This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
Looking for a more engaging core workout? Try the dragon flag, a move that Bruce Lee loved, and Ebenezer Samuel's twist on it, the elevator flutter dragon flag challenge.
According to Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., fitness director at Men's Health, this move targets your core from multiple levels, giving you a more balanced workout.
"First, you'll have to use your upper abs to shift from that low position into a higher position," Samuel explains. "Second, that higher position will challenge you to squeeze your glutes that much more to create a tighter line. When you shift that high, the angle is actually 'easier' on your abs to hold. But the hips tend to shift upwards, unless you have the discipline to squeeze your glutes."
To try the elevator flutter dragon flag challenge, you'll need a bench to serve as an anchor. Here's how to do it:
- Lay back on the bench and reach behind your head to hold it to brace yourself.
- Squeeze your core to lift your legs, butt, and lower back off the surface, forming a straight line down to your shoulders.
- Perform 3 flutter kick reps.
- Squeeze your core and shift your leg position upward by a few degrees. Come to a stable position you can hold, then perform 3 more flutter kick reps.
- Lower back down to the original dragon flag position, then repeat the series.
