Skin the Cat

The Skin the Cat is a controlled shoulder rotation drill where you hang, tuck your knees, roll backward through your arms, and lower into a stretched position behind you. It trains shoulder extension and rotation, with heavy work for the lats, shoulders, and grip, and it conditions the shoulders for skills like the muscle-up and lever work.

Hang from a pull-up bar or gymnastics rings with both hands about shoulder-width apart and palms facing away from you. Keep your arms straight but not forced into a hard lock. On rings, turn the rings out slightly so your palms face forward.

Tuck your knees toward your chest. Slowly roll your body backward and thread your feet under and between your hands. Continue rotating until your arms pass behind your body and you arrive in the German hang, with your body hanging behind your hands and your shoulders extended. Reverse the motion by pulling and rotating forward to return to your starting hang.

Exhale as you lower into the stretched position and keep your midsection tight throughout. Do not hold your breath or relax at the bottom. Easier option: stop the rotation partway and avoid the deepest stretch. Harder option: keep your legs straight instead of tucked as you rotate.

Fault: Dropping quickly into the bottom position. Fix: Rotate slowly through the tuck and lower under control at every point - never drop into the German hang.

Fault: Lowering to a depth that feels uncomfortable in the shoulders or biceps tendon. Fix: Only go to a pain-free depth in shoulder extension, and increase your range gradually over several weeks.

Fault: Bending the arms to pull through the rotation. Fix: Keep your arms long and let your shoulders drive the movement, using a partial range if you cannot stay straight through the full motion.