A former gymnast and distance runner, Jason Barnson he was once teased in high school for being thin, but after his father took him to his first sports practice, he never looked back. Now, after some social media inspiration, Bjarnson is sharing his workouts for building a muscular body and shaping those amazing abs. And, in a recent Instagram post, Bjarnson shared five variations of the Dragon Flag so you can ditch the original.
Dragon flag exercises are not only a great way to stay in shape, but they also improve your strength and posture for other movements, such as the push-up or human flag, which aims to balance your body horizontally while holding a vertical post. There were dragon flags popularized by Bruce Lee and while there are many setups, a basic seat and anchor point for the upper body is the easiest way to start.
Here are 5 Bjarnson exchange options.
Bending kneeling dragon flag
With a bench set up on an incline, Bjarnson begins in a bent-knee dragon flag, also known as a “half layup,” resting his back and shoulders on the bench while his hands hold him steady. This is a great progression exercise if you’re not ready for the full dragon flag, as bent knees take some of the stress off your core.
Core Twisting Bending Knees Dragon Flag
To engage the glutes, Bjarnson alternates his hips to one side and then to the other, with each repetition. While some bodybuilders shy away from training their glutes, Bjarnson has other ideas. “Have you ever seen someone train and get a ‘block’ belt? I haven’t either. It’s a myth.” explained the social media star. “Another reason people mention it is because it’s a good excuse to avoid abdominal exercises. If you ever see someone with a tight waist, it’s usually genetics or a lot of gear.”
Alternate flag of the dragon’s knee
Next is the bent-knee dragon flag, focusing on one side and then the other, Bjarnson even doing a bicycle pedal between reps while switching legs. By the time you master this move, you should be ready for the dragon flag.
Full dragon flag
For the full dragon flag, you keep your legs straight and your feet together as you channel your inner Bruce Lee. As with all variations, as you complete each repetition, inhale on the ascent and exhale on the descent. Dragon lunges work the arms, triceps, back, shoulders, hips and core, and even hammers the quads while maintaining form.
Weight Dragon Banner
For a bonus level, you can be like Bjarnson and add a weighted element, like weighted ankle bands or even a dumbbell between your legs. “It’s wild,” the natural bodybuilder said of his winning streak and growing his 1.4 million Instagram fans to follow.
To start, work through each option, but don’t try them all at the same gym. Instead, feel how your core recovers from each movement. Aim for 10 to 12 reps per exercise and you’ll be on your way to a fantastic six-pack in no time.
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