Lache
A swinging release and catch between bars. Essential parkour and freestyle skill.
Short answer
Lache: an advanced bodyweight exercise for the lats and grip. You need a pull-up bar. A typical target: Practice until consistent.
Benefits
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps for perfect form
Generate swing on bar.
Release at optimal point.
Travel through air.
Catch target bar.
Pro Tips
Common Mistakes
Target Muscles
What muscles does the lache work?
Swinging from one bar to another is driven by the lats and the core generating a controlled arch-to-hollow swing, then releasing at the right moment. The grip must release cleanly and reclose hard on the next bar. The shoulders absorb the catch, which is where the load is highest. It is a timing skill built on a foundation of hanging strength - the muscles involved are ordinary, but the coordination is not.
Primary Muscles
Secondary Muscles
How to train it
Practise until consistent rather than to a rep count, two or three times a week. Learn the swing first without releasing, then release to the same bar, then to a bar a short distance away, increasing the gap gradually. Always practise over matting with a spotter while learning. Grip strength should be well established beforehand.
If you are stuck
Poor timing is the fault that defines a failed lache - the release must happen at the top of the forward swing, and letting go early or late both cost you the catch. Insufficient swing means there is not enough momentum to cover the gap; build the swing before increasing distance. Not committing is the third issue and the most likely to cause a fall, because a hesitant release produces an unpredictable trajectory.
Progressions
Level up your training
Lache questions
What is a lache?
A lache is a parkour/gymnastics movement where you swing from one bar, release at the peak of your swing, fly through the air, and catch another bar. It requires precise timing and control.
How do I judge distance for lache?
Start with bars close together and gradually increase distance. Your swing momentum determines how far you can travel. Practice on low bars first and always have mats below.
When should I release during a lache?
Release at the peak of your forward swing when your body is behind vertical. Your momentum should carry you forward and up toward the target bar. Too early or late and you will miss.
Related Exercises
More Skills exercises
Skin the Cat
A shoulder mobility and strength movement where you rotate through a full circle on the bar or rings.
Bar Muscle-Up
The classic muscle-up on a straight bar. Explosive pull transitioning to a dip above the bar.
Ring Muscle-Up
A muscle-up performed on gymnastic rings. Requires different technique than bar muscle-up.
Ready to Practice Lache?
Find a calisthenics park with pull-up bar near you and start training.