Lying on a bench, you grip it behind the head and lift the whole body as one rigid line, then lower it slowly without letting the hips drop. It is a very advanced exercise popularised by Bruce Lee, working the abs through an enormous lever.
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3
Sets
8
Reps
Bench
Equipment
7.00
Cal/min
🎯 Muscles Worked
🎯
Primary
Core, Lower abs
📋 How To Perform Dragon Flag
1
Lie on a bench, grip behind your head for support.
2
Lift your entire body up, keeping it in one straight line from shoulders to feet.
3
Only your upper back stays in contact with the bench.
4
Lower slowly under full control, keeping your body straight — don't let your hips bend.
5
This is an advanced move — build up with leg raises and ab rollouts first.
💡 Benefits of Dragon Flag
Builds extreme core strength and body control. It trains the abs, hip flexors and the stabilisers of the shoulder girdle, and is a good long-term goal for advanced bodyweight trainers.
📈 Sets, Reps & Programming
Practise negatives first: lift into position and lower for 5 to 10 seconds, doing 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps. Do not attempt it without a strong plank, hanging leg raise and rollout base.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
Bending at the hips instead of keeping the body straight
Dropping the legs quickly instead of lowering slowly
Straining the neck by lifting with the head
✅ Pro Tips
Keep the body rigid from the shoulders to the toes as one plank
Lower slowly and stop before the lower back arches
🛡️ Safety Notes
Very advanced and stressful on the neck and shoulders. Make sure the bench is stable, and do not attempt it if you have neck or lower-back problems.
🔁 Progressions & Regressions
Make it harderfull straight-body dragon flags.
Make it easiertuck or single-leg dragon flag negatives.
