Dragon Flag

How to do the Dragon Flag

1. Lie flat on a bench and grip the bench firmly behind your head with both hands.
2. Engage your core and lift your entire body upward as a single rigid unit, pivoting only on your upper back and shoulders.
3. Raise your body until it is nearly vertical, keeping your hips, torso, and legs aligned.
4. Lower your body slowly under control, maintaining the rigid body position throughout the descent.
5. Stop just before your body touches the bench and repeat, or rest briefly between reps.

Form tips

• Keep your entire body rigid from shoulders to toes by maintaining constant tension through your abs and glutes throughout the movement.
• Focus on controlling the descent by resisting gravity rather than simply dropping down, as the eccentric phase builds the most strength.
• Keep your shoulder blades firmly planted on the bench and avoid letting your lower back take over by maintaining a posterior pelvic tilt.

Common mistakes

• Bending at the hips during the movement: this reduces tension on the abs and turns the exercise into a less effective leg raise variation.
• Dropping the body quickly during the lowering phase: this wastes the eccentric strengthening benefit and can strain the lower back.
• Lifting the shoulder blades off the bench: this reduces stability and shifts stress away from the core to the neck and upper back.

Sets and reps

For strength, perform 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 6 controlled reps with full range of motion, while hypertrophy work typically uses 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps with slightly shorter rest periods.

Frequently asked questions

How do I progress toward a full dragon flag if I cannot do one yet?

Start with the eccentric-only version by lifting your legs with assistance or momentum, then lowering as slowly as possible under control. You can also reduce the lever arm by keeping your knees bent or performing the movement with a tucked body position until you build sufficient strength.

What is the difference between a dragon flag and a hanging leg raise?

The dragon flag requires you to hold your entire body rigid and nearly horizontal while pivoting on your shoulders, creating much greater core demand than a hanging leg raise. A hanging leg raise isolates hip flexion while hanging from a bar, making it significantly less challenging for overall core strength.

Should my body be completely vertical at the top of a dragon flag?

Your body should approach vertical but does not need to be perfectly upright, as most people stop when their body forms roughly a 70 to 80 degree angle with the bench. Going completely vertical reduces tension on the abs and can shift the exercise into more of a shoulder-supported position.

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