Tyler Hass described the front lever as "the drill for upper
core tension" in the training guide for the Power Rings.
In Training for Climbing, Eric Horst described this drill
that was first introduced to rock climbing conditioning by John
Gill as "the gold standard of core-muscle strength".
Tyler went on to say that it is an "unbelievable exercise
for abdominal strength that is virtually unknown outside of the
gymnastics world". When Tyler asked me to write an article
about the front lever, I was happy to oblige because I share his
enthusiasm for this tremendous exercise and I agree that it is time
that more people learn about it and implement it into their training
routines.
The front lever is a difficult exercise that requires great intermuscular
coordination. The muscles of the upper body and core must work
together in order to successfully perform this drill. Please do
not look at the front lever and conclude that it is too difficult
because there are easier versions that are great exercises themselves
and will prepare you for closer and closer approximations to the
full front lever.
Before describing the progressions, I think that it is important
for the athlete to gain an understanding of the desired "feel"
for complex exercises. There are two basic positions/movements
involved in the front lever: the "hollow" and shoulder
extension. The following demonstration exercises are devised to
let you experience how your muscles should feel when doing the
front lever correctly:
Demonstration Exercise I: The "Hollow"
To experience the hollow position, lay down on your back on the
floor. Tuck your pelvis forward with your lower back maintaining
contact with the floor. Lift your straight legs slightly (a couple
of inches) off the floor. Keep your lower back anchored to the
floor. Attempt to slide your fingers into the space between your
lower back and the floor. (If you already have the desired position,
there will be no space and your fingers will have no room to slide
in). If you are able to slide your fingers under your lower back,
leave them there for feedback. Press your lower back down and
attempt to crush your fingers into the floor. This will essentially
be the feel of the lower body and abs during the front lever but
will vary from athlete to athlete according to a number of factors.
Hold this position long enough that the working muscles will
begin to fatigue. Study the muscle tension in the upper body.
Notice how the muscles of the chest, upper back, shoulder and
arms work together to maintain this position. Consciously tense
these muscles even harder. This is what the muscles of your upper
body should feel like during the front lever.
Demonstration Exercise II: Shoulder Extension
Loop a resistance band around a sturdy object. Lay down on your
back in front of the band so that you will need to reach overhead
(back) to grasp the ends. Reach back and grab the ends of the
tubing with your hands and pull in a semicircle downward and inward
towards your body. Your arms will be straight throughout. Hold
the position when your arms reach a 50 to 70 degree angle to your
torso. (The actual angle of your arms when doing the front lever
will be somewhere within this range.)
Feel free to combine the two demonstration exercises if you want
to experience the complete feel of the front lever. Once you are
confident that you have an understanding of the desired feel,
you are ready to attempt the real thing.
Progressions
The following are progressions to work towards the full front
lever. Unless you have prior experience with the front lever,
I recommend that you begin with the easiest version. I have included
criteria for advancing from one step to the next. The keys to
successful performance are included at the end of the article.
Please read these prior to attempting any of the exercises. The
starting position for all of these exercises will be from the
inverted hang position. You can perform all of these exercises
from a dead hang but it is slightly easier from an inverted hang.
If you have high blood pressure or other medical issues where
inversion is problematic, please do not begin from the inverted
hang and you may wish to refrain from the front lever completely.
Please check with your doctor.
(I) Tucked Front Lever
From an inverted hang, tuck your legs as you lower your body
until your back is parallel to the floor. Hold this position.
Lower yourself to a dead hang position when you are about a second
from failure. When you can hold this position easily for more
than 15 seconds, you are ready for the next step. If you are unable
to hold this position, you may wish to have a spotter or chair
that is level with your shoulders to help support a percentage
of your weight until you are able to hold the position on your
own. Bent knee hanging leg raises with a momentary hold in the
position described may also be helpful.
(II) One Leg Bent Front Lever
Begin in the inverted hang position. Lower yourself to the point
where your back is parallel to the floor with one leg extended
and the other bent. Hold. Lower to a dead hang position when you
can no longer hold this position. Proceed to the next step when
you are able to
(III) Full Front Lever
From the inverted hang position, lower your body to a point where
your back is parallel to the ground with both legs extended. Hold.
Lower to a dead hang poison when you can no longer hold this position.
Once you can hold this position for 2-3 seconds, Congratulations!!!
You have achieved the front lever! When you can hold it easily
for 15 seconds, you are ready for the next step.
(IV) Front Lever Pull to Inverted Hang
Steps one through three only involve the negative (lowering)
portion of the movement. You are now ready to reverse the movement
and return to the inverted hang. You Lucky Dog!! Be prepared for
quite possibly the greatest test of body tension that you have
ever experienced! Lower yourself from the inverted hang to the
front lever and hold for 2-3 seconds. Return to the inverted hang
by pulling very hard with the muscles of the upper body and holding
your body straight by tensing the glutes and abs. Initially, it
may be necessary to cheat yourself up by by piking or tucking.
That is O.K. but try to minimize this as you gain proficiency
in the exercise. Work up to 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps.
Keys to Successful Front Lever Performance
· Grip the rings or bar very tightly.
· Tuck your pelvis to assume a slight hollow position.
Your goal is to maintain a flat lower back. You do not want
to pike your body (bend at the waist) too much.
· Squeeze your abs and glutes to keep your body rigid
and straight. It may also help to imagine that your body (from
your head to your toes) is a board that is not capable of bending.
· Keep your arms straight throughout.
· Consciously tense your armpits and pull downwards
(towards the bar or rings) and inwards (towards the front of
your body) with your hands (activating your lats and your chest).
The rings will be somewhere above your stomach or hips while
holding the lever.
· On versions where your leg or legs are extended, tighten
your legs and point your toes.
· Rest 3 to 5 minutes between sets.
· When you are on Steps I through III, perform the exercise
3 to 5 times.
· If the steps are too large, you can create more steps
by gradually straightening out the leg instead of proceeding
from completely bent to completely straight.
I hope that you give the front lever a try and enjoy the process
of working up to it!
