How To Do Skin The Cat
Skin the Cat is a classic gymnastics and calisthenics movement that targets the shoulders, lats, core, chest, and grip. It involves rotating your body through a hanging position into a deep shoulder extension. This exercise is more advanced than basic hangs and is often used to build shoulder mobility and strength for skills like back levers and muscle ups. Proper form is important to protect the shoulders and keep the movement controlled.
Step-by-Step Guide to Properly Execute Skin The Cat
Starting Position
Begin hanging from a pull-up bar or rings with an overhand grip. Your arms should be straight, shoulders active, and core lightly engaged. Let your body hang in a controlled, stable position without swinging.
Pulling Phase
Slowly tuck your knees toward your chest while leaning your shoulders slightly back. Use your core and lats to guide your legs upward and begin rotating your hips toward the bar. Keep the movement smooth and avoid jerking into the position.
Lowering Phase
As your hips pass through the bar or rings, continue rotating until your body moves behind your arms. Extend your legs gradually if mobility allows, lowering yourself into a deep shoulder extension. Your arms stay straight as your shoulders open.
Finishing Position
Pause briefly in the bottom position where your hips are behind your shoulders and your chest is open. From here, reverse the movement under control to return to the starting hang, or finish the set safely.
Skin The Cat Workout Plan for All Levels
Beginner: 2 sets of 3 to 5 reps, 2 to 3 minutes rest, 2 times per week
Intermediate: 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps, 2 to 3 minutes rest, 3 times per week
Advanced: 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps, 2 to 3 minutes rest, 4 times per week
What Are The Benefits Of Skin The Cat
• Builds strong and flexible shoulders
• Improves shoulder mobility and joint control
• Strengthens core and lats through rotation
• Helps prepare the body for back lever progressions
• Develops grip strength and body awareness
Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Dropping too fast into the bottom position, which can strain the shoulders
• Bending the arms instead of keeping them straight and controlled
Similar Exercises To Try For Your Workout
• German Hang
• Tuck Back Lever Hold
• Hanging Knee Raises
FAQ About “Skin the Cat”
Yes, when done with a proper progression. The deep shoulder extension in the inverted hang requires good shoulder mobility. Before attempting it, make sure you can hang comfortably and that your shoulders can move freely overhead and behind you. Start with a small range of motion and increase it gradually as your shoulders adapt to the load.
Start by practising German hangs with your knees tucked tightly to your chest to minimise shoulder load. Hold the inverted position briefly before trying a full rotation. Build up over several weeks, increasing the range of motion only as your shoulder strength and flexibility improve.
Start with 3 to 5 slow, controlled rotations per set for 2 to 3 sets. Quality matters far more than quantity here. Each rep should be deliberate and smooth, not a swinging motion. As the movement becomes comfortable, you can add reps or pause at the bottom inverted position to develop more shoulder strength.
The primary movers are the lats, shoulders, and core. Your chest and biceps assist the pulling phase, while your shoulder external rotators work hard in the deep inverted position. Grip strength is also heavily taxed throughout the full rotation.
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