Back

Front Lever

Hanging from a bar, you hold your body straight and horizontal, face up: one of the great calisthenics challenges.

Also known as: front lever hold

Level: Advanced
Equipment: Pull-Up Bar
Type: Compound

Front Lever: position — Position

Muscles worked

Front Lever muscle map: lats, chest, front delts, biceps, lower back and abs highlighted on the front and back of the body

How to do it

Hang from the bar with an overhand grip and straight arms.
Press the bar toward your hips with your lats as you lift your body.
Bring your body to horizontal with knees tucked or legs straight.
Hold the position with straight arms.

Form cues

Arms stay straight.
Progress: tuck, advanced tuck, one leg, full.
Glutes and abs tight so your hips don't break.

Common mistakes

Bending your elbows: you lose the leverage that defines the skill.
Hips sagging: your body isn't horizontal.
Skipping progressions: your biceps tendon pays for it.

Sets and reps

4-6 sets of 5-15 seconds at your current progression, with full rest.

Variations

Same movement, different equipment. Pick based on what you have and what you want from the front lever.

Back lever
The face-down version: easier to achieve.
Pull-Up Bar · Advanced
How to do it
1. Hang from a bar with an overhand grip and rotate backward through the arms until inverted.
2. Lower the body forward and down until it is horizontal, facing the floor.
3. Keep the arms straight and the whole body in one rigid line from head to heels.
4. Brace the core and squeeze the glutes so the hips and shoulders do not sag.
5. Hold for time, then rotate back up under control.
Primary
Lower Back, Lats
Secondary
Front Delts, Glutes, Abs
Human flag
Body horizontal sideways, gripping a vertical pole.
Pull-Up Bar · Advanced
How to do it
1. Stand close to a sturdy vertical pole.
2. Grip the pole high with the top hand (overhand) and lower with the bottom hand (underhand).
3. Kick the legs up and out while pressing the bottom arm hard against the pole.
4. Extend the body horizontally so it forms a straight line parallel to the ground.
5. Hold the position with the body rigid for the target time.
6. Lower under control.
Primary
Lats, Obliques
Secondary
Front Delts, Glutes, Chest, Abs, Triceps
Planche
Body horizontal supported only on your hands: extremely hard.
Bodyweight · Advanced
How to do it
1. Begin in a push-up position with hands turned outward.
2. Lean forward until your center of mass is over your hands.
3. Lift your feet off the ground keeping the body horizontal.
4. Hold the position.
5. Return to the floor with control.
Primary
Front Delts, Chest
Secondary
Serratus, Triceps

Alternatives

Other exercises from the Nuvana library for the same muscle.

FAQ

How long does a front lever take?

It depends heavily on your starting strength; for most people it takes months to years of consistent practice.

What do I need before trying?

Around 10-15 strict pull-ups and good core control, like a solid hollow body hold.

What muscles does it work?

Mainly lats, with core, rear delts and forearms.

What muscles do the front lever work?

They mainly work the lats and the chest, with help from the front delts, the biceps, the lower back and the abs.

Train with Nuvana

Add the front lever to your next workout

Log your sets and weights, and see how each muscle progresses in the app.