Exercise guide
Ring Skin The Cat
- Advanced
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Shoulders
- Upper arms
- Waist
The Ring Skin the Cat is a foundational gymnastics movement that develops exceptional shoulder mobility, core compression strength, and spatial awareness. It builds resilient connective tissue in the shoulders and elbows while engaging the entire posterior chain and abdominal wall.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Setup
- Adjust the rings to a height that allows you to hang with straight arms without your feet touching the ground.
- Grip the rings firmly with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) or a slight false grip.
- Begin in a dead hang position with your shoulders active, core engaged, and legs squeezed together.
How to do it
- Exhale and pull your knees toward your chest (tuck) while simultaneously pulling the rings toward your hips to rotate your body backward.
- Continue the rotation, passing your feet between your arms, and slowly lower your legs toward the floor behind you into the 'German Hang' position.
- Inhale and hold the stretch briefly at the bottom, then exhale as you pull your hips back up and over, reversing the rotation.
- Control the descent back to the starting dead hang position with a slow, 3-second tempo to maximize time under tension.
Form checklist
- Keep your arms completely straight throughout the entire range of motion.
- Maintain a tight hollow body or tucked position to prevent swinging or using momentum.
- Ensure your shoulders remain active and depressed, especially at the bottom of the German Hang.
- Move smoothly and avoid 'dropping' into the bottom position to protect the shoulder capsules.
Pro tips
- Think about 'pushing' the rings away from you as you pass through the middle of the movement to create more space for your body.
- Focus on the mind-muscle connection in your lats and lower traps to drive the pull-back phase rather than just using your hip flexors.
Make it harder
- Perform the movement with completely straight legs (Pike variation) to increase the lever length and core demand.
- Add a 5-second isometric hold at the maximum point of the German Hang to build extreme end-range shoulder strength.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the ring skin the cat work?
- The ring skin the cat primarily targets the lats and trapezius, and also works the biceps, forearms, and grip muscles as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the ring skin the cat?
- The ring skin the cat uses rings.
- Is the ring skin the cat good for beginners?
- The ring skin the cat is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.