Leg Raise Dragon Flag

Description

How to Do Leg Raise Dragon Flag

1. 1
   Setup

   Lie supine on a sturdy bench or mat, gripping a stable overhead support (e.g., the bench's edge or a rack) with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart.

2. 2
   Setup

   Engage your core and lift your legs and torso off the bench, bringing your entire body into a straight, rigid line from your shoulders to your heels, supported only by your upper back and shoulders.

3. 3

   Slowly and with extreme control, lower your entire body as a single, rigid unit towards the bench, stopping just before your lower back or glutes touch the surface while maintaining a straight line.

4. 4

   Without allowing your lower back to arch or sag, reverse the motion by powerfully engaging your core and hip flexors to raise your body back to the starting straight-line position.

Tips

• Focus on maintaining a completely straight line from your shoulders to your heels; imagine your body as a rigid plank of wood throughout the entire movement.
• Control is paramount. If you cannot lower or raise your body slowly and with perfect form, reduce the range of motion or utilize an easier progression until strength improves.
• Actively press your shoulders and upper back into the support and keep your lats engaged to help stabilize your upper body and maintain a strong anchor point.
• Engage your glutes and quads to keep your legs fully extended and rigid, which contributes to the overall stability and 'plank-like' body position.

Common Mistakes

• ×Sagging Hips or Arching Lower Back: This indicates a loss of core tension; actively brace your abdominals and glutes to keep your body in a straight, rigid line from shoulders to heels.
• ×Using Momentum to Lift: Jerking or swinging the legs to initiate the upward movement reduces core engagement; focus on a slow, controlled lift driven solely by your abdominal muscles.
• ×Bending Knees or Hips: This reduces the lever arm and makes the exercise significantly easier; keep your legs fully extended and hips locked to maximize the challenge and core activation.