Skin The Cat with gym rings
"Skin the Cat" is a full-body exercise that promotes shoulder mobility and trains upper body strength, particularly in the back, abdominal, and shoulder muscles. For this exercise, you hang from a bar or rings and slowly rotate your body through your arms until your hips are above your shoulders. It can be seen as an extension of the Toes to Bar or Toes to Rings, as it requires not only lifting the legs but also a complete body rotation, demanding greater flexibility and control.
The name "Skin the Cat" likely originates from the English expression "there's more than one way to skin a cat," which roughly means that there are different ways to achieve a goal. In gymnastics terminology, the phrase refers to overcoming an obstacle by turning or "skinning" the body through a tight movement.
Necessary equipment
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Skin The Cat with gym rings - the correct execution
- Start in a hang position with straight arms
- Actively pull your shoulder blades back and down
- Lift your hips to the rings with straight legs
- Lower yourself into the hang backwards in a controlled manner
- Go only as far into the stretch as feels comfortable for you
- Pull your hips back up to the rings in a controlled manner to reverse the movement
- Slowly lower yourself back into the hanging position
- Keep your arms and legs as straight as possible throughout the movement
- Choose between a supinated (palms facing you) or pronated (palms facing away from you) wrist position
The exercise Skin The Cat is intended to be used as a hypertrophy exercise.
Which muscles are trained by Skin The Cat?
Primary trained muscles for Skin The Cat
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.
Latissimus - The latissimus dorsi is a large muscle in your back that helps you pull your arm down and back. It also supports breathing and stabilizes the spine.
Abs - The rectus abdominis, also known as the "abs," runs vertically along the front of the abdomen. It is responsible for bending the torso forward, such as during sit-ups, and lifting the pelvis. This muscle stabilizes the torso, supports the spine, and helps maintain good posture.
Secondary trained muscles for Skin The Cat
Biceps - The biceps brachii muscle is located on the front of your upper arm. It helps you bend your arm at the elbow, rotate your palm upwards, and lift your arm forward.
Forearm - The forearm muscles are divided into flexors and extensors. The flexors bend your wrist, while the extensors straighten it.
Side Delts - The lateral part of the deltoid muscle, also known as the lateral shoulder, is located on the outside of the shoulder. It is the main muscle responsible for lifting the arm sideways. The lateral shoulder is particularly active when the arm is extended away from the body, such as during lateral raises or lifting objects to the side. It plays a key role in arm abduction and shoulder stabilization.
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.
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Alternative variants of Skin The Cat with gym rings:
Tuck Skin The Cat with gym rings
In the Tuck Skin the Cat, the movement pattern of the Skin the Cat is maintained, but the knees are pulled to the chest. This reduces the leverage, making it easier to control the movement while still training the shoulders, chest, and back.
Necessary equipment
Tuck Skin The Cat with gym rings - the correct execution
- Start in the hang position
- Pull your shoulder blades back down
- Pull the hips to the rings with legs tightened
- Lower yourself into the in a controlled manner
- Just go so far into the stretch as it feels good for you
- Pull the hips back to the rings
- Lower yourself back into the hang position in a controlled manner
- Arms remain extended throughout
- Legs remain tucked throughout
- Choose between a supinated or pronated wrist position
Skin The Cat Chin Ups with gym rings
Compared to the conventional Skin the Cat, this exercise incorporates a pull-up into the backward movement. As a result, the shoulders are less heavily engaged, while the load on the latissimus and biceps is intensified.
Necessary equipment
Skin The Cat Chin Ups with gym rings - the correct execution
- Start in the hang position
- Pull your shoulder blades back down
- Pull your hips to the rings with your legs extended
- Lower yourself backward into the inverted hang in a controlled manner
- Go only as far into the stretch as feels good for you
- Pull the hips back to the rings
- Bend arms and pull rings to chest
- Lower yourself back into the hang with legs extended in a controlled manner
- Choose between a supinated or pronated wrist position
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