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Strength Training · Calisthenics

Dragon Flag

The dragon flag is an advanced bodyweight exercise where you raise and lower your body as a rigid lever supported on your upper back. It trains abdominal strength and control against lower-back arching.

Higher injury risk. Read the safety notes before adding weight.

  • Advanced
  • Compound
  • Higher injury risk
  • Rest 2 min

How to do it

  1. Lie faceup along the bench with your head supported near one end.
  2. Grip the bench edges behind your head.
  3. Draw your knees toward your chest.
  4. Lift your hips until your weight rests across your upper back.
  5. Extend your legs upward into a straight line with your torso, balanced above your shoulders.
  6. Lower your torso and legs together toward the bench to a height you can control.
  7. Raise your body back toward vertical as one rigid unit.

Form cues

  • Squeeze your glutes.
  • Keep your ribs pulled down.
  • Keep breathing behind your brace.

Common mistakes

  • Folding at the hipsShorten the lowering range so your hips stay in line with your shoulders and ankles.
  • Swinging through the returnUse a tucked-knee version until you can reverse direction without momentum.
  • Dropping through the descentTake about three seconds to lower rather than letting gravity take over.

Safety

The long body lever can strain your lower back if your brace fails. Rolling onto your neck or losing your grip can cause neck or shoulder injury and a fall from the bench.

  • Use a stable bench that cannot tip or slide under your pulling force.
  • Keep pressure across your upper back and shoulders, not your head or neck.
  • End the set when your lower back begins to arch.
  • To exit, bend your knees toward your chest before lowering your hips onto the pad.

If you have neck, shoulder, or lower-back pain, get advice from a physiotherapist before attempting the full version.

Muscles worked

Front

Primary muscles

  • Abs

Secondary muscles

  • Hip Flexors
  • Obliques

Equipment

  • Flat Bench

Sets and reps

Sets
2–3
Target
3–6 reps
Rest
2 min

Start with a bent-knee version if you cannot complete the target with controlled repetitions.