Back Lever

back, shoulders, triceps, corePull-Up Bar

An advanced static gymnastics hold keeping your body horizontal face-down under the bar. Requires high-level shoulder strength, lat activation, and total core tension.

How to do it

1Grab the bar with an overhand or underhand grip and invert your body upside down into a vertical hang.

2Tuck your knees to your chest and slowly lower your hips back until they align with your shoulders.

3Squeeze your lats, triceps, and core to lock your body parallel to the floor.

4Extend your legs straight out behind you, keeping your body in a dead-straight horizontal line.

5Hold for the target duration, then tuck your knees back in and safely lower down to a hang.

Common mistakes

Arching or sagging through your lower back and hips, dumping stress on your spine due to weak core tension.

Protracted, loose shoulder blades, increasing injury risk to your shoulder joints.

Rushing into a full straight-legged hold before building adequate elbow and shoulder tendon strength.

Breathing

Take shallow, continuous breaths while maintaining maximum total-body tension throughout the hold.

This is general guidance, not a medical opinion. Listen to your body: if it hurts, stop. If you have an injury or a chronic condition, talk to a doctor first.