The dead hang can decompress your spine and improve your grip strength.

Learn how to do it, plus more benefits.

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Could the next game-changer for your fitness routine be just… hanging out?

woman sweating in the gym

CrossFit level 1 coach and director of coaching forD1 Training

Another no-no: Jumping up to the bar, Accetta says.

Its a great way to roll an ankleand totally not worth it for a simple dead hang.

This can be helpful for people with more limited shoulder mobility.

Woman walking on a treadmill at the gym.

Not only does it feel good, but hanging is also doing some real behind-the-scenes work in your spine.

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And thats where dead hangs come in.

Hanging can have other postural perks, too.

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CrossFit level 1 coach and director of coaching forD1 Training

Truly, the main group of muscles dead hangs help strengthen instead of stretch?

Those involved in your grip.

With these modifications, youll still work your grip strength and feel some of those spinal-decompression benefits.

Happy woman dancing and listening to music near a green empty wall outdoor in the city.

Remember what Accetta said about not jumping up to the bar?

De Melo seconds that.

Its important to utilize a box or similar object to reach the hanging bar safely, he says.

Healthy female training in the gym, performing a hip thrust.

Once you are able to hang, start with as little as five seconds at a time.

FAQ

1.

Is there anyone who shouldnt do dead hangs?

A young black woman doing post-run stretches in the park on the road amidst green grass and trees.

This is especially true if you have any shoulder or back issues.

What muscles does dead hanging build?

How long should I be able to dead hang?

That said, ideally, anywhere between 10 to 30 seconds is pretty good, Accetta says.

If you could hang for a minute, thats great.

I wouldnt really push it past that… you kind of reach full benefit right away.

Billy GG, Lemieux SK, Chow MX.

Changes in lumbar disk morphology associated with prolonged sitting assessed by magnetic resonance imaging.

PM R. 2014 Sep;6(9):790-5. doi: 10.1016/j.pmrj.2014.02.014.

Epub 2014 Mar 2.

PMID: 24594305; PMCID: PMC4152382.

Hand-grip dynamometry predicts future outcomes in aging adults.

J Geriatr Phys Ther.

2008;31(1):3-10. doi: 10.1519/00139143-200831010-00002.

Get a Grip: Variation in Human Hand Grip Strength and Implications for Human Evolution.Symmetry.

Factors affecting grip force: anatomy, mechanics, and referent configurations.

2014 Apr;232(4):1219-31. doi: 10.1007/s00221-014-3838-8.

Epub 2014 Jan 31.

PMID: 24477762; PMCID: PMC4013148.

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