German Hang with gym rings
The German hang is a stretching and strength exercise where the body hangs backward from rings or a bar, with the shoulders maximally opened. This position provides an intense stretch for the chest and shoulder muscles while engaging the rear shoulder muscles, upper back, and arm flexors. The German hang improves shoulder stability and promotes mobility, making it especially valuable for advanced athletes in gymnastics, calisthenics, and strength training.
It serves as a preparatory exercise for more complex movements like the skin-the-cat or the muscle-up and supports joint health by safely loading the shoulder in a deep stretch position when practiced in a well-structured training program with progressive load increases.
Necessary equipment
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German Hang with gym rings - the correct execution
- Start in hang position backward
- Lower your upper body as far as feels good for you
- Choose between a supinated or pronated grip
The exercise German Hang is intended to be used as a mobility exercise.
Which muscles are trained by German Hang?
Primary trained muscles for German Hang
Chest - The pectoralis major muscle is the large muscle on your chest. It helps you bring your arm towards your body and rotate it inward.
Forearm - The forearm muscles are divided into flexors and extensors. The flexors bend your wrist, while the extensors straighten it.
Front Delts - The front part of the deltoid muscle, also known as the anterior shoulder, is located at the front of the shoulder. It is primarily involved in the forward movement of the arm, such as lifting the arm forward. It also assists in the internal rotation of the arm. This muscle is engaged in activities that involve lifting objects in front of the body or pushing forward.
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