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Skin the Cat

The Skin the Cat is a strength exercise on rings for your back. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: lats (upper) 25%, lats (lower) 21% and upper abs 10%.

Level: AdvancedEquipment: RingsMulti-joint (compound)

How to do it

  1. Hang from a pair of gymnastic rings with straight arms and a palms-down grip.
  2. Bend the knees toward the chest and pull them up between your arms.
  3. Keep turning backward, passing the legs through the arms until your body hangs upside down behind you.
  4. Lower the feet toward the floor behind you as far as your shoulders allow while keeping the arms straight.
  5. Reverse the path slowly, tucking the knees back through the arms to return to the hang.

Tips

  • Move slowly in both directions and stop where the shoulder stretch is still comfortable.
  • Keep the arms straight and the shoulders active the whole way.

Common mistakes

  • Swinging to get the legs through instead of pulling with control.
  • Dropping fast into the bottom of the stretch behind the body.
  • Letting the elbows bend as the body turns over.

Muscles worked by the Skin the Cat

  • Lats (upper) Primary25%
  • Lats (lower) Primary21%
  • Upper abs Secondary10%
  • Triceps (long head) Secondary10%
  • Lower abs Secondary7%
  • Rear delts Secondary7%
  • Lower chest Minor5%
  • Lower traps Minor5%
  • Forearm flexors Minor4%
  • Rhomboids Stabilizer3%
  • Rotator cuff Stabilizer3%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Straight-arm lever work on the bar: the lats hold the body horizontal and the abs keep it rigid. With the elbows locked, shoulder extension isolates the lats and the long head of the triceps; lying pullovers bring the sternal pec in strongly.

Skin the Cat alternatives

Different equipment

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Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Skin the Cat work?

Mainly the lats (upper) and lats (lower). The upper abs, triceps (long head), lower abs and rear delts assist.

Is the Skin the Cat good for beginners?

The Skin the Cat is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Lat Prayer first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Skin the Cat?

For example the Front Lever Raise, Lat Prayer and Band Straight Arm Pulldown. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

Sources

  • Marchetti and Uchida 2011, J Appl Biomech 27(4):380-384 (pullover, pec and lats)

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Zulta tracks your sets, weights and muscle load next to your running, riding or Hyrox training. The app opens soon.

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