Intermediate

Flexed-Arm Hang at 90 Degrees

The mid-range of a pull-up is a common sticking point, and holding it at ninety degrees trains the lats and biceps exactly where the leverage is worst. It bridges the gap between a dead hang and a full pull-up hold, making it ideal for building the strength needed to pass through that stall. Use it as an accessory on pulling days or as a progression toward strict reps.

Equipment
Pull-Up Bar
Body part
Biceps, Lats
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Vertical Pull
Muscles worked
Target
Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps Brachii Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head
Secondary
Brachioradialis, Trapezius Middle, Deltoid Posterior
Tertiary
Erector Spinae, Trapezius Lower

How to do it

  1. 1

    Take a shoulder-width overhand grip on the bar.

  2. 2

    Pull up until your elbows form a right angle and your eyes are near bar height.

  3. 3

    Stop and hold, keeping the elbows fixed at ninety degrees.

  4. 4

    Draw the shoulder blades down and back to protect the shoulders.

  5. 5

    Keep the body still and avoid swinging or kipping.

  6. 6

    Hold for time, then lower slowly to a dead hang before releasing.

Tips

  • Fix your gaze on a point to help hold the exact angle.
  • Do not let the elbows drift open under fatigue; that is the rep ending.
  • Cross your ankles and squeeze the glutes to stop the legs swinging.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • You arrive at ninety degrees already shaking because the pull-up to get there was a maximal effort; step off a box into the position so the hold, not the climb, is what the set is about.
  • The elbows close past ninety as the seconds pass, which parks you in the easier chin-over-bar position and skips the angle this hold exists to train.
  • Hands sit at slightly different heights on the bar, so one elbow is more bent than the other and the stronger arm quietly takes over; set both hands level before you pull.
  • Grip goes before the lats do on a pronated bar, and the set ends at the fingers rather than the back; chalk up and wrap the thumbs fully around instead of letting the bar slide to the fingertips.
  • Dropping off the bar the moment the elbows open wastes the slow lower the steps call for, and landing from full height with straight legs is a jolt through the knees.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the flexed-arm hang at 90 degrees when you are new to the exercise?
Think in total time rather than single efforts: four or five holds of 8 to 15 seconds, resting a minute or two, gives you about a minute of work at the hardest angle. Add five seconds to each hold before you add another hold, and once you can keep ninety degrees for 30 seconds the next step is a slow pull-up rather than a longer hang. End each hold when the elbows start opening, not when the clock runs out.
What can I do instead of the flexed-arm hang at 90 degrees if I have no pull-up bar?
A doorway pull-up bar, a playground bar, or a set of rings all work, and rings let the hands turn slightly if a fixed grip bothers your elbows. With nothing overhead, lie under a solid table or a bar at hip height and hold the top of an inverted row: the elbow angle is similar and your feet set the difficulty. A band over a high anchor is a distant third, since it unloads you exactly where the hold is hardest.
What is the flexed-arm hang at 90 degrees good for, and when is it not worth doing?
It builds strength in the mid-range of a pull-up, where most people stall, and it teaches the lats and biceps to hold a position instead of rushing through it. It suits anyone chasing a first strict pull-up or a few more reps. It is a poor choice if you cannot pull to that height at all, since the hold has to start from an honest position; band-assisted negatives come first. Leave it alone when the inside of the elbow is sore, because a long bent-arm hang loads that tendon for the whole set.

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