Dead Hang

How to do it

1. Set a bench or box under a secure pull-up bar so you can reach it without jumping.
2. Take an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width with the thumbs wrapped around the bar.
3. Step off the support and let your body hang with the arms straight.
4. Keep the neck long and let the shoulders relax toward the ears in a passive hang.
5. Squeeze the glutes lightly and hold the legs still so the body does not swing.
6. Hold for the prescribed time, then step back onto the support before releasing the bar.

Common mistakes

• Jumping to the bar and dropping off it, which loads cold shoulders and wrists at speed.
• Gripping without wrapping the thumb, which ends the hang well before the forearms are trained.
• Holding the arms slightly bent, which fatigues the biceps and hides the grip work.
• Letting the body swing, which spreads the load unevenly across the shoulders.