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 Contents

1. Introduction to the Movement: Human Flag

2. School of Calisthenics Framework

2. 1 Introduction to the School of Calisthenics Framework
2. 2 Explanation of each specific phase of the School of Calisthenics Framework

3. The Framework
3.1 All exercises and progressions
Including: Video demonstrations and coaching of each exercise

4. Introduction to the Locker

4.1 The “tools” in the locker and how to use them
Including: Examples of each “tool” in the locker

5. Training Plan
5.1 Training Template

6. Graduation!

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 INTRODUCTION TO THE
MOVEMENT: THE ‘HUMAN FLAG’
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Introduction to the movement: The ‘Human Flag’

Probably the most iconic calisthenics movement, and the one everyone whether they are into
bodyweight mastery or not, wishes they could do. Aside from the impressive strength and control
required to perform it, once installed the human flag comes with an additional benefit, the ability
to take gravity defying pictures that look like the product of a Photoshop genius. Your smart phone
photo gallery will never be the same again!

If you’re starting this framework with little background in gymnastics or calisthenics it’s likely your
first attempt is going to leave you feeling like it’s an ‘impossible’ move. However the flagship of
calisthenics is much more achievable than you think, providing you have the right tools, such as
those included in this School of Calisthenics Framework, specific for the Human Flag.

The human flag deserves respect and to master it is going to require some commitment and
a refusal to be discouraged by the inevitable bumps in the road along the way. The School of
Calisthenics Human Flag Framework is however going to guide your training and reduce the risk
of you giving up and placing it into the box in your brain labeled ‘impossible’. The framework is
designed to ensure everyone has exercises appropriate to their level that they can do and then
build on. It won’t be long before you get a glimmer of hope in the form of a feeling that something
is happening and maybe, just maybe you start to think it is possible after all. At this point get ready
because progression in calisthenics is addictive and all of sudden the impossible box will be empty
and you’ll have changed the way you look at training. It simply becomes a matter of taking the time
to move from day one to movement mastery using appropriate exercises and earning the right to
progress along the way.

Throughout the human flag journey you’re going to need to develop some strength, stability and
neural patterning to hold this eye-catching move. This framework has been specifically developed
using years of experience of working as strength and conditioning coaches to elite athletes. If
you’re not excited already you should be. Using this exact systematic approach we have taken
complete calisthenics beginners to their first human flag in 7 weeks! And that is why we opened the
School of Calisthenics, to take anyone from whatever point they start to perform some of the most
impressive feats of strength known to man and woman kind.

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The physical requisites to holding your first human flag include good shoulder range of motion, core
activation and control and high-level shoulder stability. The biggest challenge comes in teaching
the body to pull maximally with one arm whilst pushing maximally with the other in an overhead
position, something it has probably never done before. You then need to learn to integrate all of this
together so there is an additional skill component as well. It’s an investment for sure but once you
can do it you’ll have officially joined the league of superhumans.

Enjoy the journey

Tim + Jacko

P.S We love seeing the progress and achievements from the School of Calisthenics community so
please don’t forget your gradation and send us your videos and photos via email or your favourite
social media platform; Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Once graduated your Human Flag picture won’t just live long in the memory but also forever on our
Graduates page!

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 THE SCHOOL OF CALISTHENICS
FRAMEWORK
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Introduction to School of Calisthenics Framework

The School of Calisthenics Framework provides athletes with a systematic and progressive
system that can be applied to enable you to learn and achieve all the skills and movements within
calisthenics. The framework is based on strength and conditioning science and provides you with a
structure that is then customized specifically for any given calisthenics movement.

This Human Flag Framework includes the exercises and progressions necessary to be successful.
Remember calisthenics is a journey but if you commit to dedicating the time, persistence and
consistency, the framework will take you to your first Human Flag.

The School of Calisthenics Framework consists of two main stages, each with two sub phases.
Stage one is Movement and is comprised of Movement Preparation and Movement Patterning.
Stage two is Strength, with the sub phases Applied Strength and Capacity Strength.

PREPARATION APPLIED

MOVEMENT STRENGTH

PATTERNING CAPACITY

Figure one: The School of Calisthenics Framework

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Our background is based on many years of experience working in elite sport where avoiding injuries
is of primary importance. Because of this the framework has been designed to not only guide
you safely through your journey but also improve you general functional movement, health and
wellbeing at the same time.

You don’t have to be a gymnast to use the framework. We had no prior experience in any
calisthenics style training when we started. In fact, we have punished our bodies with many, many
years of rugby and still to this day manage the remnants of all the injuries that went with it. We
are real people bringing progressive calisthenics to other real people, who like us, just want to be
awesome! The School of Calisthenics Framework makes that achievable.

*More in depth details of the School of Calisthenics Framework as well as program design for
calisthenics can be found on the website.

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STAGE ONE: MOVEMENT
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 MOVEMENT

Specific Phases of the School of Calisthenics Framework - The ‘Human Flag’

Stage One: Movement

The Human Flag forms part of the group of calisthenics movements known as ‘levers’. By
definition a lever is a rigid bar pivoted on a fixed point and used to transmit force. If we apply this in
biomechanical terms to calisthenics, the hands provide the fixed point and the weight being moved
is the rest of the body! However the Human Flag stands alone amongst it’s other lever counterparts
such as the reverse lever and planche because the upper body has to apply force in opposite
directions, both pushing and pulling simultaneously. That is not something that many people will
have programmed their body to do, especially with the added complexity of having the hands
overhead at the same time. It is in this position where the foundation of the move is built.

The Human Flag demands full range of movement at the shoulder and high levels of stability
throughout that range. If you are deficient in either area you won’t be able to create the optimum
body position and activation pattern to apply the force. You wouldn’t build a house without laying
foundations and in the case of this movement, your shoulder range of movement and stability
are those foundations. It is unlikely you’ll ever perform a technically competent and beautiful flag
without building this into your programme. The neural push and pull is second on the agenda and is
often the hardest for athletes to master rather than developing strength in the core and upper body.
That means we need to teach the brain a new movement pattern.

Being able to align your hands, shoulders, torso, hips, knees and ankles with the pole you’re
hanging off is a key part of performing the Human Flag. The foundations of the movement rely
particularly on the bottom shoulder (the pushing arm) to be inline with the hand. This creates a
stable foundation as the humerus is now lined up so that when we push down into the bar the
arm drives straight into the main bulk of the shoulder and stays close to the midline of the body.
This more stable shape means strength can now be transferred through the rest of the body. If we
don’t commit to the movement by pushing the shoulder forwards and getting the bones lined up it
becomes very difficult to create enough stability and therefore force production. Just think, stable
is strong and any kinks in the chain are going to create weak points that allow the movement to fall
apart.

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A quick human anatomy lesson
Before we go any further we want to tell you a bit about the shoulder as it relates to the Human Flag
movement. Partly because the School of Calisthenics is about education as well as helping you
to become awesome. But also because the shoulder needs a little bit of special attention when it
comes to staying healthy and training without the risk of injury.

Image courtesy of Visible Body

The shoulder is a ball and socket joint and the most mobile in the human body but all that
movement comes at the cost of stability. The head of the humerus (the bone in your upper arm)
sits in a small dish shaped part of the scapular (shoulder blade) called the glenoid fossa. Together
they become the glenohumeral joint! The mobility of the shoulder comes because the dish of the
fossa is not very deep meaning the humeral head has lots of room for maneuver. If you compare it
with the hip, which is another ball and socket joint, the head of the femur (thigh bone) is packed into
the pelvis nice and tightly! This is one reason why shoulder dislocations are much more common
than hips. Whilst all this movement for the shoulder is highly beneficial for us humans the down
side is that any trauma or poor postural balance may mean the humerus doesn’t sit very well in the
fossa and that is a problem. Aside from pain, instability and reduced range of movement, the brain

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will also take steps to protect it such as winding in the amount of strength available to the muscles
around that joint. A good Human Flag needs us to put a decent amount of force down so we must
get the shoulder joint in a healthy place and that means ensuring the muscles acting upon it are
well balanced. Our pectorals (chest) and latismuss dorsi (back) are two large muscle groups that
act on the shoulder. In most people these muscles have become overactive which results in the
shoulder being pulled forward and rotated inwards, which limits mobility. So the combination of
reduced range of movement, instability and sub optimal muscle activation are all contributing
factors as to why the glenohumeral joint may have some issues that need addressing through the
movement preparation phase.

Movement Preparation
Creating a strong position requires adequate shoulder range of motion of the bottom arm. It also
requires some confidence as we have to put the shoulder in a position that, depending on your
injury history or postural balance, your brain might not want to go to. The upshot is therefore that
creating range of movement by releasing the accumulated tension and restoring muscle length will
not only set you up for the strength phase of the human flag but it will also keep your shoulders
healthy for life in general.

Movement Patterning
Maximal pushing through one arm whilst pulling maximally with the other in an overhead position
requires some neural patterning. It’s unlikely you will have ever asked you body to perform this
movement before and like anything, new movement patterns need learning and refining. The
Movement Patterning phase of the Human Flag Framework therefore focuses on using exercises,
which can start to teach the brain how to synchronize and co-ordinate the muscles involved. The
upper arm pull and bottom arm push must be active. By that we mean there must be maximal
intent. You can’t get away with just resting on joints. The small stabilizing and larger, higher force
producing muscles work together to create the foundation before connecting with the obliques and
other core musculature to generate the leg lift. It’s a beautiful integration of many physiological
systems working together to produce something special.

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 STRENGTH

Stage Two: Strength

There is no doubt that if we are going to perform the human flag we need to be strong, so strength
development has to be included in your programme. In this section the School of Calisthenics
Framework presents two sections: Applied Strength and Capacity Strength.

Applied Strength
Effective strength is built on strong foundations and in the Applied Strength section each
progression advances in the previous so it’s important that you work through these exercise
progressions systematically. Always ask yourself, ‘have I earnt the right to progress?’ i.e. have you
mastered this progression before deciding to move on to the next or are you getting over excited
and skipping to far ahead which will only halt your progress. The exercise progressions are specific
to the movement and take you from level one all the way to the full Human Flag helping you to build
strength in the simultaneous push and pull position. The aim is to develop maximal pulling and
pushing strength to create enough torque to hold you up!

Capacity Strength
Time to develop some more global strength using more basic movement patterns in order to
provide some horsepower. The Human Flag is what we describe as a ‘combined’ movement in that
it requires both pushing and pulling. It also requires a certain level of core strength and in particular
from the obliques. Therefore the Capacity Strength exercises focus on pushing movements for the
bottom arm, pulling movements for the top arm and also oblique strengthening. It’s important that
you work and practice on both sides to ensure your building even strength and not favoring one
side over the other. This is a common trap to fall as it’s natural that one side of your flag will be
stronger than the other. Capacity Strength is pretty simple, just get strong!

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 THE FRAMEWORK

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 PREPARATION APPLIED

MOVEMENT STRENGTH

PATTERNING CAPACITY

The Framework
By now you will hopefully have got a good idea of what you are about to embark on and the
rationale behind the School of Calisthenics Framework. It’s important that you understand the
basics of each phase so that when you’re going through the programme you can link what you’re
doing to why you’re doing it. This has a big impact on progression and ultimately success.

On the following page you will find the training programme all the exercises you need with guidance
on repetition ranges, number of sets, the exercise tempos and rest periods. Just click on the
exercise name to watch a video demonstration from our tutors.

For any more in depth information on Training Plans for Calisthenics visit our website.

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 MOVEMENT
Preparation Time
Barbell Self Massage Pec + Anterior Shoulder 30 Secs


Self Massage Lats + Posterior Shoulder  30 Secs

Overhead Barbell T-Spine Mobilisation  30 Secs

Side Lying Shoulder + T-Spine Mobilisation  30 Secs

Hanging Lat Mobilisation  30 Secs

Patterning Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

Overhead Bar Rotations  10 1-2 Light Bar 3-2-1 60 Secs

Active Hang  8 - 12 1-2 Bodyweight 5 Sec Pause 60 Secs

Vertical Flag Push + Pull  3-5 1-3 N/A Control 60 Secs

STRENGTH
Applied Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest
T Push Up (option with Kettle Bell / Dumbbell)
3-5 2-4 - 5 Secs Pause 90 Secs


Stability Ball Flag  3-5 2-4 Bodyweight Control 90 Secs

Tucked Flag  Max 2-4 Bodyweight 3 - 5 Secs 90 Secs

Single Leg Flag  Max 2-4 Bodyweight 3 - 5 Secs 90 Secs

Flag Lower  Max 2-4 Bodyweight 3 - 5 Secs 90 Secs

Capacity Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

Lateral Bench Leg Raise  12 - 8 3-4 Bodyweight 1 - 3 -2 60 Secs

External Rotated Dips  12 - 8 3-4 Bodyweight 2-0-2 60 Secs

Wide Grip Pull Up  12 - 8 3-4 - 2-0-2 60 Secs

Bodyweight Ring Row  12 - 8 3-4 Bodyweight 3 - 2 -1 60 Secs

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INTRODUCTION TO
THE LOCKER

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Introduction to the Locker
What have you got in your locker? Is a phrase often used
to question what ability, skills or tricks an athlete may or
may not have. Every athlete should have a locker full of
‘tools’ that allows them to find solutions to challenges
they face in various circumstances. A calisthenics
athlete is no different, we need a full spectrum of tools
we can use to help us perform and progress along our
calisthenics journey.

The ‘locker’ (explained fully here) – The Locker contains

a number of training tools to help you develop the
required strength and movement abilities on route to
your final goal. More repetitions is one approach but
sometimes just doing one rep is too hard. At the School
of Calisthenics we train smarter by choosing from
a selection of tools from our ‘locker’ that will ensure
appropriate progression towards your back lever goal.
The point of the locker is to regress and / or progress
exercises so everyone can find a level that is appropriate
to their individual stage of development.

Using the ‘locker’ effectively means that literally anyone

can train in calisthenics. Some example uses of the
‘locker’ specifically for the back lever are detailed below
but we suggest you read more about the applied sports
science rationale of each tool on our website.

When you hit a sticking point in any exercise or

progression you can then select the right tool to
ensure continual development.

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Eccentrics - Performing only the lowering or deceleration part of a movement can
aid in developing strength.

Example Human Flag exercise:

Once you have developed the upper body push and pull pattern you can use an eccentric in a tuck
flag position. Pull or kick up into a high position in the tuck flag and then lower the body under
control from the high to low position. This is a great way to develop the strength required for the
full isometric flag hold position. Using eccentrics in this way will help you to progress through to
single leg and straddle position flags more smoothly rather than simply trying to kick up and hold a
straight flag whilst you’re learning.

Advanced
A full straight leg flag lower from a high inverted position (feet in the air above the head) and
lowering your feet all the way to the floor is an advanced progression using eccentrics that will help
take your flag game to the next level. The ‘Flag Lower’ requires a huge amount of strength from
both the top pulling arm but also the pushing bottom arm to keep a stable base of support. This
may form part of your progression towards the static hold or become an extra display of strength
and control. If you can stall it at horizontal on the way down you’ll be playing with the big guns.

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 BIOMECHANICS: LEVERS
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Isometrics – Holding a static position with little to no movement

Example Human Flag exercise:

The Human Flag in its simplest form is an isometric exercise but you can also use this tool on
your progression to the final movement. Holding the stability ball flag (Applied Strength) exercise
rather than performing repetitions is a good way to progress your Human Flag as a beginner. It will
help your build the strength required to work up to the second progression in the Applied Strength
section, the tucked flag. To start with you may only be able to hold the tucked position for only a
split second so a combination of these exercises will be good to use until you can hold a position
for at least 5 seconds! Just make sure when you are practicing the stability ball flag that you focus
on applying maximal force into the bar to train the strength component not just the balance.

Weighted – Adding additional load to a movement to increase strength development

Example Human Flag exercise:

In terms of adding additional weight to the flag progressions via a weighted vest, yes it is possible
and can be done. However it is not the most effective way to learn or progress the Human Flag.
Mastering each Applied Strength exercise and progressing them with other tools in the locker like
isometrics, eccentrics, lever length and lever angle will be challenging enough and more effective.

You could however use additional weight on capacity exercises such as wide grip pull-ups. Setting
the shoulders correctly from the ‘dead-hang’ position is a key role of the top arm in the Human Flag.
So once bodyweight wide grip pull ups become easy and you can hit 10 to 12 reps, grab a weighted
vest or weight belt and start to build up your capacity strength even further! Also try allowing
yourself to drop into the dead-hang in between each rep and then pull into the active position as
you initiate the pull up.

If you’re feeling up to it try some single arm dead-hang to active-hang work as well. Don’t worry
about the single arm pull up for now, that’s another eBook in itself!

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Stability – Changing the stability demand on the body can make an exercise easier
or harder.

Example Human Flag exercise:

The hand position and pole we use for the Human Flag has an effect on how stable our base will
be. For example using bars that are parallel to each other, as shown in the picture on the previous
page, provides more stability than a vertical pole. Not because of the bars but because the hand
position is much more stable due to it being less likely to slide or slip down. The same applies for
thicker vertical poles that challenge our grip strength. The brain is able to apply more force when
the body is stable and well supported and for the human flag that makes a big difference when
you’re learning.

If you have the option a good starting point is to learn on straight bars. Once you have mastered
some of the Applied Strength movements you can challenge yourself by doing the same exercises
on a vertical pole. It will feel ‘different’ and more difficult to start with, but once you’ve developed
the technique and stabilizing muscles the movement will start to click. The added bonus is when
your go back to the more stable horizontal bars it will start to feel easier.

Assisted – Using bands or a partner to assist the movement by reducing the load

Example Human Flag exercise:

Everyone should have a training partner! The calisthenics journey is so much better when shared
with others. Training partners can also prove essential to your progress and asking someone to
hold or support your feet in the human flag helps you to ‘feel’ the horizontal position you’re trying to
achieve. As you develop ask your training partner to reduce the amount of support as you develop
the movement pattern, muscle activation and strength to hold yourself up! Start with support at the
hips and move towards the toes as you get stronger. The last progression is to just hold the top leg
before eventually letting go all together.

Another good use of the assistance tool is in the Capacity Strength section. Pull ups and dips can
all be regressed with the support of a resistance band hooked around the knees or forming a cradle
to rest the legs in.

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Biomechanics: Levers & Angles – Variations in a lever length or angle of a
movement impacts the load on the joints and strength requirements.

Example Human Flag exercise:

The tucked flag utilizes a shorter lever than the full straight leg flag. The reduction in lever length
moves weight closer to the point of support i.e. the pushing and pulling arms, and therefore
decreases the strength requirement. You can manage and control this progression by bringing your
knees closer or further away from your hips. The closer they are, the smaller the lever length. The
result is a more manageable exercise that you can perform whilst you build up the strength to take
the legs further away. Your next step is the straddle flag.

Lever length and angles go hand in hand with the human flag. Decreasing the angle between the
feet and the bar will again decrease the strength demand. You can therefore kick up high and
try to hold that high position, progressively trying lower positions closer to horizontal, as you get
stronger. This does however shift quite a significant demand onto the bottom arm so make sure
that shoulder is stable and strong.

Utilising the locker effectively and to address sticking points in your training is something our
tutors teach in more depth during our School of Calisthenics Workshops. View upcoming
workshops on our website.

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 TRAINING PLAN

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Training Plan
The School of Calisthenics Framework has flexibility. You don’t have to do every exercise on the
Framework every time you train. You can also mix and match or combine training for different
movements on the same day or different days in the same week. After all, if you tried to train
Human Flags every day of the week your body simply wouldn’t recover, your progress will halt and
injury risk increases.

We do recommended starting each training session with the appropriate Movement Preparation
and Patterning. This could even be a whole session on its own if you combined movement
preparation and patterning for more than one calisthenics movement or even as a lighter or
recovery training session.

If you were training one session per week on the Human Flag, we recommend that once you’ve
been through the Movement Preparation and Patterning exercises that you’d work through the
Applied Strength progressions you can comfortably do, this could be 1, 2 or all three exercises
depending on your development. And then finish the session with the Capacity exercises.

If you are able to train this movement twice a week you can split your Applied and Capacity
Strength exercises into separate sessions, but again start each of those sessions with the same
Movement Preparation and Patterning exercises.

Human Flag Training Tip

Let’s be honest, what we’re trying to do here is pretty tough and both your neural and muscular
systems are going to get challenged. Our suggestion is rather than trying to spend ages on the
Human Flag in one session do a small amount more frequently. A couple of Patterning or Applied
Strength exercises in a few sessions a week may reap much more progress than trying to hammer
it for an hour in one go. Your central nervous system will get tired before your muscles and once
the brain has had enough you aren’t going to advance much more that day. Once you feel like you’re
hitting a wall and quite possibly getting frustrated, leave the complex Movement Pattern and go
spend some time getting strong with the Capacity Strength exercises.

There is more information about how to plan your training week on our website.

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Graduation

Finally once you’ve put in all the hard work and redefined your own impossible along the way it’s
time to graduate from the School of Calisthenics Back Lever Module. Send us either a photo or
video of you achieving your new feat of awesomeness via your favourite social media platform
and once it’s been given the thumbs up by our Tutors, your name and image will be mounted on the
Graduates page of the website!

  

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 MOVEMENT YOUR TRAINING TEMPLATE
Preparation Time

Patterning Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

STRENGTH
Applied Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

Capacity Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

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