Liftworthy
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Liftworthy

Every exercise ranked by research, by lifters and by results. Find what’s S-tier for your goal, then train it.

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General training information, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and see a professional.
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Explore/Forearms

Towel Hang

BodyweightIsolationEasy to learn
Front
Back
Primary Secondary

Works

Forearms

Also upper back & lats

You need

Pull-up bar

How to do itPicture · 3 steps
Hold
Main musclesAlso working
  1. 1Drape two towels over the bar
  2. 2Grip hard and hang
  3. 3Hold for time; add weight later

Most common mistake

Hanging until the grip slips instead of stopping just short.

Watch a demo

Good for

  • Ranked #2 for combat
  • Easy on the joints and recovery
  • Carries straight over to combat

Compare with

vs Dead Hangvs Reverse Curlvs Wrist Roller
S
For combat
#2 of 37
See the full list →
Research
85
Scored by hand
Results
Soon
From the app
How lifters rate itBe the first
S
A
B
C
D
F
Why research scores it 85
TransferExcellent
Injury protectionGood
PracticalityExcellent

Gripping a towel is gripping a gi or a collar.

Research behind these criteria

  • Transfer: Seitz et al., 2014 · Markovic, 2007 · Blagrove et al., 2018 · Rønnestad & Mujika, 2014
  • Injury protection: Lauersen et al., 2014 · van Dyk et al., 2019 · Harøy et al., 2019 · Webster & Hewett, 2018
How scores work

Machine taken? Swap to

  • SNeck Curl & ExtensionOther
  • AFarmer's CarryDumbbell
  • AMed Ball Rotational ThrowOther
  • APull-UpBodyweight

Takes

None yet
needed to post
280