How to Do a Dragon Flag: Its Benefits, Variations & Safety

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July 5, 2022

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The dragon flag exercise is a fitness move credited to martial arts master Bruce Lee. The name dragon flag meaning that the move is similar to a bar hold or a human flag. Bruce Lee dragon flags are one of the more advanced fitness moves that Bruce Lee used in his physical training. Bruce Lee dragon workout is now a part of fitness pop culture. Over time, Bruce Lee dragon workout exercise has gained popularity amongst fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders who want to master intense moves.

Bruce lee dragon flags are an advanced bodyweight core exercise. Dragon flag exercise should only be attempted by more advanced exercisers and athletes who have a high level of overall body strength.

If you’re looking to work out your abs dragon flag is one power move that can make a whole lot of difference in your strength. Dragon flags are a great move to add to your strength, power, and weight loss exercise training. The move requires minimal equipment and hence can be easily done if you workout at home. In this article, we will discuss all about how to do dragon flag, its benefits, and variations.

What is a Dragon Flag?

The dragon flag is an intermediate calisthenics bodyweight exercise that is key for working your core stability and pulling strength. The main objective of the dragon flag core exercise is to lift the body from the ground using a point of support, the upper body, and hands holding a bar. Dragon flag meaning it is similar to a bar hold, or hum flag.

The main muscle groups that are involved in dragon flag core exercise are:

Rectus Abdominus
Lower Back
Obliques
Glutes
Pulling muscle groups like biceps, serratus, and lats.

How to do a Dragon Flag?

Here are Dragon Flag Steps:

For the starting position, lie down on your back and reach your arms behind you to hold onto a sturdy pole, column, or bench.
As you roll your weight onto your shoulders, lift up your hips.
Lift your feet, legs, and torso so as to come in one straight line.
Bring your body in one straight line so that your shoulders, hips, and knees are aligned. Do not put the weight of your body on your neck. Make sure to keep the weight on your upper back and shoulders.
The only part of your body that should be in contact with the floor is your upper back.
Hold here for up to 10 seconds.
Now, keeping your core and buttocks tight, slowly lower your body back down to the floor until it’s parallel to the floor.
Make sure you’re keeping your legs together and straight throughout.
For some extra challenge, you can hold your body just above the ground and hold this position before lifting up again.

You can do 5 sets of 5 repetitions while working the abs dragon flag.

What Are the Benefits Of Dragon Flag?

Dragon flag benefits are as much as the difficulty of the move. An advanced move, dragon exercise works the entire torso, from the head to the toe. Dragon exercise is one of the few exercises that can engage so many muscles at one time.
Dragon flag ab workout works all the core stabilizers. As the exercise requires a controlled eccentric movement, the dragon flag ab workout builds strength more quickly than isolated core exercises.
One needs to have their body in top physical form in order to do a dragon flag workout.
While dragon flag abs workout requires abdominal and core strength, it also requires substantial amounts of full-body strength. The longer you hold the dragon flag workout, and the longer you take to complete each repetition. The more you get out of this extremely powerful move.
One of the major benefits dragon flag benefits is that it helps you to build shoulder strength and muscle mass.

What Are the Variations of Dragon Flags?

Dragon flag abs workout is an advanced exercise that can be done in different ways to build up to the full exercise or to progress further. Before attempting a dragon flag exercise, you should make sure that you have worked your way up to advanced core training. There are some variations of the dragon flag that one can try.

If you can’t do a proper dragon flag, here are some modifications that you can try for easier variations of the exercise:

Mix up the height to which you bring your legs and pause at different points.
In the beginning, choose to lower your legs only halfway down so that it’s easier to bring them up again
Do the exercise with both knees bent. Once you achieve this, try doing the exercise with one leg straightened at a time.
Do the straddle leg version of the exercise. The wider you open the legs, the easier the exercise becomes. As you progress, bring your legs closer together until they are in their regular position.
Kick up to the top dragon position and work on lowering the legs.

Alternatively, if you’re looking for more of a challenge, you can try the below-mentioned variations of the dragon flag.

Do more repetitions and sets.
Work on pointing your toes.
Wear ankle weights or heavy shoes.
Use a decline bench. This will give a bigger range of motion and much more engagement of the muscles.

What Are Some Common Mistakes to Avoid While Doing Dragon Flags?

Form and focus are extremely important when it comes to performing dragon flags. Make sure you avoid the following errors so you can get the most out of your dragon flags and reduce the risk of strains and injury.

Arching Back: Do not arch the back. Arching the lower back will take the emphasis off of your abs and transfer it to the lower back. This can pose a risk of strain.

Poor Warmup: Make sure you properly warm up your full body muscles before attempting to perform dragon flags. This will help in muscle activation as well as reduce the risk of pain, strain, or other injuries.

Inadequate Rest Between Sets: When performing powerful moves, it is vital to get an adequate amount of rest between sets. During your dragon flag workout, make sure to rest completely between sets for one to three minutes.

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