7 Reasons Why Dead Hangs Should Be In Your Routine

Simple and effective are two words we love to hear when we’re talking about strength training exercises, and one bodyweight exercise that definitely fits the bill but doesn’t get enough attention is the dead hang. Hanging by your hands from a bar and holding on for as long as you can isn’t just for kids - it’s an amazing exercise that can elevate your strength, health and workout routine in a variety of ways.

Before we leave you hanging, here are seven reasons to hold on tight.

Improved upper body and core strength

A dead hang is a compound exercise, meaning it targets a number of muscle groups, including your shoulders, upper back, forearms and core. While your core is working hard to stabilise and support you, your upper body has the challenge of holding your full body weight - no easy feat. Dead hangs can take your muscular strength, endurance and stability to another level.

Better grip strength

You can have the strongest arms and back in the world, but if you have zero grip strength, good luck hanging on to a bar. So what if you can’t hang from a bar for very long? Why does grip strength even matter? Not only will it help you out significantly when you want to lift heavier weights (or carry your luggage and open tightly sealed jars), but grip strength is also an important indicator of health and longevity.

According to the Cleveland Clinic and UCLA Health, your grip strength says a lot about how healthy you are and your risk for injury, mental health conditions and chronic disease. The stronger, the better.

Improve posture and reduce back pain

Despite being a tough exercise, dead hangs can actually feel quite good and be great for your posture. They provide a way to decompress your spine and lengthen all the parts of your body that can easily become tight, achy or hunched if you’re someone who works at a desk, has a sedentary lifestyle or if stretching isn’t a regular part of your movement routine.

Increase your mobility

Hang from a bar or rings and you’ll immediately feel an amazing stretch through your arms, shoulders and back - almost like that whole area is opening up. This powerful bodyweight exercise can work wonders for your mobility, improving your range of motion in your shoulders, wrists and arms, and making it easier to move in other exercises or everyday life.

Suitable and challenging for all fitness levels

It doesn’t matter if you’re at the start of your strength training journey or years in - dead hangs are a challenging, low-impact exercise for everyone. As a beginner, you might only be able to hold on for 10 seconds before you realise your grip or upper body strength needs some work. If 10 seconds feels impossible, try looping a long resistance band around the bar and placing your feet in it to reduce the difficulty.

As your strength builds and 10 seconds starts to feel easy, start to challenge yourself by regularly trying to beat your previous hang time - a great way to see that you’re making real progress.

When a standard dead hang feels easy, why not try different grip variations such as overhand, underhand or single-hand grip, or level up the difficulty by holding a dumbbell between your feet or attaching a dip belt and weight plate around your hips.

Minimal equipment required

All you need is access to a pull-up bar (easy to find in most gyms and outdoor playgrounds), pull-up machine or gymnastics rings. There’s no set-up required, you just grab on and hang on. If the bar is out of reach, you can jump up or use a step or box. If you can reach the bar from standing, simply hold and lift your feet off the ground.

A great stepping stone to other exercises

Whether we’re talking about the increased strength in your upper body and hands, improved mobility, or simply a greater sense of confidence holding your bodyweight from a pull-up bar or rings, dead hangs can pave the way for you to progress towards trying more challenging exercises. Soon, you might set your sights on pull-ups, chin-ups, knee raises, toes-to-bar or muscle ups!

Tips to get the most out of your dead hangs

As simple as this exercise is, there are a few pointers to keep top of mind to make sure every second that you’re holding on is working the right muscles and not placing undue stress on your joints.

• When holding the bar, keep your hands shoulder-width apart.

• Rather than having your shoulders completely shrugged up to your ears, think about keeping your upper body slightly active, pulling your shoulders slightly down and back to reduce the strain on your joints.

• You don’t want your back arching, so engage your core to stabilise and support your body. It can help to think about drawing your belly button towards your spine or bracing your abs for a punch.

• Keep your chin tucked rather than looking up at your hands.

• If your biggest obstacle is that your hands are slipping off the bar due to sweat (this is very common!), find some chalk in the gym or consider investing in gloves or hand grips if you’re committed to working on this exercise.

It's more than just hangin' around

Next time you’re at a gym or playground, why not have some fun and test your strength by trying a dead hang? When it gets tough, challenge yourself and hang in there just a little bit longer - there is so much to be gained.