Duration exercise

Dead Hang form, muscles worked, and workout tracking

The dead hang is a timed passive hold from a pull-up bar with arms fully extended, loading the grip, forearms, lats, and shoulder girdle under body weight. Lifters use it to build grip endurance for pulling and carrying work, decompress the spine and shoulders, and develop the overhead shoulder tolerance that underpins pull-ups and hanging exercises.

Dead Hang illustration

How to do Dead Hang

  1. 1Grip a pull-up bar with both hands about shoulder-width apart, palms facing away, and step or hop into a full hang.
  2. 2Let your arms straighten completely and allow your shoulders to relax up toward your ears for a passive stretch.
  3. 3Keep your legs still and your body quiet rather than swinging.
  4. 4Breathe slowly and evenly through the hold instead of bracing hard.
  5. 5Hang for the prescribed time, then step down or land softly with bent knees rather than dropping from full stretch.

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Track Dead Hang in Plates

Save this movement to a workout template, log sets and rest periods, and keep your training history in one focused gym tracker.