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Hardest Core Exercise – Part II – Dragon Flags with Bruce Lee Son!

Jedd Johnson — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 04:55:54 +0000

Hardest Core Exercise – Part II

Dragon Flags with Bruce Lee Son!

by Jim Smith, CSCS, RKC

In the first installment of Hardest Core Exercise Ever, you’ll remember we setup a sit-up to press on the GHR bench with two kettlebells. This variation provided a high intensity, powerful contraction of the rectus abdominis and hip flexors, as well as engagement of the lats. A contralateral torque was also was also overcome by the internal / external obliques and TA. More so when the kettlebells were pressed independently.

In this next installment, we will target the same musculature with another high intensity exercise. It is not called the Hardest Core Exercise Series for nothing!

For our next exercise, we’ll give a shout out to the guy with one of the best known six-packs in the biz – Bruce Lee. No one can deny his world-class physique. But unlike most guys, he was not only ripped, he was strong. And one of the reasons for his strength was some of the advanced bodyweight exercises he used in his training. One such exercise was the Dragon Flag.

Oh you’re still not convinced, let me throw in Rocky from Rocky IV (even though Rocky III was the best one!) Sly was at his peak and wanted to show how hard he was training to conquer the evil Russian. So again, the Dragon Flag was pulled out.

Dragon Flags

Dragon Flags are performed by bracing hard on a bench or hard surface, while locking your arms in a fixed position. The legs are driven up as if you are performing a reverse crunch. From there, the lifter will lower themselves down not allowing any part of their body to touch the bench except for their upper back. This is an important form cue. This makes the exercise so much harder. The lifter lowers their body until it is right above the bench. The other important coaching cue is to make sure when the lifter raises back up, they do NOT bend at the waist, but rather raise their entire body as it was lowered, in a straight line.

Why Are Dragon Flags Good?

Dragon Flags entire the entire torso. The entire torso is (and should be considered) the core. Isolated movements attempting to target one muscle group are not effective in the real world. More torso rigidity for squats, deads, bench press, clean & press, sporting events, athletes, power development, etc…you name it, is developed with Dragon Flags. Long duration tension (static and engaging strength training movement patterns) along with a full body engagement will always be preferred in the long run.

Where to Incorporate Dragon Flags?

We typically engage them after the workout. We know that the athletes are warmed up by that time and also that none of their primary lifts will be affected by the recovery from doing the Dragon Flags. They are a seriously powerful movement and full recovery between sets is a must in order to give an all out effort with each attempt.

If I Can’t Do a Dragon Flag, What Do I Do?

You can modify the Dragon Flags to make them easier if you can’t perform them right away. It took me a long time to be able to start hitting them on a regular basis. You can just perform negatives. Lower as slowly as possible and then drop your feet onto the bench and drive back up to the starting point. You could lower slowly as far as you can and then tuck your knees to your chest instead of raising back up and keeping your body straight. This would be considered then next level up. If you can hit the knee tucks AND control the negative to a stopping point above the bench and with your body in a straight line, you can then move to the full execution.

Dragon Flags

As you’ll see in the video, I hit 5 reps on the first set. I think I could have hit a couple more with good form. In the second set, I throw on ONE 10lb ankle weight and try it again. You’ll have to check out the video to see how I did!

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Hardest Core Exercise EVER – Part 1

Jedd Johnson — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 01:49:59 +0000

Hardest Core Exercise EVER

Part 1

I am starting a new series on Diesel to really jack up your core training. It is titled the “Hardest Core Exercise EVER” series. It will contain some of the hardest core training exercises ever created. Most are used with the athletes or bodybuilders I train at Diesel. Needless to say, there are very tough.
CHECK OUT THE REST OF THIS KILLER POST AFTER THE JUMP
Here is the first installment.

But it comes with a warning. This, as the title of the series suggests, is an advanced core exercise. Do not attempt unless you or your athletes have a serious amount of core strength. This is not your average crunch.

Sit-up and Press

The first variation we filmed on Diesel of the Sit-up and Press was done on the floor. This basic version released tension on the eccentric because it was done on the floor. By raising up the athlete onto a GHR or Roman Chair, the athlete never releases tension.

Benefits of Sit-up and Press

strength endurance of the entire torso
strength of hip flexors and abdominals (rectus abdominis)
shoulder and upper back stability
deceleration of the hip flexors
mental toughness

Hope you enjoyed the drills, please “like” the video on YouTube.

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Cool Video – Important Lessons

Jedd Johnson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:43:18 +0000

I don’t usually comment on videos for many reasons (everyone thinks their opinion is so important for others to hear haha). When in fact, no one cares.

But sometimes I can’t help myself. Because sometimes videos move me. They validate many of my own opinions and I truly appreciate originality. Something that has been lost in the fitness industry.

I mean tons of people have stolen my stuff. Should I be flattered or enraged? Or should I put my head down and continue to put out solid content focusing on trying to help as many people as I can?

I chose the latter.

So what is in this video?

As you watch it, you will see many important training as it applies to athletics.

Let’s review.

Top 6 Key Athletic Strength Training Tips

As seen in the San Diego State Football Training Video

Tip 1

Be Chaotic – in the video you see the training where the players were pulling against each other with a tire in between them. Watch that part again. Do you see the articulations of every joint? Ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, etc… Do you get that same absorption, the same stresses, the same power output with patterned agility drills? How about with a speed ladder? I don’t think so. Sport is chaotic, and a chaotic environment can be created safety in training to bridge the gap between GPP and SPP – Check out this article I wrote years ago.

Tip 2

The Switch - In my Chaos Manual I talk at length about the Switch. The Switch is where an athlete engages in sports that continue to develop similar physiological and metabolic adaptations for their primary sport by engaging in different sports. In the video the football players are on a wrestling mat performing dragging drills and wrestling drills. This is so important when trying to develop a more comprehensive, broader athletic foundation. Coaches, look toward other sports to better assist your athletes. Here’s another from the Chaos Manual, have your football kickers perform martial arts in the off season to improve their flexibility and kicking power!

Tip 3

Unilateral Training – Most athletic strength programs incorporate bilateral squatting movements. But very few incorporate overloaded unilateral lower body movements (in the video you’ll see unilateral glute bridging and barbell step-ups). Life and sport happen unilaterally. Remember that. Also, you will improve overall movement and the strength and stability of the ankles, knees and hips with unilateral training. And don’t forget the implications to the athlete’s ability to stabilize their torso, ie. core strength. Stabilizing in the sagittal plane is completely different than stabilizing in the frontal plane.

Tip 4

Sandbag Training – This is group under odd object training. Why? Because the implement and its subsequent center of mass (COM) is not fixed. The athlete must make real-time adjustments while lifting the weight. This has a very important carryover to the athlete’s ability to stabilize, especially under fatigue. Check out more odd object training here.

Tip 5

Intensity – You either have it or you don’t. If you don’t have it you will get eaten. You better bring it everytime you step in the weightroom and everytime you step on the field. Because everyone can be ordinary. Everyone can be average. Everyone can be forgotten. Make your mark, be the leader, get shit done.

Tip 6

Posterior Work for the Shoulders – The body must be balanced. The force couples must be balanced. The posterior musculature of the shoulder and upper back must be a priority in your training. It has to be. Never forget its importance. Because when you do, it will get you. Exercises like push-up pluses, band pull-aparts, retractions, diesel face pulls and all the stuff in the best shoulder rehab video on the net – should be done frequently.

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