“Skin the Cat” is an impressive gymnastic movement that builds strength, flexibility, and shoulder mobility. It is commonly performed on gymnastic rings or a pull-up bar, and it involves rotating your body through a full range of motion, starting in a hanging position and moving into an inverted position, before returning to the start. This exercise works your shoulders, lats, core, and arms, making it an excellent all-around strength and mobility builder.
In this guide, we’ll break down the steps on how to perform Skin the Cat, its benefits, and some tips to avoid common mistakes.
Table of Contents
What Is Skin the Cat?
“Skin the Cat” is an advanced calisthenics movement where you rotate your body forward and backward while hanging from a bar or rings. The move is often used in gymnastics and calisthenics training as a way to build upper body strength and shoulder flexibility.
How to Do Skin the Cat: Step-by-Step
1. Set Up on a Bar or Rings
- Hang from a pull-up bar or gymnastic rings with a shoulder-width grip, arms fully extended.
- Your body should be in a straight line, with your legs hanging down and feet off the ground.
- Engage your core and shoulders to maintain control of your body.
2. Tuck and Lift Your Legs
- From the hanging position, tuck your knees into your chest and begin to lift your hips toward the bar or rings.
- Keep your legs bent and initiate the motion by pulling your hips upward using your core and lats.
3. Invert and Pass Through
- As your hips rise, extend your legs overhead and rotate your body so that your feet move through the space between your arms.
- You should now be in an inverted position with your head and shoulders passing under the bar or rings. At this point, your arms should still be engaged and your grip strong.
4. Lower Into the German Hang
- Continue to rotate backward until your body is fully extended, with your chest facing upward. Your shoulders will be in an extended position, often referred to as a German hang.
- Hold this position for a moment, feeling the stretch in your shoulders.
5. Return to the Starting Position
- To return, reverse the movement by pulling your legs back over your head.
- Keep your core tight and use your lats and shoulders to pull yourself back to the starting hang position.
Benefits of Skin the Cat
1. Shoulder Mobility and Flexibility
Skin the Cat stretches and strengthens your shoulders in a unique way. The full range of motion helps improve flexibility and mobility, making it a great exercise for shoulder health.
2. Upper Body Strength
This exercise works the muscles of your back (especially your lats), chest, and arms, building upper body strength and endurance.
3. Improved Body Control
Skin the Cat helps develop body awareness and control since you need to coordinate your arms, core, and legs through each phase of the movement.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Lack of Shoulder Engagement
It’s important to keep your shoulders active throughout the entire movement. Allowing your shoulders to relax or disengage can put unnecessary strain on the joints.
2. Overextending in the German Hang
While the stretch in the German hang is beneficial for shoulder mobility, avoid overextending too quickly. Gradually increase your range of motion as your flexibility improves to avoid injury.
3. Rushing the Movement
Focus on controlled, slow movements. Rushing through Skin the Cat increases the risk of injury, especially in the shoulders and upper back.
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How to Modify Skin the Cat
If you’re new to Skin the Cat or still building the necessary strength and flexibility, try these modifications:
1. Use Assistance Bands
Using a resistance band to support some of your body weight can make the movement easier. Secure the band to the bar or rings, place your feet in the band, and perform the movement with reduced load.
2. Partial Range of Motion
If you’re working on mobility, you can perform the movement only partway by rotating into a half-inverted position before lowering back down. As your strength and mobility improve, you can gradually increase the range of motion.
How to Incorporate Skin the Cat Into Your Workout Routine
Skin the Cat is a great addition to upper body and mobility workouts. Here are a few ways to include it in your routine:
- Warm-Up for Shoulder Mobility: Use Skin the Cat as a dynamic stretch to prepare your shoulders for heavy lifting or calisthenics.
- Upper Body Strength Training: Include Skin the Cat as part of a pull-up or ring workout to build strength and improve shoulder stability.
- Skill Work: If you’re training gymnastics or bodyweight skills, practice Skin the Cat regularly to improve your control and range of motion.
Conclusion
Skin the Cat is a highly effective movement for building shoulder strength, mobility, and body control. While challenging, it’s a rewarding exercise that offers significant benefits to your upper body and core strength. Whether you’re a gymnast, a calisthenics enthusiast, or just looking to improve your mobility, Skin the Cat is an essential skill to master.
Start slow, focus on control, and work within your range of motion to prevent injury. As you gain strength and flexibility, you’ll be able to perform this impressive move with ease.
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Anton has been training calisthenics for many years and has experience coaching calisthenics. As a calisthenics nerd, I enjoy diving deep into various topics related to calisthenics.