March 30, 2025, 3:59 pm | Read time: 5 minutes

All beginnings are often difficult, and this is especially true for a correctly executed pull-up. The dead hang can help you get there. However, this exercise using your own body weight is not just a preparation for pull-ups; it can do much more. In an interview with FITBOOK author Tony Poland, personal trainer Markus Bremen explains what other benefits there are, what you need to bear in mind when performing the exercise, and how long you should be able to hang from the bar.

Training Tips: How the Dead Hang Works

In simple terms, the dead hang involves hanging from a pull-up bar with arms fully extended, maintaining this position for a set duration. At least, this is what you try to do because it’s not that easy. Additionally, it’s important to pay attention to certain subtleties to truly maximize the benefits of this exercise. The focus is on one area of the body in particular. “It’s about consciously targeting your shoulder blade muscles by pulling your shoulder away from your ears. Therefore, you should actively engage in pulling away,” explains Markus Bremen.

Variation for Even More Effectiveness

You can also vary the muscle activation method. The personal coach explains: “So you really hang like a wet sack. And from this position, you then actively try to pull your shoulder blades downwards.”

In order to work with a certain amount of variation, you can do three sets lasting ten to 15 seconds each, for example. “Or you can simply hold the activated shoulder position for 30 seconds!” Importantly, Markus Bremen advises beginners against doing pull-ups without any slack. There should, therefore, be a certain amount of pre-activation.

To increase the difficulty, advanced users can bring their hands closer together on the pull-up bar instead of shoulder-width apart or perhaps even work with an additional weight. A weight vest is suitable for this. This can increase the intensity and make strength-building even more effective.

“The ultimate progression, however, is transitioning from this position into a pull-up. Or that you try to hang for two and a half to three minutes,” says the expert.

Choosing the Right Grip

Naturally, you can adjust the position of your hands on the pull-up bar when doing pull-ups. This is a great way to play around and create new stimuli during your workout. With regard to the dead hang, however, the expert advises a very specific grip option, especially at the beginning: “As with the classic pull-up position, I would choose the pronated grip (overhand grip; editor’s note), with your hands shoulder-width apart. So your hands look away from your body,” says Markus Bremen.

“Everything else serves a specific focus. For athletes who do a specific sport, the supinated grip (lower grip: palm facing the face; editor’s note) also makes sense.” These include rowers, gymnasts, and wrestlers because they particularly need strength in the biceps, grip strength, and power in the pulling movements.

What Are the Advantages of the Dead Hang?

As already mentioned, the dead hang is an ideal pre-exercise before the actual pull-ups. This is not only because of the position but also because the exercise flexibly stretches and strengthens the shoulders and surrounding muscles. This makes it easier to pull yourself up later. “It’s actually an absolutely basic exercise to start with pull-ups so that you can use this full range of motion,” emphasizes Markus Bremen.

Range of motion (ROM) refers to the amplitude of movement of an exercise. When we talk about paying attention to the range of motion during training, we mean performing a complete movement during the exercise. This is a mistake that many athletes make: Performing movements too quickly and in a shortened range. This is often because they work with weights that are too heavy. To get the greatest effect from an exercise, the weight should not be too light but also not so heavy that you distort the exercise and you can no longer perform it cleanly.

The dead hang also stretches the latissimus and upper arm muscles, which are often shortened. “Or if you have problems with the rotator cuffs or a calcific shoulder, then you can get a good grip on this with a careful progression with the hang,” says the sports scientist, citing an additional benefit.

And, of course, training your grip strength is a big plus. As the hands and forearms bear the entire weight of the body, the muscles responsible for gripping are particularly strengthened.¹ “You can train your grip strength extremely well as a result,” confirms Markus Bremen. Last but not least, hanging from the bar also activates the core muscles to maintain a stable position. As a result, posture and stability improve.

More on the topic

Advantages and disadvantages explained by an expert Bench press – better on the machine, with free weights, or with a barbell?

Personal Trainer Explains How Pull-Ups with a Band — How to Learn Real Pull-Ups

"Big Five" 5 basic exercises that help you build muscle quickly

How Long Men and Women Should Be Able to Hold On

If you think that you can just hang on the pull-up bar for as long as you like, you’re wrong. Even half a minute can be too much for most people. “My goal is to let people hang in this position two or three times for 30 seconds. For many people, this has to be worked up to. Depending on how heavy you are, it’s an extreme strain on the hands and forearm muscles,” says Markus Bremen.

The time mentioned above is only about a quarter of the time you should really be able to manage. “There is a very well-known doctor, Peter Attia, who works in the field of longevity and biohacking. And he says that everyone should do two minutes,” says the expert. Regardless of age, gender, and weight! “That’s quite a challenge. And you have to train a lot for it. But if you do it, you have the right grip strength, good shoulder mobility, and shoulder stabilization. That’s a lot of benefits. It’s worth getting involved,” concludes Markus Bremen.