Skin the Cat and German Hang: Building Shoulder Range for Ring Work
Updated: Oct 15
The first time most athletes try a skin the cat, they get halfway around, feel their shoulders stretch further than ever before, and immediately bail. That reaction makes sense. This is a position most adults haven't been in since they were kids on a playground.
Skin the cat and the German hang are old-school gymnastics drills. They take your shoulders into deep extension, the position where your arms are reaching far behind your body. That range matters for ring muscle-ups, dips, and overall shoulder resilience. But it also asks a lot of the joint, so these drills need to be approached slowly and with respect.
This article covers what these movements are, why they're useful, how to set them up safely, and a gradual progression you can follow over several weeks.
IN THIS ARTICLE
What Skin the Cat and German Hang Actually Are
A skin the cat starts in a hang from the rings. You tuck your knees and pull them up and over, rotating backward until your feet travel toward the floor behind you. Your arms end up reaching behind your body with your shoulders in deep extension. Then you reverse the movement and come back to the start.
The German hang is the bottom of that movement held as a static position. You hang with your arms behind you, your body facing the floor, and your feet either on the ground or tucked.
Both train the same general quality: strength and control at the end of your shoulder range. That's the range the rings demand in the bottom of a dip, in a deep ring muscle-up transition, and in many higher-level skills.
Why Shoulder Extension Matters for Ring Work
On the rings, your shoulders move through big ranges. In the bottom of a ring dip, your shoulders go into extension. In a muscle-up, you pass through it on the way to the support. If you don't have access to that range, or you can't control it, the joint compensates. Often that shows up as the shoulders rolling forward or pain at the front of the shoulder.
Research on flexibility training generally finds that gradual, repeated exposure to end ranges can improve range of motion over time, and that loading the muscles at those ranges helps build strength there too. Skin the cat and German hang do both, which is why gymnastics coaches have used them for so long.
That said, more range is not always better. The goal is usable range, meaning range you can control and get out of on your own. An athlete who can sink passively into a deep German hang but can't pull back out of it hasn't built something useful yet. That's why the progression below focuses on control in both directions, not just depth. Think of these drills as a way to teach your shoulders that the end of their range is a safe place to be, a little at a time.
Safety First: Who Should Wait and How to Set Up
These drills put real stress on the front of the shoulder and the biceps tendon. Before you try them, it's worth taking a clear look at where your shoulders are right now.
If you have a current shoulder injury, a history of shoulder dislocation, or any front-of-shoulder pain, get cleared by a physical therapist or doctor first.
Make sure you can do a controlled 20 second active hang and a few strict ring rows with good shape.
Set the rings low enough that your feet can touch the floor while you're in the German hang position.
Warm up well: arm circles, band pull-aparts and a few minutes of easy shoulder work first.
Keep your arms straight, but don't hyperextend or lock out aggressively at the elbow.
Having your feet on the floor is the most important safety step. It lets you control how much of your bodyweight you put through your shoulders and gives you an easy exit.
A Gradual Progression Over Several Weeks
Follow these stages in order. Stay at each one for at least one to two weeks, and move on only when the current stage feels comfortable and controlled.
Stage 1: Supported German hang. Rings low, feet on the floor behind you. Walk your feet back slowly until you feel a gentle stretch in the front of your shoulders. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds, 3 sets.
Stage 2: Deeper supported hang. Same setup, but let a little more weight shift into your hands. Build to 20 to 30 seconds, 3 sets.
Stage 3: Tucked skin the cat, feet assisted. From a hang with rings low, tuck and rotate backward until your feet touch the floor behind you. Pause, then return. 3 sets of 3 slow reps.
Stage 4: Full skin the cat. Rings higher, full rotation to a German hang with your feet off the ground, pause, and return. 3 sets of 2 to 3 reps.
Coach's cue: Go slow in both directions. If you can't reverse it with control, you went too deep.
Expect mild stretch sensations. Sharp pain, pinching, or anything that lingers after the session means stop, drop back a stage, and check with a professional if it doesn't settle.
How I Approach These as an Athlete
I'll admit I avoided German hangs for a long time. As a former swimmer, I assumed my shoulders already had plenty of range. But range in the water and range while hanging from rings are very different things. When I finally started with feet on the floor, I realized how much less comfortable my shoulders were in extension than I thought. I went slowly, a couple of short sets twice a week, and over a couple of months it became a normal part of my ring warm-up. My ring dips and muscle-up transitions feel much more stable now, and I've learned to be patient with this kind of work, both as an athlete and as a coach.
Before You Hang: A Quick Checklist
Get cleared if you need to. Current shoulder pain, a past dislocation, or front-of-shoulder discomfort means a visit to a physical therapist or doctor before you start these drills.
Pass the entry test. You should own a controlled 20 second active hang and a few strict ring rows with good shape before your first German hang.
Keep your feet on the floor. Set the rings low enough that your feet can touch in the bottom position. That's your safety valve and your way to control the load.
Stay at each stage one to two weeks. Move on only when the current stage feels calm and controlled, not just when you can survive it.
Reverse it with control. If you can't pull back out of the position slowly, you went too deep. Usable range is range you can get into and out of on your own, without help from momentum.
Keep the dose small. Three sets, twice a week, at the end of your warm-up is plenty. I treat these as practice, never as a workout.
Know the stop signs. A mild stretch is expected. Sharp pain, pinching, or soreness that lingers after the session means drop back a stage and check with a professional if it doesn't settle.
Earn the Range, One Session at a Time
Start with two short sessions per week, placed at the end of your warm-up before ring work. Keep the total volume low, three sets are plenty, and treat these as practice rather than a workout. Track how deep you go and how it feels, and give your shoulders time to adapt before progressing.
If you'd like ring work and shoulder prep built into a structured plan alongside your classes, Sphere Programming gives you gymnastics progressions that build over time, with every session serving a clear purpose.
Respect the details. Keep showing up.
Your turn. Tried this? Tell me how it went in the comments below. I read every one, and your questions help shape what I write next. If it helped, tap the heart so it reaches more athletes.
Keep reading
Further reading: USA Gymnastics
Coach Fritz Bautista · Head Coach, ATHLETESPHERE
CrossFit Level 2 Trainer (CF-L2) ✓ · CrossFit Programming Certificate · MBA Graduate · Digital Marketing Certified · Coaching athletes from all walks of life online
Comments