip causes pain or discomfort. A subtler external rotation might be just what you need.

Because the mixed grip has a different effect on each side, make sure to alternate the direction your hands face throughout your sets or from session to session.

Gripping a Tree Branch

If you choose a tree branch as your exercise tool, you will have different gripping options, depending on the thickness. You can grip the tree with your palms facing forward, backward, or mixed if the branch is relatively thin.

The thicker the tree, the harder it will be to hold on. If the branch is very thick, another option becomes available which is similar to a neutral grip.

Turn your body so it faces along the axis of the branch’s length. When you reach overhead, your arms will hug the branch, going around it on either side. This is almost like a neutral grip but your palms face downward instead of directly facing each other.

Make sure to straighten your arms as much as possible while hugging the tree.

Grip Options with Rings

More options are available to you if you choose rings. Apart from all the different grips mentioned above, you can also take different angles in between.

For example, you can have a combination of a pronated and a neutral grip by turning the rings at a 45 degree angle, or any position in between.

You can also transition into another gripping option during the holding exercise by turning the rings into another position. By cycling through different grips while maintaining active tension, you can bring your shoulder stability and functional mobility to the next level.

Fingertips

Holding the bar only with your fingers instead of using the whole hand is an advanced method for improving grip strength.

It is an excellent choice if you are passionate about rock climbing, bouldering, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Or maybe you are just looking for a challenge.

This variation is guaranteed to make your forearms burn.

Fully Extending the Arms

Fully extend your arms while doing the dead hang. That way, you reap the full benefits.

You don’t put your body in overhead positions often enough. If your arms a fully extended, you can really target the limiting factors in your overhead mobility.

From a muscular standpoint, you don’t want to turn this into an arm exercise. As an isometric strength exercise, you want to train stability in your shoulders and core.

You should only bend them if your mobility, or the tool on which you perform the exercise, does not allow you to extend them. For example, if you are in pain or if you physically cannot hold on to the tree branch unless you wrap your arms around it.

However, there are better options to decrease the intensity of the stretch than bending your arms. We will talk about using your feet as an assistance soon.

Head Positioning

Keep your head aligned with your spine. It will try to move forward.

Simply tuck your chin and pull your head back in alignment. Try not to tense up when performing the passive hang. A slight correction is enough.

How Long Should I Hang?

How long you hang from the bar depends on your specific goals.

Hang until you feel relaxation and relief in your back if spinal decompression is your goal.

Otherwise, find a duration that is challenging but possible for you and slowly progress over time. This is applicable for both strengthening and mobility work.

Three sets of 20 to 30 seconds are a good starting point if you are a beginner and fit nicely into your workout routine. Progress from there.

If you do the exercise daily, you can also do one set until failure. Monitor your performance. If the time starts to drop, you need to give your body some time to recover. Take a day or two off from hanging.

Experts of the exercise are able to hang for multiple minutes. Keep practicing and you’ll get there too.

Using Assistance for the Dead Hang

The dead hang is a lot more challenging than it looks. In the beginning, it can be hard to hang there for only a couple of seconds.

The problems can be either caused by a lack of mobility or strength in some area of your body.

Don’t be discouraged. With a little help, you can do it too!

Feet Touching the Ground

Is it impossible for you to hold on or is the stretch painful? It shouldn’t be. Instead of giving up or bending your arms, decrease the pulling force by placing your feet on the ground.

If you cannot reach the ground, take a box, bench, stool, or any other object that you can stand on.

Put as much weight on your feet as you need to. It could be a lot and that’s fine. Or it could just be a tiny bit of weight you take off with the tips of your toes.

However, don’t make it too easy for you. Find a middle ground. You want to reap the benefits of the exercise and improve your strength or mobility. That means you have to be challenged by the exercise while being able to complete it safely.

Lifting Straps

Lifting straps are an excellent choice if your grip strength is the limiting factor but not your highest priority to train.

They are very underutilized in the dead hang. Weight straps take load off your grips without making the exercise easier in terms of mobility and stability in the rest of your body.

In that regard, the dead hang is similar to the deadlift. You could do more if it wasn’t for your grips giving up. This simple tool helps you to keep going.

Chalk

Chalk is another grip assistance tool. It is useful if you slip off because you’re hands are sweaty during an intense workout.

Sometimes, your grip is strong enough and just some extra friction is all you need.

Gloves

Gym gloves or weight lifting gloves will also give you more friction. They also make the hanging more comfortable for your hands.

They can help you if you have pain in the palms of your hands while holding on for longer durations.

Apart from that, they prevent caluss from building on your hands and keep them smooth.

Leg and Foot Positioning

In general, you want your feet to hang down in alignment with your body. You can bend your knees and point your feet behind you, if your legs are too long but you want to prevent your feet from touching the floor. That way, you hold them in the air while not creating a lot of tension.

If you are performing an active hang, on the other hand, you want to create tension in your core. Flex your core by pointing your toes and just slightly bring your legs up in front you. Now you are in what’s called a hollow body position.

Safety Considerations

You always have to consider safety first, before performing any exercise. Talk to your physician before performing the dead hang, especially if you have any pre-existing injuries to your shoulders, back, or spine.

Make sure that you are not hanging from objects that are dangerously high or have sharp, rusty edges as they can cause infections.

How to Dead Hang for Spinal Decompression

Spinal decompression, the act of pulling your spine into length, is a real thing and the passive hang is optimal for that purpose. Throughout the day, gravity compresses your spine, slightly decreasing the space between your vertebrae. The dead hang enables you to decompress your spine.

By holding on to the object above, gravity pulls your spine into length towards the floor. In order for that to work optimally, be as relaxed as possible. That’s why a passive hang is your best choice.

Perform a passive hang and let go of tension in your body. A flexed core stabilizes your spine and makes it harder for gravity to decompress it.

Choose a grip that allows you to be as relaxed as possible. A pronated or neutral grip is ideal.

Use assistance to make the exercise easier if holding on to the bar feels very difficult and makes you tense. In that case, any type of grip support is beneficial. Lifting straps take weight off your hand and forearms and therefore help you relax your shoulders and core.

You can also place your feet on the ground and take off some weight if the pulling force is too strong. In that case, less is more.

How to Dead Hang for Shoulder Health

A healthy shoulder is both stable and mobile. You have to train for both or pick your weakest link if you know that one of them is causing you problems.

If the rest of your training already includes a lot of exercises targeting your shoulders’ stability, focus on your mobility during the dead hang.

If you work a lot on your mobility but neglect your stability, choose the hanging variation that improves your stability more.

You can also train both with the dead hang by switching from one variation to the other or by alternating variations throughout your workout sessions.

Increasing Shoulder Stability

An active hang is a great tool to train shoulder stability. While hanging from the bar, pull your shoulder blades down and together. This locks them in a stable position you want to maintain throughout the exercise.

Use a pronated or neutral grip.

Create tension in your core. Hold it and consciously focus on your shoulder position.

Hang on for 3 sets of 20-30 seconds and increase the hanging time gradually as you get stronger.

Over time, you can start to introduce some progressions to make the effort to stabilize your shoulders harder. You can start moving your legs while keeping tension in your shoulders and core, minimizing upper body movement. Progressing to rings is another way to increase difficulty.

Increasing Shoulder Mobility

While an active hang is a better way of promoting strength, hanging passively will introduce a higher level of mobility. The stretch in your latissimus, pectorals, and other muscles intensifies if you relax your body and let it sink down further.

A passive hang is also prescribed by Dr. Kirsch to treat various causes of shoulder pain.

Play around with different grips and grip widths to introduce new range of motion to your shoulders. Shoulder mobility is not about maxing out in one position but being mobile in a lot of different positions.

Shift and twist your body into different positions by using your feet on the floor or a box to change your body’s orientation.

Maximize the Stretch: One-Armed Hanging

Hanging with one arm is a very effective way to bring your shoulder mobility to the next level.

Your arm will carry double the weight, so definitely start with your feet on the floor. Relax your shoulder and only put so much weight on it that you have an adequate pulling force to not tense up or be in pain.

One-armed hanging allows you to move into very different positions. You can really target your pecs or lats, depending on how you position your body and the stretch will be intense.

Use the object you’re standing on to move your body into new positions and hunt for tight areas. The one-armed hang is an excellent exercise to improve your shoulder’s mobility in a variety of different overhead positions.

How to Dead Hang for Grip Strength

The dead hang is an excellent exercise for improving grip strength. Whether you use the active or passive method, doesn’t matter if you train for grip strength. What’s important is that you challenge your hands and forearms.

Depending on your existing level of grip strength and body weight, you can start without assistance or with your feet as support. Hang for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat that 3 times.

Progressive Overload

To get stronger, it is important that you keep challenging your body over time by using the principle of progressive overload. You can do this in a multitute of ways.

If you started out with assistance, decrease the level of help as you get stronger by using your feet a bit less. Eventually, you will be able to hang fully in the air, without your feet touching anything.

Another simple way is to increase the duration to 35 seconds, then to 40, 45 and so on. In a few weeks you will be at a minute.

Once hanging becomes easy and you are able to hang on for minutes, you can also start to introduce weights. Weighted vests are great for that or you can use a dipping belt. You can also hold a weight in between your feet or be inventive and find another method.

If you train at different places, you may have noticed that the thicker the bar is, the harder it is to grip. You can use that to your advantage and bring your hang to the next level by holding on the a thicker bar — or increase the thickness of the bar you’re using. There is a tool, called Fat Gripz, specifically made for that purpose. If you prefer a cheaper DIY solution you can use tennis or bicycle grip tape to thicken your bar.

Eventually, you can try to hold on with only your fingertips. This is a great way to prepare for your sport if you are a climber or BJJ practitioner.

Maximum Strength vs Strength Endurance

There are preferred ways to progress the dead hang, depending on whether you train for strength endurance or maximum strength in your grips.

For strength endurance, focus on the time you hang on for and increase that.

Adding weight will be better if you try to increase your maximum grip strength. However, keep in mind that the dead hang is a strength endurance exercise by default. There are better exercises for the purpose of increasing maximum grip strength.

Hanging for Posture Improvement

If you want to improve your posture, the dead hang is a useful accessory exercise. Which variation to choose, however, is not as straight forward.

Your bad posture is caused by a combination of muscular imbalances and mobility restrictions. So, a good training program will target both.

Choose the hanging method that you think you need most. If you think core strength and shoulder stability are your biggest issues, do an active hang and really focus on maintaining stability.

Do a passive hang or even hang from one arm if your shoulder mobility is holding you back.

Of course, you can always combine multiple variations by going back and forth between an active and passive hang within your workout or switch it up from day to day.

Keep in mind that improving your posture takes time and effort and there isn’t a single exercise to fix you. Instead, you need to regularly do a number of exercises that focus on all weaknesses in your body posture.

Dead Hang FAQ

Conclusion

There are a lot of different reasons for you try the hanging exercise. While most variations will be good for many purposes, you can boost your progress by choosing the one that aligns best with your goals.

As a rule of thumb: The passive hang will favor mobility and maximize the stretch while active hanging is better for strength and stability.