Elbow Lever Progressions
Train your core, balance, and impressive your friends with this neat isometric hold! (friends being impressed not guaranteed)
Text still being adjusted.
#1 - Straight Arm Planks
The classic plank - made slightly easier our arms being straight! Many of us have trained this while doing other exercises like pushups or horizontal pullups!
Standard: 3 Sets of 60 Seconds
#2 - Bent Arm Planks
Getting more horizontal! This is the classic plank position that some exercise routines incorporate! With calisthenics, this is an important ability to have!
Standard: 3 Sets of 60 Seconds
#3 - Straight Arm Wall Planks
Time for our feet to come off the floor!
Your arms and your body are straight, your feet are on the wall behind you. You should really start to feel the weight on your arms now! Your alignment comes into play here as well.
Standard: 3 Sets of 50 Seconds
#4 - Bent Arm Wall Plank
Time to get fully horizontal!
This is the last step before we change our arm position to the elbow lever grip. Your elbows are underneath your shoulders. Your body is a straight horizontal line!
Standard: 3 Sets of 50 Seconds
#5 - Elbow Lever Grip
This is the foundation for our elbow lever progressions from here on! Getting a solid, balanced grip on your base will be very helpful! You can also use a bench, stable railing, or even the floor!
Standard: 3 Sets of 30 Seconds
#6 - Diagonal Elbow Lever
This helps us train our elbow lever alignment while still keeping our toes in contact with the ground! If you’re on this step, train the grip too for a few sets. This way you can work your stability and your alignment!
Standard: 3 Sets of 30 Seconds
#7 - Wall Elbow Lever
Back to the wall we go - this will really help us get a feel for the right body position!
Standard: 3 Sets of 20 Seconds
#8 - Single Leg Elbow Lever
One leg extended already, you’re doing great! Make sure you use both legs.
Standard: 3 Sets of 15 Seconds (Both Sides)
#9 - Bent Knee Elbow Lever
Those are some nice legs you have there. It’d be a shame if someone… BENT THEM TO MAKE ADJUST THE ELBOW LEVER’S DIFFICULTY
(actually this is a good thing).
This can also be called a Half-Lay Elbow Lever!
Standard: 3 Sets of 9 Seconds
#10 - Straddle Elbow Lever
Both legs fully extended in the air, but spreading them makes this movement substantially easier! This also sometimes looks more “beautiful” than a full elbow lever.
Standard: 3 Sets of 9 Seconds
#11 - Full Elbow Levers
This is it, we’ve reached the finish line!
Your elbows are pushed against your stomach, your body is a fully horizontal line - you’ve mastered the skill once you can do this! Congratulations!
Standard: 3 Sets of 30 Seconds