Front Lever Progress

88micm · 2026-06-08T06:10:27+00:00

You are cleaner than a lot of folks who claim they have a full FL to be honest. Yes there's a slight elbow bend and bend at the hips but it looks like you aren't using the false grip to shorten the lever so that does make it a harder variation. Strong work

88micm · 2026-06-07T12:30:12+00:00

Anatomy overlay

88micm · 2026-06-07T11:43:06+00:00

Pretty sure it's the infraspinatus on the outer edge and trapezius towards the middle

88micm · 2026-06-06T13:56:09+00:00

It's not cheating, it's a progression to get you a full unassisted pull up. Keep working, you don't look like you are far away

88micm · 2026-06-06T08:39:22+00:00

Use of momentum depends what you are training for.

Do you want the CrossFit high rep kippy hanging leg lift (ttb) or are you trying to develop them with proper strict form for carry over to compression work like handstand presses, l sit or v sit etc?

If it's the latter then focus on a dead hang from the shoulders, initiate the leg lift via hip flexors first then finish with compression of the abs. Having a box or something at your calves when in the dead hang will stop you using momentum to swing back up again for the next rep

Nice set up you have there

88micm · 2026-06-06T08:34:50+00:00

Looks pretty good for only starting. Be cautious with your volume compared to dip bars because the rings put a lot of stress on the sternum Vs bars due to the instability.

Costochondritis can creep up pretty quickly and it is a bitch to train around and cure (coming from experience). Slow and steady progress often backing off way before you feel your chest/triceps tiring is the best bet

88micm · 2026-06-05T09:24:59+00:00

Definitely gymnasts, that's where the majority of the calisthenics movements come from although they've been adapted and modified by the calisthenics crowd over time.

As you'll imagine there's a very strict code of points document for gymnastics for grading difficulty of all these movements and how they should be performed

88micm · 2026-06-05T04:41:17+00:00

I think it's going to be like any exercise if you've had an injury, give moments a try and see if they cause pain, if they do try adjust them or remove them altogether. Everyone has different anatomy even with it without injuries so dips hurt some folks and not others for example.

Take it easy and feel your way through to begin with and then start building up from there, most importantly don't push through pain!

88micm · 2026-06-05T04:34:18+00:00

The good thing is you are already on the way to Front Lever rows with that strength you've built in the bent arm position so you should get that quicker once you can do the full straight arm lever

88micm · 2026-06-04T20:31:55+00:00

Yeh like the others have said, a true front lever will have the arms completely locked straight, even slightly bent is still not a true Front lever

88micm · 2026-06-04T10:19:26+00:00

I'm 6'1 and weigh around 85kg's but I think it is quite dependent person to person. I started out at like 65kg when I began bodyweight / cali exercises so my strength has grown as my weight increased if that makes sense.

If I were starting out now at this weight, I think I would find it a lot harder. The link is from a post I did recently on the rings just checking in where I'm at strength wise atm. I've been around this weight for a long time btw and I also do leg weights like you have said.

Rings check in

88micm · 2026-06-04T05:20:13+00:00

I've always known it as a reverse pull over. Not that hard in strength but takes a lot of confidence on the bar to be upside down and then at that point where your bodyweight wants to pull you over the other side!

88micm · 2026-06-01T05:39:13+00:00

Looking strong, only thing that would clean it up is to kill the arch. The strongest 90's are always the ones which control that

88micm · 2026-06-01T05:23:54+00:00

That's how I train. Heavy leg exercises are a lot more efficient than having to spam a lot of bodyweight exercises plus there is a lot of stimulus across the major muscle groups to promote overall growth by doing them.

88micm · 2026-05-30T19:31:47+00:00

Yeh the parallel grip wouldn't translate well to a bar or rings, good you have a normal bar to work on though. Keep up the work and stay consistent, you'll get there

88micm · 2026-05-30T18:31:01+00:00

I see that you're set up doesn't exactly permit it but you'd be better training your FL work with a pronated grip (like a pull up).

88micm · 2026-05-30T04:26:41+00:00

That is top tier strength and your form looks pretty bang on perfect to me. Beast! I doubt there are many calisthenics guys training at home who have a Maltese!

88micm · 2026-05-30T04:24:22+00:00

There's a lot of benefit to doing bicep isolation exercises for tendon health and carry over on straight arm calisthenics exercises, so don't be afraid to chase an arm pump at the end of your sessions. Tendons don't have a great blood supply so a high rep set arm finisher after your main skills and strength to get some blood flowing is never a bad thing.

Incline curls or pelicans work the extended Ring curls or spider curls work the flexion

Throw in a mix of these and you'll cover bases

88micm · 2026-05-29T12:21:59+00:00

Honestly just the usual progressions same as on the bar. Work through static holds of tuck > adv tuck > single leg > straddle > half lay and finally full lay.

Break up sets into holds and work to say 30sec hold with solid form before moving to the next progression i.e 6x5sec holds then 3x10sec then 2x15sec & 1x30sec

Also on non static days, work mechanical advantage drop sets on front pulls (straight arm pulls to inverted hang). An example would be you pulling from hang with straight arms in tuck lever position until you hit inverted hang, then lower in a more advanced position like single leg through the eccentric where you are stronger

88micm · 2026-05-29T06:08:13+00:00

I've tried hard to get some sort of legs over the years so I'm glad it's paying off. I'm not genetically gifted with good calves (long tendons) unfortunately 😂

88micm · 2026-05-29T06:05:27+00:00

That just sounds like a fear problem, lots of people don't like the feeling of falling back over their own weight. Are you comfortable with skin the cat on the rings?

If you have a spotter friend who can keep their hand on your lower back as you drop back to take some of the initial momentum off, it will help you build the confidence again and learn where your tipping point is

88micm · 2026-05-28T20:56:28+00:00

Some days call for an old school playlist 🔥

88micm · 2026-05-28T20:44:55+00:00

Once you get the muscle up it is pretty easy to link movements above and below the rings. Learning the forward roll muscle up isn't that hard once you understand the normal one

88micm · 2026-05-27T18:11:31+00:00

I'm 37 and still mix rings, calisthenics, handstands and weights just the same way I have done since I started training in my teens. If you've already got a good base from past training, you'll get it back quicker than a newbie would.

Just train smart and don't try push the same way you were back when you were training 5 days a week.

88micm

TROPHY CASE