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Front Lever

The Front Lever is a strength exercise on a pull-up bar for your back. Share of the load in the Zulta muscle model: lats (upper) 25%, lats (lower) 21% and upper abs 10%.

Level: AdvancedEquipment: Pull-up barMulti-joint (compound)

How to do it

  1. Hang from a pull-up bar with a palms-forward grip about shoulder width.
  2. Pull the shoulders down and back so the arms lock straight.
  3. Brace the abs and squeeze the glutes and legs together.
  4. Press the straight arms down toward your hips until your body rises to horizontal, face up.
  5. Hold the flat position for 5 to 15 seconds, breathing shallowly behind a braced core.
  6. Lower back to the hang slowly with straight arms.

Tips

  • Think of pushing the bar toward your hips with straight arms.
  • Use a tuck or one-leg variation until you can hold the full position with a flat body.

Common mistakes

  • Bending the elbows to make the hold easier.
  • Letting the hips sag below the line of the shoulders.
  • Holding the breath until the body shakes out of position.

Muscles worked by the Front Lever

  • Lats (upper) Primary25%
  • Lats (lower) Primary21%
  • Upper abs Secondary10%
  • Triceps (long head) Secondary10%
  • Lower abs Secondary7%
  • Rear delts Secondary7%
  • Lower chest Minor5%
  • Lower traps Minor5%
  • Forearm flexors Minor4%
  • Rhomboids Stabilizer3%
  • Rotator cuff Stabilizer3%

Share per muscle in the Zulta muscle model. The model spreads the load of one rep over 40 muscles, based on EMG and biomechanics research.

Straight-arm lever work on the bar: the lats hold the body horizontal and the abs keep it rigid. With the elbows locked, shoulder extension isolates the lats and the long head of the triceps; lying pullovers bring the sternal pec in strongly.

Front Lever alternatives

Same equipment

Different equipment

Easier

Similar exercises

Frequently asked questions

What muscles does the Front Lever work?

Mainly the lats (upper) and lats (lower). The upper abs, triceps (long head), lower abs and rear delts assist.

Is the Front Lever good for beginners?

The Front Lever is rated advanced. If you are new, learn the Straight Arm Pulldown first and build up from there.

What is a good alternative to the Front Lever?

For example the Front Lever Raise, Skin the Cat and Straight Arm Pulldown. They train mostly the same muscles, some with different equipment.

Sources

  • Marchetti and Uchida 2011, J Appl Biomech 27(4):380-384 (pullover, pec and lats)

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