What is Dragon Flag?A Guide to Core Strength and Mobility

Are you tired of endless ab workouts with no visible results? It's time to switch to the Dragon Flag! If you're looking for a single core exercise that not only builds a six-pack but also enhances your calisthenics core strength, the Dragon Flag is your go-to move.

Hello, I'm Benny, a Speediance coach. I'm here to help you harness your body weight to achieve lifelong strength and mobility!

What is Dragon Flag?

The Dragon Flag is an advanced calisthenics exercise that primarily targets the core muscles, but also engages the shoulders, lats, and hip flexors. According to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, exercises that engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, like the Dragon Flag, are more effective in improving core stability and overall body strength compared to isolated ab exercises. This is because the Dragon Flag requires the coordination of the core, lats, and shoulders, which mimics the functional movements often encountered in sports and daily activities.

The movement is considered one of the ultimate bodyweight exercises because it requires excellent coordination, strength, and focus.

Muscles Worked:

• Rectus Abdominis: The primary muscle responsible for the visible "six-pack" appearance, it contracts to bring the hips and shoulders closer together during the Dragon Flag.
• Obliques: These muscles on the sides of the abdomen help stabilize the torso and contribute to the rotational and lateral movements involved in the exercise.
• Transverse Abdominis: The deepest layer of abdominal muscles, it plays a crucial role in maintaining core stability and supporting the spine during the Dragon Flag.
• Latissimus Dorsi: The large muscles on the back are engaged to control the movement of the body as it lowers and raises.
• Shoulders: The deltoids and rotator cuff muscles work to stabilize the shoulders and maintain grip on the support.
• Glutes and Hip Flexors: These muscles help lift the legs and maintain the body's position during the exercise.

Benefits of the Dragon Flag

The Dragon Flag is a superior calisthenics core exercise that boosts strength for various advanced moves such as planches, handstand push-ups, front levers, and human flags. Moreover, the progressive nature of learning the Dragon Flag makes it an engaging and rewarding journey, unlike monotonous ab crunches.

Specific Benefits:

• Core Strength: Strengthens your core muscles, improving stability, posture, and overall functional strength.
• Abdominal Definition: Helps sculpt and define your abdominal muscles for a toned appearance.
• Full-Body Engagement: Engages not only the core but also major muscle groups such as the glutes, hip flexors, and lower back.
• Balance and Stability: Enhances your balance and stability, reducing the risk of injuries.
• Improved Body Control: Develops better control over your movements and body awareness.
• Mental Focus and Discipline: Enhances mental fortitude, which translates to other areas of life.
• Versatility and Accessibility: Requires minimal equipment and can be adapted to different fitness levels.

How to Perform the Dragon Flag

Regardless of your modification level, follow these steps to execute a Dragon Flag:

1. The Setup: Securely grip a sturdy, vertical object (such as a pole or bench) with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lie on your back with your head under the object and legs extended.
2. The Lift: Engage your core, glutes, and hip flexors to raise your legs and hips off the ground, keeping your body in a straight line from head to toe.
3. The Hold: Maintain the straight line position, resisting the urge to bend at the hips or knees.
4. The Lower: Slowly lower your body back to the starting position with control, maintaining tension throughout your core.

Dragon Flag Progressions for All Levels

Anyone can learn the Dragon Flag with the right progressions. The time it takes to master it depends on your current strength, experience, and training commitment.

Here are my top recommended progressions.

Setting Up for the Dragon Flag

My preferred setup is on a straight bar, as it mimics a front lever hold. However, you can also perform it on dumbbells, a bench, a pole, or even under a couch. Place a towel under your upper back to prevent chafing (I learned this the hard way while filming a video).

Beginner's Guide to the Dragon Flag

When starting out, patience is key. Lock your body into a small, tucked position and maintain this lower body posture as you lower yourself. Use your lats and abs to control the movement—no swinging allowed. Find your breath (exhale on exertion). Once you can perform 10 slow, controlled reps, gradually open your tuck. Over time, progress to the advanced tuck, but only move on once you can execute 10 clean reps.

Tucked Dragon Flag:

1. Assume the starting position as described earlier, gripping a sturdy object.
2. Engage your core and lift your knees towards your chest, keeping your back flat against the bench.
3. Slowly raise your hips off the ground, maintaining a tucked position.
4. Hold for a few seconds, then lower back down with control.
5. Sets and reps: Aim for 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Intermediate Dragon Flag Progressions

Advanced Tucked Dragon Flag:

1. Assume the starting position and engage your core.
2. Lift your legs and hips off the ground, keeping your body straight.
3. Hold the top position for as long as possible.
4. Slowly lower your body back down with control.
5. Sets and reps: Aim for 3 sets of 3-5 repetitions, gradually increasing the hold time as you get stronger.

Advanced Dragon Flag Progressions

1. Dragon Flag Negatives

   How to do it: Start from the top position of the Dragon Flag, where your body is perpendicular to the ground with your legs straight. Then slowly lower your body down, keeping your legs straight, until you're close to the ground, and return to the starting position. Try to maintain control throughout the movement and avoid dropping quickly.

   Training tips: If you can't do Dragon Flag Negatives yet, you can start by bending your knees or spreading your legs to make it easier. Once you can do 3-5 Dragon Flag Negatives, you can attempt the full Dragon Flag.

2. One-Leg Dragon Flag

   How to do it: Begin in the advanced bent-knee Dragon Flag position. Slowly straighten one leg while keeping the other leg bent. Hold this position for a few seconds, then return to the advanced bent-knee Dragon Flag position and repeat with the other leg.

   Training tips: This exercise can strengthen your core and prepare you for the full Dragon Flag. You can do 3 sets for each leg, with 5-8 reps per set.

3. Dragon Flag with Added Resistance

   Using equipment: You can add resistance by wearing ankle weights or holding two dumbbells above your head to increase the load on your upper body.

   Changing angles: Perform Dragon Flags on an inclined bench or use only a single bar behind you to change the angle of your body relative to the ground, making the exercise more challenging.

4. One-Arm Dragon Flag

   How to do it: Perform the Dragon Flag using only one hand to hold onto the bar behind you. This requires higher body coordination and core strength.

   Training tips: Before attempting this exercise, make sure you have mastered the standard Dragon Flag and have strong core muscles.

These advanced variations will truly test your core, lats, hip flexors, and shoulders. I've included the half-lay variation in this series as it helps train the movement pattern for those working on back levers, front levers, and planches.

Incorporating the Dragon Flag into Your Workout

Here are four ways to integrate the Dragon Flag into your routine:

• Full Reps: Perform full reps of the Dragon Flag using one of the modifications listed above. For beginners, this might mean doing the closed tuck or simply leg raises.
• Hard Down, Easy Up: Lower in a more challenging progression, then lift in an easier one. For example, single-leg down, tuck up; half-lay down, single-leg up.
• Negatives: Incorporate controlled negatives (the lowering part). Negatives are a common technique to improve in calisthenics. When an exercise is too difficult, perform only the negative portion.
• Holds: Perform holds at the lowest position, just before your breaking point.

Dragon Flag Workout Example

Complete this routine at the end of your training session, before your cool-down/stretch. Perform the full list without resting in between:

• 6 full reps of a variation suitable for your level
• 6 reps of the same variation down as the previous exercise, then an easier one up
• 6 reps of 6-second negatives
• Finish with a max hold at a medium height (not too low or too high). Choose an easier variation to achieve at least a 10-second hold

Repeat 3 times. Alternatively, set a total number of reps you want to hit and use as many variations as needed to reach that goal.

Summary of How to Do a Dragon Flag

1. Understand the various modification options (tucked, half-lay, single-leg, etc.).
2. Initiate the movement through your upper body, not your hips.
3. Remember to breathe (exhale on exertion).
4. Incorporate full reps, holds, and negatives to increase your Dragon Flag strength.
5. Train consistently to see improvement. Commit for at least 6 weeks for optimal results.
6. Superset Dragon Flags into your training, use them as a finisher, or as a positional drill to prepare your body for handstand push-ups, front levers, back levers, planches, or human flags.

Ready to Commit to Calisthenics Training?

Try some of my free calisthenics workout routines to kickstart your journey!