Before the first session

Use a securely fitted bar and a stable way to step down. Choose an assisted or unassisted hold you can control without pain. Keep that variation consistent when comparing results. If you have an injury or concerns about the movement, seek individual guidance.

Your 8-week framework

Weeks 1–2

Establish repeatable sessions

Keep the bar, grip and assistance consistent. Start with settings you can control.

Weeks 3–4

Review the first block

Look at actual logged holds. Keep the settings or change a single variable if the sessions remain comfortable.

Weeks 5–6

Practise the revised setup

Keep recording like-for-like sessions. If the new setup is too demanding, return to the previous one.

Weeks 7–8

Compare both blocks

Review your first and second blocks. Consider consistency and control as well as seconds. Choose the next block from those records.

Keep a stable weekly slot

Reserve the same two non-consecutive practice days as an example schedule. Use the first two weeks to see whether those slots fit your wider activity. Keep a familiar hold duration and support level before trying to add work.

  1. Repeat your setup and warm up with an easier supported variation.
  2. Run your chosen hang, rest and set intervals. Record early finishes honestly.
  3. Review two comparable sessions before changing the setup. Choose one adjustment: duration, assistance, sets or rest.
  4. Keep the other variables stable through the next review. Return to the earlier settings if control worsens.

Example review: two sessions use the same bar and three 15-second supported holds. A visitor then tries a slightly longer interval while keeping assistance and rest unchanged. The example demonstrates a comparison method; it does not establish an optimal increase or guarantee progress.

Choose your timer settings

Enter your own hang duration, rest duration and number of sets. The workspace's defaults are examples. You can shorten a hold or increase rest before starting. The timer pauses when the page is hidden and never saves a session automatically.

Open the timer & log

Record the work you actually did

Save the date, assistance, best actual hold and number of sets. Compare supported hangs with supported hangs and unassisted hangs with unassisted hangs. Export the log before clearing your browser or switching devices.

When the plan needs changing

Stop a painful hold. End a set before you lose the ability to step down under control. A missed session does not require making up extra sets. Repeating a block is an option; longer holds are not the only reason to keep a training record.

Review the block

Compare your current hold with an earlier hold made under the same conditions. The personal calculator shows the difference without inventing a population percentile.

Use the printable session planner if you prefer paper. Dead hangs are one part of a wider routine; the NHS activity guidance covers broader strength and aerobic activity.