What is Human Flag training? How to perform?

The human flag is arguably the most visually impressive bodyweight feat of strength anyone's ever come up with. Any time someone does a human flag, it inevitably attracts attention. I've seen many a jaw drop after showing this move to someone for the first time. It's also the exercise that I get asked about more often than any other.


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.

A solution to a busy life – Balance and Consistency!

This short plan is ideal for someone who is living a busy schedule like a 9-6 job or a busy timetable. 

Training:-

I am training 5 days a week. I often move these days due to travelling on weekends however I make the effort to hit all the sessions almost every week without fail.

Monday	Rest (not a Monday person)
Tuesday	Back, Shoulders and Biceps
Wednesday	Legs
Thursday	Chest, Triceps and abs
Friday	Rest
Saturday	Back, Shoulders and Biceps
Sunday	Chest, Triceps and abs

Back, Shoulder and Biceps	Wide Grip Chin ups – 4×12 or till failureBB row/Cable row – 4×10/12T-bar row/BOOAR – 4×10/12 Military Press – 4×10 DB Press – 4×12 Lat raises SS with Rear Delt fly – 4×12 Biceps – 4×12
Legs	Squat – 4x10Front squat – 4x10Stiff leg deadlift – 4×10 Goodmornings/hyper extension – 4×10/12
Chest, Triceps and abs	Flat/Incline BB bench press 4x12Flat/Incline DB Press 4x12Some form of fly/pullovers 4×12 Weighted dips/overhead ext 4×10/12 Tricep pushdown/single arm cable extension 4×12 Hanging leg raise 4×12 Cable crunch 4×12

This is something a little different than I was used to – training 2 body parts a week with a higher rep range and for the first couple of weeks I was sore as hell, but my body adapted and OH THE GAINZ!!! I like to do rotator cuff work and stretch considerably after I work out which I advise to everyone with or without an old injury like mine. As you can see I have put on a lot of mass and maintained a semi-lean physique.  (Apologies for the bedroom selfie).

 

Nutrition:-

From counting all my macros day in day out when competing I knew how stressful this was, so I am not doing this at all anymore. Although I do weigh my food to monitor how much I add or take away according to my weight gains aiming for 1 pound per week. I could not tell you the macros but I know roundabouts where it is from experience. I’m eating moderate/high protein, high carbs and low/moderate fats. I do not eat boring food either! All my meals are tasty using condiments and herbs and spices this does not mean ketchup and mayo. Examples are soy sauce, rice wine, pepper, mixed herbs, Chinese 5 spice, cumin, turmeric, garam massala to name just a few!; I enjoy all my meals and most of these condiments are 0 calories so I’m free to play and add as much as I wish without worrying; these spices often have a positive effect on your metabolism as a bonus! I have had a weight gain of 6-7 pounds of fairly lean mass over the past 3 months with the goal of 190lb by the end of November. I eat “clean”: -

Protein: – whole eggs, cottage cheese, chicken breast, pork loin/shoulder, steak, minced beef, salmon, whey protein, casein protein powder and the odd bit of lamb.

Carbohydrate: – Oats, Sweet potato, Brown rice, rice cakes, fruit and berries and a small amount of rye bread.

Fats: – almonds, walnuts, omega 3 oils, associated meat/egg fats, 100% peanut butter and coconut oil.

Supplements: – whey protein, multi vitamins, vitamin D3, Omega 3 oil, Creatine monohydrate, vitamin c and casein protein.

Normal day for me although this will vary slightly:-

 

Meal 1	100g oatsTbls flaxseed powderTsp cinnamon 3 whole eggs Mixed berries 2 Tbls Greek yoghurt Multi vit Vit D3 1 tsp omega 3 oil
Meal 2	100g oatsTbls flaxseed powderTsp cinnamon 2 whole eggs Mixed Berries or vegis
Meal 3	300g sweet potato/100g brown rice300g chicken breastMixed veg
Meal 4	300g sweet potato/100g brown rice300g chicken breastMixed veg
post-workout	25g whey10g creatine1mg vit c 1 banana 1 apple/orange
Meal 5	300g pork shoulder/loin/steak/beef mince/salmon etc.Mixed veg
Meal 6	1 bow of rice, chicken meat,  ½ Tbls peanut butter200g cottage cheese

 

On rest days I substitute whey with casein and have it before bed and won’t eat the fruit.

As I am working 9am-7pm Monday to Friday I am up at 7:15 every morning and going to bed at 11pm, my meals are spaced out every 2.5 to 3 hours. I go straight to the gym from work to train, fortunately I only have a half hour commute, after the gym I will head home to cook my evening meal and all my meals including breakfast for the next day. I get up early on weekends normally 7am to eat and train I feel it’s best to be consistent throughout the week, weekend or not.

The message is if you are willing to put in the time and be organized and efficient it is achievable. I am now fully into my routine and I can confidently say I don’t find it hard anymore! I’ll be using this program until now where ill reassess my physique and either start a slow cut or continue bulking, looking forward to seeing where I’m at!

 

How To Count Calories To Reach Your Goal Weight?

How much should I weigh? It’s central to all the effort you put in to losing weight, yet very few people—even the most diet obsessed—have no idea why they’re shooting for a specific number on the scale.

Knowing the answer to how much should I weigh is the first step in figuring out how to eat to reach your weight loss goals. Besides knowing this number can let you know if your ‘ideal’ weight is a realistic goal.Keep reading to find out how much you should weigh.

Calculating Your Height & Weight

Before you can even figure out the answer to the question, how much should I weigh, you have to get accurate measurements of your height and weight. Recruit a roommate or spouse to help you get an accurate height measurement with a tape measure. You can always make a stop to see your doctor, as it is always recommended to talk to your physician before beginning any weight loss program.
Now, on to your height. To avoid the ‘my shoes add 5 pounds’ excuse, strip down to your undies and hop on the scale. Just make certain that your scale is on a hard flat surface for the most accurate reading. It’s best to get as close to accurate as possible when calculating these numbers so that you can devise a weight loss program that will help you reach your ideal weight.

Height vs. Weight

Probably the way in which most of us are familiar with our goal weight is the height/weight chart that tells you the healthy weight range for your height. These charts tell you the low, normal and high weight range for your height, but the fail to take into account muscle mass and regular level of physical activity.
In addition to not taking into account important factors like bone density, the height/weight charts also fail to account for age, another important factor that affects how much you should weigh. Consider that according to these charts your weight should be the same from 18 to 45, regardless of factors like childbirth or aging.

Just to give you an idea, let’s take a look at a sample chart;

Female Height-Weight Ratio				Male Height-Weight Ratio
HEIGHT	LOW	IDEAL	HIGH	HEIGHT	LOW	IDEAL	HIGH
5’2”	108	125	144	5’1”	123	134	145
5’5”	117	136	156	5’5”	131	145	159
5’8”	126	146	167	5’8”	137	154	171
5’10”	132	153	174	6’0”	147	167	187
6’0”	138	159	179	6’3”	157	179	202

Keep in mind that these ratios are just for your height and gender; age is not taken into consideration. However if you want to know how much should I weigh for my height, the answer is in the above chart!

BMI

The first time I researched ‘how much should I weigh’ I was inundated with information about my BMI, or my body mass index. Your BMI also measures your weight in relation to your height, but it also measures where you fall on the scale of obesity.
One way to find out how much you should weigh is to calculate your BMI, which you can do HERE.
Once you’ve calculated your BMI you can see where you fall so you can figure out how much weight you need to lose to be healthy.
According to the National Institutes of Health you are underweight if your BMI is 18.5 or under and healthy if it falls between 18.5 and 24.9. The problem begins when that numbers reaches 25 or higher.

You are simply overweight (although nothing is quite simple about being overweight, is it?) if your body mass index falls between 25 and 29.9. Obese individuals will have a BMI range between 30 and 39.9, while the morbidly obese will have a body mass index at 40 or higher.
However like the height-weight ratio chart, your BMI may not necessarily reflect how much you should weigh. Certain populations like the elderly and bodybuilders may be at a healthy weight even if their BMI does not indicate a healthy height-weight ratio.
Despite this, knowing your BMI can help you determine how much weight you need to lose to reach your ‘ideal’ weight.