Dead hang

Movement

What the movement is

In a dead hang, the body hangs by the hands from an edge or a bar^6,7. Most studies on this page tested climbers hanging by the fingers^1,2,4,6. One of them used an edge on a hang board, a board with small edges to grip⁶. One study used a hang from a pull-up bar⁷.

The versions studies have used

The studies tested the hang in several forms^1,2,6,7:

• With straight arms on a 20 mm hang-board edge, held until the person could hang no longer⁶.
• By the fingers, with the arms fully straight, or with the elbows held bent at 135 or 90 degrees, called a lock-off¹.
• As a maximal hang in three climbing grip positions, which the study called crimp, slope and sloper². This page uses those names without describing how each grip is held.
• From a pull-up bar, in patients with a curved spine having X-rays⁷.

How the shoulder moves with the elbows bent

In one study, bent elbows during a hang raised some shoulder joint moments, meaning the turning effect of a force around a joint¹. Flexion at the shoulder means raising the arm forward. In 17 recreational climbers hanging by the fingers, the shoulder flexion moment was higher with the elbows at 90 degrees than with straight arms¹. Adduction means moving a limb toward the midline of the body. The adduction and rotation moments were higher at both 135 and 90 degrees than with straight arms¹.

From that study, the authors said their findings would support fully straight elbows for hangs aimed at finger strength¹. Their stated reason was to keep unneeded load on the elbows and shoulders to a minimum¹.

What it loads

The muscles that hold the grip

One study sorted the muscles of a hang into two groups⁶. In 11 male climbers hanging with straight arms until they could not hold on, the authors called the finger flexor and finger extensor “motor muscles”⁶. They called four others “postural muscles”⁶. These were the brachioradialis (a forearm muscle that bends the elbow), the biceps brachii and the trapezius⁶. The fourth was the pectoralis major, the large, fan-shaped muscle at the front of the chest^6,8.

Another study, of 17 recreational climbers, measured the flexor digitorum superficialis, a forearm muscle that bends the fingers¹. Its activity did not change between straight arms and elbows bent to 135 or 90 degrees¹.

How the grip changes the work

In one study, grip position changed how active each of the three measured forearm muscles was². In 25 climbers doing maximal finger hangs, the sloper grip used the largest loads of the three grips². Compared with the crimp and slope grips, the sloper grip changed muscle activity like this²:

Muscle	Activity in the sloper grip, against the other two grips
Flexor digitorum superficialis (bends the fingers)	More2
Flexor carpi radialis (a forearm muscle that bends the wrist)	More2
Extensor digitorum (straightens the fingers)	Less2

The same authors compared the other two grips as well². They concluded that a maximal crimp-grip hang could work the flexor digitorum superficialis more than the slope grip, even at similar loads².

The arm, shoulder and back muscles

In one study, muscles higher up the arm and in the back worked less when the arms were straight¹. In 17 recreational climbers hanging by the fingers, three muscles were less active with straight arms than with the elbows bent¹:

Muscle	Straight arms against elbows bent to 135 or 90 degrees
Biceps brachii (front of the upper arm)	Lower1
Trapezius (upper back and neck)	Lower1
Latissimus dorsi (broad muscle of the lower back)	Lower1
Flexor digitorum superficialis (bends the fingers)	No change1

The latissimus dorsi is the biggest muscle of the upper trunk⁹. It is broad and triangular, on the lower part of the back¹⁰. At the shoulder, it pulls the arm back, draws it toward the body and turns it inward^9,11,12. The pectoralis major is the largest muscle of the front of the chest wall⁸.

The shoulder joint

One study of pull-ups raised a question about the hanging position¹³. It observed 11 people who regularly do pull-ups¹³. The authors suggested that a reverse-grip pull-up, with the palms facing backward, may raise the risk of subacromial impingement in the hanging phase¹³. Subacromial impingement means pinching beneath the acromion (the bony point at the top of the shoulder). Their reason was that this grip starts with the shoulder joint turned far outward¹³.

The spine

One study used a bar hang for X-rays in 33 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, a sideways curve of the spine with no known cause⁷. The hang was meant to standardise the pull along the spine by using the body’s own weight⁷. The hanging X-rays showed significantly greater flexibility of the curve than traction X-rays taken lying face up, with the body pulled lengthwise⁷.

How the body adapts

What training studies found for grip endurance

A systematic review searches for the research on a question in a set, checkable way. One such review limited its search to randomised controlled trials (studies that assign people to groups by chance) in active climbers³. It included 11 studies with 225 climbers³.

The review also ran a meta-analysis, a study that pools the results of several earlier studies to get one combined answer³. That meta-analysis combined five studies of 110 climbers³. Climbing-specific resistance training improved scores on climbing-specific tests more than climbing alone did; the tests were dead-hang time or finger strength³.

The same review also pooled smaller sets of trials³. Each result is a standardised mean difference, the size of a gap between groups on a common scale³:

• Finger strength: across seven trials from four studies, fingerboard training raised finger strength more than climbing as usual, by 0.41³.
• Dead-hang time: across three trials from two studies, resistance training of the fingers and forearms raised it more than climbing alone, by 1.23³.

The 1.23 figure mixes two kinds of training³. One study used isometric training (the muscle works but the joint does not move) on a climbing hold, and the other used dumbbell forearm curls³. So it is not a result for hang training alone³.

One trial tested three ways of training with hangs⁴. It randomly split 26 advanced sport climbers into three groups for 8 weeks of hang training on edges⁴. Grip endurance rose in each group, by these amounts⁴:

Type of hang training	Rise in grip endurance
Maximal hangs	34%4
Intermittent hangs	45%4
Maximal and intermittent hangs mixed	7%4

The authors suggest that intermittent hangs seem more effective for grip endurance⁴.

What changes within one long hang

One study found that the body shifts how it holds on as a single hang goes on⁶. In 11 climbers hanging until they could not hold on, fatigue came with two changes⁶:

• Some pairs of postural muscles showed more beta-band coherence: how closely two muscles’ electrical activity rises and falls together in one frequency band. The pairs were brachioradialis with biceps, trapezius with biceps, and trapezius with brachioradialis⁶.
• Wrist coordination became less variable⁶.

The authors say this fits a pattern: joints nearer the hand become more held in place, while coordination among muscles nearer the body is reinforced⁶.

One study of latissimus dorsi training

One study outside hangs looked at how the latissimus dorsi responds to training¹⁴. It followed 18 healthy young adults who had done no regular resistance training for at least two years¹⁴. Eight weeks of progressive resistance training was followed by gains in the muscle¹⁴. Its strength rose, and so did the cross-sectional area (the size of a slice cut across it) of the whole muscle and of single fibres¹⁴.

Finger training and finger pain or injury

A systematic review looked at risk factors for overuse injuries in adult climbers, across 34 studies¹⁵. It reports mixed evidence on finger training from prospective studies, which follow people forward in time¹⁵:

• One found that higher middle-finger strength and campus board (a type of finger training board) training predicted injury in the upper limbs¹⁵.
• A one-year study found fingerboard training was not linked to a higher risk of injury in boulderers (climbers on short walls without ropes)¹⁵.

The review notes that these two prospective studies conflict on finger strength and injury risk¹⁵. It suggests the campus board link might be muddied by another factor¹⁵. Climbers with past finger injuries might have taken up finger flexor training because of them¹⁵.

One survey adds a single data point¹⁶. It asked climbers about finger pain and regular training on a fingerboard, another name for a hang board¹⁶. Across 434 Finnish climbers, the survey found no significant link between the two¹⁶. The picture differed within some groups¹⁶:

• In climbers with 6 or more years in the sport, fingerboard training went with less self-reported finger pain or injury¹⁶.
• In male climbers with under 6 years who had reached grade 7a or higher, it went with more¹⁶.

Progressive overload

A 2026 position stand describes progressive overload as the need to increase the stimulus placed on the muscle throughout a training programme¹⁷. Each study in this section trained climbers hanging by the fingers from a hang board or hold, not from a bar^4,5,18,19,20.

Adding weight or using smaller edges

One trial randomised 30 intermediate to advanced climbers with no earlier hang board training into three groups⁵. One group kept to normal climbing, and two trained on the board for 8 weeks⁵:

• Added weight: from week 3, the climbers added 1.25 kg once they held 10 seconds in the last of three sets⁵.
• Smaller edges: the climbers began on the smallest edge they could hold for 10 seconds, and the edges got smaller from week 4⁵.

Only the added-weight group gained more grip strength than the climbing group⁵. The smaller-edges group did not differ significantly from it⁵.

Adding sets and hangs

The 8-week trial of 26 well-trained sport climbers trained twice a week⁴. Its maximal hangs lasted 10 seconds, with added weight or edge depth that would have allowed 13 seconds before failure (no longer holding on)⁴. There were 3 sets in weeks 1 and 5, 4 in weeks 2 and 6, and 5 in the other weeks⁴.

Its intermittent hangs were 3 to 5 sets of four 10-second hangs, with 5 seconds of rest between hangs⁴. The 8-week intermittent group did five hangs per set from week 5⁴. The aim was failure or near failure on the last hang, with the edge depth changed when needed⁴.

Grip endurance rose 25.2% after 4 weeks and 45% after 8 weeks of intermittent hangs⁴. It rose 34.1% after 8 weeks of maximal hangs⁴. The differences among the three groups were not statistically significant⁴.

Making the grip harder

Another trial randomised 35 intermediate- to advanced-level climbers to hang board training or a control group¹⁸. The hang board group trained twice a week for 10 weeks, on low resistance for the first 2¹⁸. Once a session could be done without failure, the climbers made it harder with smaller holds, fewer fingers or a new order of hold types¹⁸. Hang time, rest, repetitions and sets stayed the same¹⁸.

Finger strength rose more in the hang board group than with regular climbing alone¹⁸. Dead-hang time rose within the hang board group, but the change did not differ significantly from the control group¹⁸.

Choosing the intensity

One trial randomly divided 54 experienced climbers into hang board groups at 100%, 80% or 60% of maximal finger strength, or a control group¹⁹. They trained twice a week for 4 weeks on a 12 mm hold¹⁹. The 60% level was held by taking weight on the feet or by adding weight¹⁹. Maximal finger strength rose significantly at 100% and 80% but not at 60%¹⁹. Stamina and endurance rose significantly at 80% and 60% but not at 100%¹⁹.

A retrospective study (one that looks back at past records) used training that rock climbers logged in an app²⁰. Its low-intensity hangs were done with the feet on the floor²⁰. It found frequent low-intensity loading as effective for grip strength as maximal loads, and the two combined gave added gains²⁰.

Connections

The muscles it works

One hang study measured the latissimus dorsi, which was less active with straight arms than with the elbows bent¹. The other muscles measured in hang studies do not yet have their own pages^2,6:

• The flexor digitorum superficialis, which bends the fingers^1,2.
• The flexor carpi radialis, which bends the wrist².
• The extensor digitorum, which straightens the fingers².
• The biceps brachii and brachioradialis, in the upper arm and forearm⁶.
• The trapezius and pectoralis major, in the upper back and chest⁶.

Related movements

In a study of pull-ups, the authors suggested the reverse grip may raise the risk of subacromial impingement in the hanging and starting phase¹³. A bar hang has also been used to take X-rays of the spine under body weight⁷.

Sources

1. Exel J, Deimel D, Koller W, Werle C, Baca A, Maffiodo D, Sesana R, Colombo A, Kainz H (2023). Neuromechanics of finger hangs with arm lock-offs: analyzing joint moments and muscle activations to improve practice guidelines for climbing.. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1251089 PMID 37927449
2. Ferrer-Uris B, Arias D, Torrado P, Marina M, Busquets A (2023). Exploring forearm muscle coordination and training applications of various grip positions during maximal isometric finger dead-hangs in rock climbers.. PeerJ. doi:10.7717/peerj.15464 PMID 37304875
3. Stien N, Riiser A, Shaw MP, Saeterbakken AH, Andersen V (2023). Effects of climbing- and resistance-training on climbing-specific performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Biol Sport. doi:10.5114/biolsport.2023.113295 PMID 36636194
4. López-Rivera E, González-Badillo JJ (2019). Comparison of the Effects of Three Hangboard Strength and Endurance Training Programs on Grip Endurance in Sport Climbers.. Journal of Human Kinetics. doi:10.2478/hukin-2018-0057 PMID 30988852
5. Mundry S, Steinmetz G, Atkinson EJ, Schilling AF, Schöffl VR, Saul D (2021). Hangboard training in advanced climbers: A randomized controlled trial.. Sci Rep. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92898-2 PMID 34188125
6. Exel J, Kaufmann P, Froschauer O, Baca A, Kainz H, Mochizuki L (2026). Upper-Body Neuromechanical Coordination Strategies During Fatiguing Sustained Dead Hangs in Climbers.. European Journal of Sport Science. doi:10.1002/ejsc.70197 PMID 42168114
7. Ovali SA, Us AK (2023). Comparison of traction, side-bending and dead-hang radiographs in preoperative evaluation and postoperative correction prediction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A retrospective analysis of a novel flexibility radiograph.. Medicine (Baltimore). doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000036461 PMID 38115270
8. Solari F, Burns B (2023). Anatomy, Thorax, Pectoralis Major Major.. StatPearls. PMID 30252247
9. Hovsepian JM, Cartaya MA, Glaser J, Oehler N, Solovyov I, Abi Mansour C, Avila JC, Vogt S (2026). Surgical anatomy, biomechanics and clinical outcomes of latissimus dorsi transfer for irreparable rotator cuff tears: a review.. Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research. doi:10.1186/s13018-026-07200-9 PMID 42661214
10. Betts JG, Young KA, Wise JA, Johnson E, Poe B, Kruse DH, Korol O, Johnson JE, Womble M, DeSaix P (2022). Anatomy and Physiology 2e. OpenStax. Link
11. Lehane KM, Faust T, Romeo AA, Erickson BJ (2025). Approach to diagnosing and treating tears of the latissimus dorsi and teres major.. JSES Reviews, Reports, and Techniques. doi:10.1016/j.xrrt.2025.05.015 PMID 41179423
12. Di Fonza D, Di Claudio G, Colantuono G, Persichini L, Cerulo N, Sangregorio B, Buonsenso A, Fiorilli G, Calcagno G, di Cagno A (2026). Electromyographic Analysis of Latissimus Dorsi Activation During Common Resistance Training Exercises: A Narrative Review.. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology. doi:10.3390/jfmk11030315 PMID 42647355
13. Prinold JA, Bull AM (2016). Scapula kinematics of pull-up techniques: Avoiding impingement risk with training changes.. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. doi:10.1016/j.jsams.2015.08.002 PMID 26383875
14. Paoli A, Pacelli QF, Cancellara P, Toniolo L, Moro T, Canato M, Miotti D, Neri M, Morra A, Quadrelli M, Reggiani C (2016). Protein Supplementation Does Not Further Increase Latissimus Dorsi Muscle Fiber Hypertrophy after Eight Weeks of Resistance Training in Novice Subjects, but Partially Counteracts the Fast-to-Slow Muscle Fiber Transition.. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu8060331 PMID 27258300
15. Quarmby A, Zhang M, Geisler M, Javorsky T, Mugele H, Cassel M, Lawley J (2023). Risk factors and injury prevention strategies for overuse injuries in adult climbers: a systematic review.. Front Sports Act Living. doi:10.3389/fspor.2023.1269870 PMID 38162697
16. Sjöman AE, Grønhaug G, Julin MV (2023). A Finger in the Game: Sport-Specific Finger Strength Training and Onset of Injury.. Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2023.06.004 PMID 37550103
17. Currier BS, D'Souza AC, Singh MAF, Lowisz CV, Rawson ES, Schoenfeld BJ, Smith-Ryan AE, et al (2026). American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews.. Medicine and science in sports and exercise. doi:10.1249/MSS.0000000000003897 PMID 41843416
18. Hermans E, Saeterbakken AH, Vereide V, Nord ISO, Stien N, Andersen V (2022). The Effects of 10 Weeks Hangboard Training on Climbing Specific Maximal Strength, Explosive Strength, and Finger Endurance.. Front Sports Act Living. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.888158 PMID 35571743
19. Devise M, Lechaptois C, Berton E, Vigouroux L (2022). Effects of Different Hangboard Training Intensities on Finger Grip Strength, Stamina, and Endurance.. Front Sports Act Living. doi:10.3389/fspor.2022.862782 PMID 35498522
20. Gilmore NK, Klimek P, Abrahamsson E, Baar K (2024). Effects of Different Loading Programs on Finger Strength in Rock Climbers.. Sports Med Open. doi:10.1186/s40798-024-00793-7 PMID 39560837

Every source the library cites

Changes

• October 23, 2026 Added a Progressive overload section.
• September 29, 2026 Added a figure showing where it sits, links to the exercise pages that load it, and tighter wording in a few places.