In the last few years, fitness enthusiasts have been introduced to the “dead hang,” an incredibly basic—but highly beneficial—exercise. It does have impressive benefits for upper body strength, shoulder stability, and spinal health. Fitness enthusiasts and professionals alike are pushing this movement more than ever to become a foundation in training plans. Jon Nicholson, one of the leading fitness coaches, reminds us that training is really just the process of the body adapting to different stresses. He argues that people need to start thinking less in terms of the outputs of their workouts and more in terms of the outcomes they want.
The dead hang simply requires you to hang from a pull-up bar. This exercise is one of the most popular for developing shoulder mobility and stability. Mike Julom, another fitness expert, points out that improved shoulder function through dead hangs can significantly reduce the risk of injuries. When people practice this movement, they’re actually activating and building important upper body muscles such as the lats and traps. These muscles do really important work in providing overall back health.
Nicholson recommends getting in the hanging habit as an excellent way to make a big difference. He encourages people to begin with only a few seconds of hanging when you can, and slowly increasing the time as your strength builds. For those who find it challenging to hang due to strength or weight issues, he advises aiming for a minimum of 20 seconds.
“It’s one of the first things I get people to do,” – Jon Nicholson.
Nicholson builds hanging into all of his clients’ routines, making it one of their first exercises. He understands the value of grip strength, explaining how hanging creates this essential quality. Grip strength is an important biomarker for aging and is associated with increased risk of various adverse health outcomes.
To incorporate dead hangs into everyday life, here’s Nicholson’s advice based on his own experience. To further his street workout development, he mounted a pull-up bar in his apartment. So, every morning and night before bed, you’ll find him spending a few minutes hanging from it.
“I have one on my landing and it makes it really easy to do a minute hang in the morning and one at night before bed,” – Jon Nicholson.
Recent research confirms the positive effects of dead hangs on spinal health. Health and fitness expert Rachel MacPherson claims that such hangs can improve spinal mobility. This change is significant, particularly for people with few options and people who have severe spinal curvature. They’re best known for their gentle spinal decompression, which is a great way to decompress your spine after lots of sitting or heavy lifting activities.
“Some [recent studies] have shown that dead hangs can make your back more flexible, especially if you have a significant curve in your spine,” – Rachel MacPherson.
Says MacPherson, not all bodies are immediately prepared to start practicing dead hangs, especially when it comes to the health of their spines.
Two types of hangs exist: passive and active. To use more muscles, pull your shoulders back and down while in an active hang. In comparison, a passive hang just involves releasing your body weight and allowing your muscles to relax with no additional input. Nicholson underscores the positive impact of including active hangs. This drop set is particularly effective for those looking to improve their pull-up or chin-up max.
“An active hang is where your shoulders are pulled back and down, while a passive one is where you just hang without exerting any extra effort,” – Jon Nicholson.
It’s flexibility to scale up or down is what makes this exercise great. Participants can adjust the level of intensity for themselves. Fitness influencer Amanda Grimm shows how to change resistance for the best results. People can adjust the height of the bar or rings so they are comfortable squatting, or use a small stool to allow people to keep their feet on the ground while squatting.
“One simple way of categorizing upper body movements is into ‘pushes’ and ‘pulls.’ So, if we think of a plank as an exercise that works the major muscles involved in pushing things away from the body, the active hang works the muscles involved in pulling things towards the body. It’s the first motion contained within a pull-up or chin-up, so extremely beneficial to work on if you want to achieve your first chin-up or for rock climbers or swimmers to work on their shoulder strength,” – Jon Nicholson.
Grimm recommends building up the intensity over time. Begin by slowly raising yourself up so that just your toes are in contact with the floor.
“You can adjust the resistance by having the bar or rings at a lower height or a small step underneath you, so that your feet can touch the ground in a squat position,” – Amanda Grimm.
As practitioners begin to incorporate dead hangs into their routines, Nicholson circles back around to the idea that we want to be focused on outcomes, not outputs.
“You can adjust the intensity by gently lifting your feet up until you have just your toes on the floor,” – Amanda Grimm.
As practitioners integrate dead hangs into their routines, Nicholson reiterates the importance of focusing on outcomes rather than outputs.
“Training is all about the body adapting to the stimulus we place on it, so it’s important to think ‘outcome’ rather than ‘output,’” – Jon Nicholson.