The Problem With Frontlever Raises

The Problem With Frontlever Raises

By: Arazi Edwards

There are many exercises out there to learn the FL(Front Lever), and most people don’t realize that you only need a few to get the FL hold. One of them is the FL raise. If you want to learn how to do this exercise right for your training, keep reading.

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FL Raise Variations

So there are three different variations of the FL raise: full range of motion, bottom to FL raise, and top to FL raise. And they’re not talked about enough. People will either talk about the Full ROM FL raise or the partial reps as if they're the same thing.

FL Raise Pros and Cons

Picking a different variation can affect how fast you learn the front lever. And this will all depend on your fitness level. Full ROM is going to be the most difficult because it requires full ROM, while doing the partial ROM variations has its benefits, if you're doing it correctly. From top to FL is going to be moderate-to-high intensity, and bottom to FL is just going to be moderate intensity.

If you are trying to increase your front lever hold times, it’s best to add in the top to the FL raise exercise. This can look like doing 5 reps of top to FL and then a 5-second hold at the end. But that is something for advanced athletes to be doing, while if you're a beginner, it's best to focus on full ROM FL raise because you are weak in all areas of the movement.

The bottom to FL position is best for building strength within the lats and core, while the full ROM helps with all of this.

If I were a beginner again, I would first master the dragonfly. Once you have mastered the dragonfly, you can now focus on learning the front lever raise with full ROM. Start with your most difficult variation and do the eccentric with concentric at an easier variation; you should strive for 15 reps.

Either that or you can do a split where you do two sets working on the top to bottom portion, and two sets where you're focusing on the bottom to FL position. Getting at least 15 reps for each position.

Once you have mastered the full range of motion FL raises, you should then focus on the top of FL to help increase hold times.

Adding in some retraction drills, such as pull-down or scapula pull-ups at moderate to high reps for intensity, is also a good accessory exercise. This exercise helps you build straight arm strength for the front lever, Victorian, and dragon flag.

**Conclusion**

While the Front lever raises may be a confusing exercise, using this guide can help you build strength and muscle and learn new skills. If you guys are interested in online coaching, leave a comment on my YouTube channel.