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Dragon Flag Raises Progressions

Muscles worked

  • Abs
  • Obliques

Form Cues

  • Grip a stable object behind your head firmly with both hands

  • Keep your upper back in contact with the bench or floor at all times — only pivot on your upper back

  • Maintain a straight body line, don't let your hips pike or your lower back arch

  • Control the lowering phase — the slower, the better for building strength

  • Brace your core throughout and think about pressing your ribs down towards your hips

  • Breathe out as you lift, breathe in as you lower

Progressions

  1. 01

    Laying Tucked Leg Raises

    • Lie flat on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head firmly

    • Tuck your knees tightly towards your chest

    • Curl your spine to lift your hips off the surface — think about rolling up vertebra by vertebra

    • Raise until your hips are stacked over your shoulders in a vertical position

    • Lower back down with control, keeping the knees tucked the whole time

    • At the bottom, press your lower back into the surface — if it arches, you went too low

    • This is a leg raise, not a sit-up — your upper back stays on the surface

  2. 02

    Laying Leg Raises

    • Lie flat on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head firmly

    • Keep legs straight and together throughout the entire movement

    • Curl your spine to lift hips and legs off the surface until hips are over shoulders

    • Lower your straight legs slowly — this is harder than the tucked version, so control is key

    • Press your lower back into the surface at the bottom — if it arches, you went too low

    • Don't swing or use momentum — every rep should be slow and deliberate

    • Your upper back stays on the surface at all times

    • Breathe out as you lift, breathe in as you lower

  3. 03

    Tucked Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Bring knees towards chest in a tight tuck position

    • Keep upper back in contact with the surface

    • Lift hips and lower back off the surface

    • Continue lifting until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • From this vertical position, lower legs back down slowly and with control

    • Maintain tucked position throughout the movement

    • Focus on core engagement and body tension

    • Avoid using momentum to lift

  4. 04

    One Leg Tuck Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Tuck one leg towards chest, keep the other leg extended

    • Lift hips and lower back off the surface

    • Raise until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • Lower body slowly, maintaining the one leg tuck position

    • Keep extended leg straight throughout the movement

    • Raise back to vertical position

    • Alternate legs with each repetition

    • Focus on core stability and control

  5. 05

    Adv. Tucked Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Tuck legs, but keep hips more extended than in basic tuck

    • Lift hips and lower back off the surface

    • Raise until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • Lower body slowly, maintaining the advanced tuck position

    • Raise back to vertical

    • Keep upper back in contact with surface throughout

    • Focus on core and hip flexor strength

    • Maintain control and avoid using momentum

  6. 06

    One Leg Adv. Tuck Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Lift one leg in an advanced tuck position, other leg extended straight

    • Raise hips and lower back off the surface

    • Continue lifting until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • Lower body slowly, maintaining the position

    • Raise back to vertical

    • Keep core tight throughout the movement

    • Alternate legs with each repetition

    • Focus on maintaining balance and control

  7. 07

    Straddle Dragon Flag Negatives

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Lift legs into a straddle position, raising hips off the surface

    • Continue lifting until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • From this vertical position, lower body slowly, maintaining the straddle

    • Keep upper back in contact with the surface throughout the movement

    • Control the descent to a horizontal position

    • Use support to return to the starting position

    • Focus on eccentric control and core engagement

  8. 08

    Straddle Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Lift legs in a wide straddle position

    • Raise hips and lower back off the surface

    • Continue lifting until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • Lower body slowly, maintaining the straddle position

    • Keep legs straight throughout the movement

    • Raise back to vertical position

    • Focus on hip flexor and adductor engagement

    • Maintain upper back contact with surface

  9. 09

    Partial Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, gripping a stable object behind your head for support

    • Lift legs and hips off the surface, keeping legs straight

    • Raise until you reach a nearly vertical position with hips over shoulders

    • Lower body partially, maintaining a straight line from shoulders to toes

    • Raise back to the vertical starting position

    • Keep upper back in contact with the surface throughout

    • Focus on core and lower back engagement

    • Gradually increase range of motion as strength improves

  10. 10

    Dragon Flag Negatives

    • Lie on a bench or floor, grip a stable object firmly behind your head

    • Kick or curl up to a vertical position with legs straight and together

    • From the top, lower your entire body as one rigid unit — this is the main exercise

    • Aim for a 4-6 second descent from vertical to horizontal

    • Keep a completely straight line from shoulders to toes — no bending at the hips

    • Your upper back stays on the surface, pivot only on your upper back

    • At the bottom, use a tuck or kick to return to vertical — the negative is the focus

    • If you can't maintain a straight line, go back to a straddle or one-leg-tuck variation

  11. 11

    Dragon Flag Raises

    • Lie on a bench or floor, grip a stable object firmly behind your head

    • Brace your entire body — squeeze glutes, abs, quads, and point your toes

    • Lift your entire body as one rigid plank from the surface, pivoting on your upper back

    • Raise to vertical, then lower to horizontal and raise again — full concentric and eccentric

    • Maintain a perfectly straight line from shoulders to toes in both directions

    • Control both the lowering and the lifting — if you can only control the negative, you're not ready for this progression

    • Don't let your hips pike or your back arch at any point during the movement

    • Breathe out during the hardest part (lifting), breathe in during the lowering

Common mistakes

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