In partnership with

Part 2: Trying a Vertical Human Flag


1. Do a vertical human flag before attempting the classic human flag. The vertical human flag is both an easier version of the position and the second step in doing the classic human flag. It requires less upper body strength to hold. Practice the vertical human flag a few times before transitioning into the full-on human flag.


2. Extend your legs into the air from the tucked position. Lift your legs slowly above your shoulders until you're able to reach a diagonal position. Keep your legs straight to maintain the ideal form, as bent legs look crooked.

Ad break
This is an advertisement for The Code—a weekly (twice-weekly) tech newsletter for AI/ML engineers. It positions itself as the No. 1 newsletter, promises curated news, top research, and resources in just 5 minutes a day, shows a screenshot of the newsletter on a phone, and encourages readers to join an audience of over 200,000 developers.

100+ Claude Code hacks to ship code 10X faster

Top engineers at Anthropic and OpenAI say AI now writes 100% of their code.

If you're not using AI, you're spending 40 hours doing what they do in 4.

These 100+ Claude Code hacks fix that and help you ship 10x faster.

Sign up for The Code and get:

  • 100+ Claude Code hacks used by top engineers — free

  • The Code newsletter — learn the latest AI tools, tips, and skills to code faster with AI in 5 minutes a day

… back to the articleу 👇🏻


3. Lift your legs until they are as vertical as possible. Aim to make your legs parallel to the side pole. Hold this position to achieve the vertical human flag, which you can then lower into a classic human flag.


4. Bend your knees to ease weight off of your body. If you cannot hold the vertical human flag position for long, try bending your knees. This can make your pressure more centered and prevent you from losing your balance.

In this section, I've tried to explain how to perform the Vertical Human Flag. Read carefully and apply it in practice.

Artemus Vazhui