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Method 2: Progression for Beginners and Safety Tips
1. Build up your core strength to be able to do dragon flags. Work on strengthening your core with exercises like lying leg raises, hanging leg raises, and planks. Focus on exercises that work your entire core and not just your abs, and eventually, you’ll be able to work your way up to the challenge of dragon flags.
Developing a strong core will also help reduce your chances of injuring yourself when you try out dragon flags.
Try out some core-strengthening classes at your local gym or yoga studio to work on your core under the guidance of an instructor.
2. Keep your back and hips flat for an easier variation. If you’re just starting out with dragon flags, use an easier version and work your way up to the full movement. Lie down on a bench or the ground and grip the edge above your head, or use a stable object like a pole or pillar. Keep your back and hips flat, brace your core, and lift your legs until they’re perpendicular to the floor or bench. Then, lower them back down with control.
Try for 3-5 sets of about 8-10 reps of the leg raises. If you feel like you’ve got them down, try taking a shot at a dragon flag!
3. Bend your knees to make the exercise easier. If you’re ready to start trying dragon flags, but you want a slightly easier version, you can modify the movement by bending your knees slightly instead of keeping your legs straight. Everything else is the same: lie flat, grip the bench or object over your head, brace your muscles, and raise your legs until your legs, hips, and torso form a straight line. But keep your knees bent until you master the movement.
Don’t be fooled! This version is still a heck of a challenge. Try shooting for sets of 3-5 reps and make sure you use good form each time.
Once you get comfortable with the bent-knee version, try out the full movement to see how it feels.
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4. Try dragon flag flutter kicks and single-leg raises to work your way up. Lie on a flat bench, grip the edge above your head, raise 1 leg as high as you can, then slowly lower it back down to perform single-leg dragon raises, which are slightly easier than the full movement. You can also alternate raising each of your legs to do dragon flag flutter kicks as you progress to full dragon flags.
5. Make sure you’re warmed up before you do dragon flags. Run around or do other exercises like crunches, planks, or flutter kicks to warm up your muscles and get your body primed and ready to do dragon flags. Avoid going straight into the exercise without a proper warm-up, which could lead to serious injury.
Additionally, make sure you get at least 1-3 minutes of rest between each set so your muscles aren’t too fatigued and ready for another round.
6. Keep your lower back from arching to prevent injury. If you’re new to dragon flags or if you’re fatigued, your lower back may start to round out, which can potentially lead to an injury. Focus on keeping your back straight. If you can’t prevent your lower back from rounding, stop doing the movement so you don’t hurt yourself.
7. Stop the exercise if you start to feel pain. If at any point during the exercise you feel pain, stop immediately. Don’t try to push through it to get a few more reps in. Call it a day so your body can recover and you can try again in the future.
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8. Avoid doing dragon flags if you have an injury. If you already have an injury to your back, neck, or shoulders, don’t do dragon flags. Wait until you’re completely healthy to try out this super challenging exercise.
Don’t do dragon flags after the first trimester of pregnancy either, or you could potentially harm yourself or your baby.
In this final section, I've outlined the basic exercises to perform for Dragon Flag and the safety precautions to take to avoid injuring yourself while performing the exercises.
Artemus Vazhui