Weighted Dead Hang
Decompresses the spine and loads the shoulder at full overhead range — the cheapest overhead flexibility work there is
How to do it well
These are the cues the app shows on the exercise card, written for the moment you are standing in front of the bar.
- Let the shoulders rise to the ears, then gently pull down
- Relax the ribs
- Step off, do not drop
- Tempo
- settle in
How Train Smart prescribes it
The sets and reps below are the authored starting point. The actual weight you see is calculated from your own last top set and the week you are in within your four-week block.
| Program | Session | Sets × reps | Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFL | Upper Power | 2 × 30s hold | BW or +load |
| Soccer | Upper + Core | 2 × 30s hold | BW or +load |
| Basketball | Upper + Trunk | 2 × 30s hold | BW or +load |
| Gymnastics | Shoulders + Core | 2 × 30s hold | BW or +load |
What it trains, and who trains it
- Muscles worked
- Back · Biceps
- Region
- Full body
- Classified as
- MOBILITY
- Prescribed in
- AFL · soccer · basketball · gymnastics · general fitness · bodybuilding · bodyweight training
If you cannot do this one
Rack taken, kit missing, or it does not suit you. These are the swaps the app offers, matched by movement pattern and body region — each with the reason it is a fair substitute.
| Alternative | Why it works as a swap |
|---|---|
| Towel Pull-Up | Thick grip pulling — judo / BJJ / climber gi-strength |
| Fat-Grip DB Row | Wide-grip row — forearm + lat strength |
| Wrist Roller | Forearm endurance — striker / climber |
| Plate Pinch Hold | Pinch grip — thumb + finger strength |
| Farmer Carry (heavy) | Bilateral grip + trunk under load |
| Single-Arm Farmer Carry | Anti-lateral-flexion + grip |
This exercise, in a program that knows why it is there
Train Smart puts this movement in the right session, at the right point in your block, at a weight calculated for you — and swaps it automatically if you do not have the kit.
One month free, then A$24.99/month. Cancel any time. iPhone and iPad.