A controlled hanging rotation that passes the legs and hips through the arms to develop shoulder strength and upper-back control.
How to do the Skin The Cat#
- Hang from a pull-up bar or gymnastic rings with your arms straight and a shoulder-width grip.
- Tuck your knees toward your chest and keep your core engaged.
- Initiate a slow, shoulder-driven backward roll, leading with the shoulders while guiding your hips and legs through your arms.
- Invert until your body is rotated with feet pointing behind you and hold briefly with shoulders stable.
- Reverse the movement under control to return to the dead hang.
Muscles worked#
- Primary: Lats, Abs, Upper back
- Secondary: Biceps, Forearms, Rear delts, Chest
Common mistakes#
- Using momentum or a kip to complete the rotation.
- Letting the shoulders go lax instead of keeping them active.
- Rolling too quickly and losing control through the chest and hips.
- Attempting a full rotation before you have the necessary shoulder mobility.
