Exercise
HANGING SIDE TO SIDE MOVEMENTS
Form cues
About
A dynamic hang drill that swings your body side to side while hanging from a bar, gradually shifting your weight from one arm to the other to open up the shoulders and prime the grip for single-arm work.
Instructions
Step-by-step technique
Start in a relaxed hang
Hang from the bar with both hands, arms straight, and your whole body relaxed and hanging freely.
Relaxed full hangBegin the side-to-side swing
Using your hips and legs, start a gentle pendulum swing from side to side, like the hands of a clock.
Smooth pendulum motionLoad one arm at a time
As you swing to each side, let more of your bodyweight shift onto that side's arm for a moment before swinging back.
Shift weight, don't yankRepeat for the set
Continue the smooth side-to-side swing for the prescribed time, keeping the motion controlled rather than a hard swing.
Stay controlledCommon mistakes
What goes wrong — and why
Swinging too aggressively
A hard, jerky swing puts sudden strain on the shoulders and grip.
Keep the motion slow and pendulum-like, not a hard kip.
Only using the arms
Trying to generate the swing from the arms alone limits range and control.
Drive the swing from your hips and legs, letting the arms follow.
Holding your breath
Tensing up and holding your breath makes the movement feel more strained than it is.
Keep breathing steadily through the whole swing.
Variations · Progressions · Regressions
Adaptations for every level
Feet-Assisted Side Swing
Keep your toes lightly grazing the floor to control the amount of weight shifted onto each arm.
Full One-Arm Load Swing
Let the non-working hand briefly release the bar at the peak of each swing before catching it again.
Included in