3 Calisthenics Exercises To Get Better At Front Lever
3 Calisthenics Exercises To Get Better At Front Lever!
Static holds are some of the hardest things to achieve in calisthenics.
They are very different from the classic repetitions we do with regular movements such as pull ups or push ups. The obvious difference is that one is an isometric exercise while repetitions are dynamic exercises.
But there is much more to it.
There are 2 main reasons why static holds are more demanding than traditional movements:
They challenge your nervous system.
Your body needs to learn how to cope with a continuous, strenuous effort. Indeed, when doing reps, your body is used to taking partial "breaks" between your repetitions, even if it does not feel like rest! So the key is to calm your nerves down and learn to breathe optimally through the static hold.
It addresses your weak links.
Static holds will automatically highlight any weakness in your body very quickly. When doing reps there is always a slight compensation or swing in one way or another that will cover for your weaknesses. But isometric holds don't allow any cheats! Common weak points are grip strength and back strength when it comes to front lever.
So here are 3 moves to practice to get a stronger front lever.
You can include that circuit as your pull workout in a push/pull routine for example. Go for 3-5 reps (or seconds of holding time) of each and repeat for 3-5 sets.
Start with the knees to your chest and progress by extending your hips little by little. You can reach a more advanced tuck by bringing your knees further than your hips. Challenge guaranteed!
2. The Classic Front Lever Raise
Make sure your false grip is on point while raising your body up. Do NOT break the hollow body posture while going up. This means do NOT arch your back. Make every repetition as clean as possible.
This one is harder than it sounds. Use any height at which you can hold your front lever. It can be lower than in the video, as long as it's done with proper form. Work you way up little by little, session after session!
Overall keep in mind that the front lever is in the top 5 hardest moves in the game so it is NORMAL to see slow progress.
Any progress is good progress when it comes to such hard moves.
Consistency is the KEY.
Now let's get to work!
Let me know how this goes.
Nicolas
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