Name: Playbook - Jess St John - Back Lever Tutorial
Uploaded: 2024-02-22T03:31:00.996Z
Duration: 20 min
Description: Back Lever Tutorial

Add these progressions into your workout 1-2 times per week to learn how to back lever! Read this description to learn how to maximize your progress. 

General rule of thumb, progressions from easiest to hardest:

1. Tuck
2. Single leg
3. Straddle
4. Legs together 

When you can hold any of these back lever regressions for 5-10 seconds, start training the next progression!

To maximize your progress, add in multiple regressions. For example, once you have a straddle back lever and have held it three times until failure, practice a single leg or tucked back lever afterwards, three times until failure. 

It is also a good idea to practice negatives or raises in the next progression before working on holds in that position.

Another tip is to combine positions in the same hold. For example, if you are holding a full back lever for 2 seconds, see if you can open up into a straddled position to maximize your hold, instead of coming down after 2 seconds. 

It is always a good idea to film your back levers because it’s impossible to know what is level with the ground when you’re just starting out! Over time it will become muscle memory, but a camera will provide guidance in the meantime!

- In a skin the cat, lower yourself as low as possible without losing control
- Engage core and shoulders to raise hips back up
- Without pulling all the way back through, repeat until failure

Half skin the cat

- Round the shoulders forward and hug your lats with your arms
- Keeping the legs bent, slowly lower until your hips are in line with your shoulders (parallel to the ground)
- Relax, pull hips in, and repeat until failure 
- When you can do 3-5 or more, start introducing the next progression (this might be for some or all reps)

Back lever negatives: tuck

IMPORTANT: Watch the intro video to learn how to lower into a back lever!!!

- In a regular tuck focus on lowering your hips down to the same height as your shoulders while bending at the knees and hips 
- Focus on breathing and hold until failure 

- In the open tuck, start in your tuck position and squeeze the glutes to start extending at the hips and shift knees away from the shoulders 
- Look for the ground and lift up the chest while keeping shoulders rounded forward
- The open tuck is harder, move on to it when you can hold a regular tuck for 5+ seconds

Back lever: tuck and open tuck hold

- While rounding the shoulders forward, straddle the legs (the wider the easier) and bend at the hips so toes are pointing down 
- Lower until hips are in line with shoulders 
- Lift the chest while looking at the ground 
- Squeeze the glutes so your legs are parallel to the ground
- Repeat bending at the hips and squeezing the glutes to raise the legs until failure

Back lever: straddle leg raises

- While rounding the shoulders forward, bend one knee into the chest and extend the other leg straight out behind you
- Lower until hips are in line with shoulders 
- Lift the chest while looking at the ground 
- Squeeze the glutes so your extended leg is parallel to the ground 
- Focus on breathing and hold until failure

Remember to train both sides equally!

Back lever: single leg hold

- Round the shoulders forward and hug your lats with your arms
- Straddle your legs keeping them straight and squeeze the glutes so you don’t bend at the hips (the wider the legs the easier)
- Slowly lower until your hips are in line with your shoulders (parallel to the ground)
- Relax, pull hips in, and repeat until failure 
- When you can do 3-5 or more, start introducing the next progression (this might be for some or all reps)

Back lever negatives: straddle

- While rounding the shoulders forward, straddle the legs (the wider the easier)
- Lower until hips are in line with shoulders 
- Lift the chest while looking at the ground 
- Squeeze the glutes so your legs are parallel to the ground
- Focus on breathing and hold until failure

Back lever: straddle hold

- Round the shoulders forward and hug your lats with your arms
- Squeeze legs together keeping them straight 
- Squeeze the glutes so you don’t bend at the hips 
- Slowly lower until your hips are in line with your shoulders (body is parallel to the ground)
- Relax, pull hips in, and repeat until failure

Back Lever Tutorial

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