Dead Hang

How to do Dead Hang

• Take the bar with an overhand grip about shoulder width, thumbs wrapped, and hang with straight arms and feet off the floor.
• Let the shoulders relax up towards the ears for a passive hang, or pull them down slightly for an active one; both are useful.
• Keep the body still and breathe; no swinging.
• Hold for time and come down before the grip opens on its own. Add time first, weight much later.

These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.

Muscles worked

Muscle data from StrengthLog.

Why do it

• Grip endurance and shoulder decompression
• Prepares you for pull-ups
• Needs nothing but a bar

Rep standards for Dead Hang

Numbers are reps in one set, for ages 23–39.

Flawless ranks Dead Hang by the most reps you managed in one set; the rank updates after every workout. Women’s limits are 20 % lower than men’s. For other ages the app lowers every limit: by 8 % under 23 and from 40 to 49, by 18 % in your 50s, 28 % in your 60s and 38 % from 70.

Similar exercises

• Plate Pinch
• Towel Pull-Up
• Wrist Roller
• Barbell Wrist Curl
• Dumbbell Wrist Curl
• Reverse Barbell Curl
• Reverse Dumbbell Curl
• Reverse Wrist Curl
• All 469 exercises in the library

Questions

What muscles does Dead Hang work?

It works mainly the forearm flexors, with help from the lats and trapezius.

How do you do Dead Hang?

Take the bar with an overhand grip about shoulder width, thumbs wrapped, and hang with straight arms and feet off the floor. Let the shoulders relax up towards the ears for a passive hang, or pull them down slightly for an active one; both are useful. Keep the body still and breathe; no swinging. Hold for time and come down before the grip opens on its own. Add time first, weight much later.

How many reps of Dead Hang is good?

In Flawless, Gold starts at 10 reps in one set for men aged 23–39 and 8 for women, Diamond at 20 and 16.