It takes considerable strength and lots of practice to do the human flag. You have to be incredibly strong, but you also must work specifically towards this skill. The first time I attempted the human flag, I didn't come close to staying up for even a second, and I was nearly 30 years old and had been working out for most of my life. Being someone who likes a challenge, I decided to make it my mission to master this move. I've practiced flagging for years now, yet it remains an elusive and challenging task. Flag Burning Detractors of the human flag will tell you it's just some kind of circus trick with no practical value beyond impressing 10 year-old kids and (hopefully) the occasional yummy mummy. But anyone who's actually spent some time training this feat knows first hand that it strengthens your body, your mind, and your character. The human flag will not help you get huge.
Besides, there's some degree of skill to everything, even squatting and bench pressing. Powerlifting is a sport, right? Doesn't that imply some skill involvement? Before you embark on the long, slow journey that is human flag training, keep in mind that like all bodyweight exercises, a high strength to mass ratio is crucial to performing a human flag. If you've got a bodyfat percentage in the high teens or beyond, the likelihood of you being able to perform this move sits somewhere between slim and none. Bodyweight strength training levels the playing field between the little guys and the big boys. When it comes to the flag, you're only as strong as you are lean, so you shouldn't be trying to gain weight if you want to nail this move. That said, you can definitely still build strength through human flag training.
Grip It Good The best way to practice the human flag is to use a sturdy vertical pole that's around an inch in diameter (thicker poles will pose more of a challenge). The top hand is typically positioned in an overhand grip while the bottom hand is supinated. Squeeze the pole tight and try to keep both arms as straight as possible. When doing the human flag, your core stabilizers are the foundation and so I found hanging leg raises and oblique work to be helpful strengthening exercises. You need super strong obliques in order to brace and hold the position.
Human Flag Exercise #1 – Hanging Leg Raise
When you do hanging leg raises, be sure to rock the hips. Bring the pelvis to the ribs and don’t just raise the knees up, which will just strengthen the hip flexors.
Human Flag Exercise #2 – Hanging Oblique Lift
Human Flag Exercise #3 – Hanging Windshield Wiper
The hanging windshield wiper is the motherload of core/oblique work. You’ll also feel your lats while you blast the core.
Here are a few pointers on How to do the Human Flag right:
• Your grip needs to be greater than shoulder width apart. I’ve found it easiest to have the bottom elbow locked with the fingers pointing downward.
• While bracing the bottom arm, you need to stack shoulder over shoulder, pinch the shoulder blades together and pull away from the pole with the top arm.
• Keeping the shoulders stacked on top of each other is imperative. This puts some pressure on the bottom elbow since it pretty much takes all the weight.
• To avoid injury of the elbow: don’t practice too much at first. Give the elbow a rest, roll the elbow with a foam roller and don’t allow the elbow to hyperextend.
• The right pole is hard to find. It’s tough to find one that’s just the right diameter that’s easy to grip. If you live in a weather friendly environment, I’ve found traffic poles (bus stops, stop signs, no parking signs) are good.
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