What is Skin the Cat Backlever Tuck?
The Skin the Cat Backlever Tuck is a medium-level ring exercise that moves from an active hang into a tucked back lever. It primarily targets the core, shoulders, and back, emphasizing lat-driven pulling, scapular control, and shoulder stability while improving inverted strength and controlled mobility.
How to Do Skin the Cat Backlever Tuck
- Grip the rings: Take a pronated grip on the rings shoulder-width, engage lats and protract scapula. Keep arms straight and shoulders active before starting.
- Start active hang: Begin from an active hang with slight scapular depression, knees bent. Maintain tension through lats and core to protect the shoulders.
- Tuck your knees: Bring knees toward chest into a tight tuck, keeping hips high and core braced. Avoid letting hips sag or shoulders shrug.
- Pull and invert: Use lat-driven pulling to rotate rings and lift body into an inverted position. Keep arms straight, control movement slowly to avoid swinging.
- Find tucked backlever: Slowly lower until your torso nears horizontal in a tucked backlever. Pause to check scapular position and maintain tight core alignment.
- Return safely: Protract scapula and use lats to pull legs back through to active hang. Maintain straight arms and control descent for each rep.
Muscle Groups
Core, Shoulders, Back
Description
Take a pronated grip on the rings, start from an active hang, with knees bent. Try to keep the arms straight and use your lats to pull, tuck your knees in to your chest, and keep pulling until your inverted. Keep going, slowly lowering into a tucked back lever position. Lower with control and try to find the horizontal position with your body. Pause before pulling your legs back through to the start. Potract the scapula as you pull out of the backlever tuck and try maintain straight arms.Repeat for repetitions.
Movement Group
Pull
Required Equipment
Rings
Progressions and Regressions
- Negative Skin the Cat to Tuck Invert Hold
- Skin the Cat Backlever Tuck (current)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the benefits of the Skin the Cat Backlever Tuck?
The Skin the Cat Backlever Tuck builds core and posterior chain strength, improves shoulder mobility and scapular control, and develops lat-driven inverted strength on rings—useful for backlever and other advanced ring skills.
What common mistakes should I avoid?
Common mistakes include bending the arms, letting hips sag, shrugging shoulders, rushing the inversion, and excessive swinging. Focus on straight arms, tight tuck, slow controlled movement, and active scapular engagement to reduce risk of strain.
How can I progress or regress this move?
Progress by increasing tuck hold time, moving to a single-leg tuck, then open tuck and full backlever. Regress with assisted skin-the-cat, partial inversions, scapular pulls, and consistent shoulder mobility work to build readiness.