Towel Hang

How to perform the Towel Hang

1. Drape one or two towels over a pull-up bar and grip the towel ends firmly in each hand.
2. The thick, soft towel is far harder to hold than a bar, so this is a much more demanding grip challenge.
3. Hang with the arms straight and the feet off the floor, supporting your bodyweight entirely through the towel grip.
4. Keep the shoulders slightly active and the body still rather than swinging on the towels.
5. Hold for the prescribed time, letting the crushing grip demand tax the forearms far more than a bar hang.
6. Come down under control the moment the grip starts to slip rather than letting go abruptly.

Suggested working range: 15–40 reps. Default progression: double progression.

Common mistakes

• •Choosing a towel so thin it barely adds any grip demand over a plain bar.
• •Swinging on the towels instead of holding a still, controlled hang.
• •Letting go abruptly the instant the grip slips rather than lowering under control.
• •Gripping only the very ends so the towel slides through the fingers immediately.

Variations & alternatives

Swap in a related movement if equipment, recovery, or progression demands it.