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Contents

1. Introduction to the Movement: Human Flag

2. School of Calisthenics Framework2. 1 Introduction to the School of Calisthenics Framework2. 2ExplanationofeachspecificphaseoftheSchoolofCalisthenicsFramework

3. The Framework3.1 All exercises and progressionsIncluding: Video demonstrations and coaching of each exercise

4. Introduction to the Locker4.1 The “tools” in the locker and how to use themIncluding: Examples of each “tool” in the locker

5. Training Plan5.1 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 requiredtoperformit,onceinstalledthehumanflagcomeswithanadditionalbenefit,theabilityto 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 firstattemptisgoingtoleaveyoufeelinglikeit’san‘impossible’move.Howevertheflagshipofcalisthenics is much more achievable than you think, providing you have the right tools, such as thoseincludedinthisSchoolofCalisthenicsFramework,specificfortheHumanFlag.

Thehumanflagdeservesrespectandtomasteritisgoingtorequiresomecommitmentanda 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 ofyougivingupandplacingitintotheboxinyourbrainlabeled‘impossible’.Theframeworkisdesigned 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.

Throughoutthehumanflagjourneyyou’regoingtoneedtodevelopsomestrength,stabilityandneuralpatterningtoholdthiseye-catchingmove.Thisframeworkhasbeenspecificallydevelopedusing 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 completecalisthenicsbeginnerstotheirfirsthumanflagin7weeks!AndthatiswhyweopenedtheSchool 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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Thephysicalrequisitestoholdingyourfirsthumanflagincludegoodshoulderrangeofmotion,coreactivation 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 candoityou’llhaveofficiallyjoinedtheleagueofsuperhumans.

Enjoy the journeyTim + Jacko

P.S We love seeing the progress and achievements from the School of Calisthenics community soplease don’t forget your gradation and send us your videos and photos via email or your favouritesocial 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 structurethatisthencustomizedspecificallyforanygivencalisthenicsmovement.

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,theframeworkwilltakeyoutoyourfirstHumanFlag.

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.

Figure one: The School of Calisthenics Framework

PREPARATION

STRENGTHMOVEMENT

APPLIED

PATTERNING CAPACITY

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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 forcalisthenics can be found on the website.

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STAGE ONE: MOVEMENT

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

Stage One: MovementTheHumanFlagformspartofthegroupofcalisthenicsmovementsknownas‘levers’.Bydefinitionaleverisarigidbarpivotedonafixedpointandusedtotransmitforce.Ifweapplythisinbiomechanicaltermstocalisthenics,thehandsprovidethefixedpointandtheweightbeingmovedis 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 throughoutthatrange.Ifyouaredeficientineitherareayouwon’tbeabletocreatetheoptimumbody 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 arethosefoundations.Itisunlikelyyou’lleverperformatechnicallycompetentandbeautifulflagwithout 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 becomesverydifficulttocreateenoughstabilityandthereforeforceproduction.Justthink,stableis strong and any kinks in the chain are going to create weak points that allow the movement to fall apart.

MOVEMENT

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A quick human anatomy lessonBefore 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.

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 thanhips.Whilstallthismovementfortheshoulderishighlybeneficialforushumansthedownside 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

Image courtesy of Visible Body

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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 contributingfactors as to why the glenohumeral joint may have some issues that need addressing through the movement preparation phase.

Movement PreparationCreating a strong position requires adequate shoulder range of motion of the bottom arm. It also requiressomeconfidenceaswehavetoputtheshoulderinapositionthat,dependingonyourinjury 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 notonlysetyouupforthestrengthphaseofthehumanflagbutitwillalsokeepyourshouldershealthy for life in general.

Movement PatterningMaximal 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 movementbeforeandlikeanything,newmovementpatternsneedlearningandrefining.TheMovement 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 physiologicalsystems working together to produce something special.

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Stage Two: StrengthThereisnodoubtthatifwearegoingtoperformthehumanflagweneedtobestrong,sostrengthdevelopment has to be included in your programme. In this section the School of Calisthenics Framework presents two sections: Applied Strength and Capacity Strength.

Applied StrengthEffective 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 progressionssystematically.Alwaysaskyourself,‘haveIearnttherighttoprogress?’i.e.haveyoumastered this progression before deciding to move on to the next or are you getting over excited andskippingtofaraheadwhichwillonlyhaltyourprogress.Theexerciseprogressionsarespecificto 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 StrengthTime to develop some more global strength using more basic movement patterns in order to providesomehorsepower.TheHumanFlagiswhatwedescribeasa‘combined’movementinthatit 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 sideovertheother.Thisisacommontraptofallasit’snaturalthatonesideofyourflagwillbestronger than the other. Capacity Strength is pretty simple, just get strong!

STRENGTH

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THE FRAMEWORK

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The FrameworkBy 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.

Onthefollowingpageyouwillfindthetrainingprogrammealltheexercisesyouneedwithguidanceonrepetitionranges,numberofsets,theexercisetemposandrestperiods.Justclickontheexercise name to watch a video demonstration from our tutors.

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

PREPARATION

STRENGTHMOVEMENT

APPLIED

PATTERNING CAPACITY

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Preparation TimeBarbell 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

MOVEMENT

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

Applied Reps Sets Kg Tempo RestT 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

STRENGTH

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 LockerWhathaveyougotinyourlocker?Isaphraseoftenusedto question what ability, skills or tricks an athlete may or may not have. Every athlete should have a locker full of ‘tools’thatallowsthemtofindsolutionstochallengesthey 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 yourfinalgoal.Morerepetitionsisoneapproachbutsometimes just doing one rep is too hard. At the School of Calisthenics we train smarter by choosing from aselectionoftoolsfromour‘locker’thatwillensureappropriate progression towards your back lever goal. The point of the locker is to regress and / or progress exercisessoeveryonecanfindalevelthatisappropriateto their individual stage of development.

Usingthe‘locker’effectivelymeansthatliterallyanyonecan train in calisthenics. Some example uses of the ‘locker’specificallyforthebackleveraredetailedbelowbut 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 toensure 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 flagposition.Pullorkickupintoahighpositioninthetuckflagandthenlowerthebodyundercontrol from the high to low position. This is a great way to develop the strength required for the fullisometricflagholdposition.Usingeccentricsinthiswaywillhelpyoutoprogressthroughtosinglelegandstraddlepositionflagsmoresmoothlyratherthansimplytryingtokickupandholdastraightflagwhilstyou’relearning.

AdvancedAfullstraightlegflaglowerfromahighinvertedposition(feetintheairabovethehead)andloweringyourfeetallthewaytothefloorisanadvancedprogressionusingeccentricsthatwillhelptakeyourflaggametothenextlevel.The‘FlagLower’requiresahugeamountofstrengthfromboth 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 yourprogressiontothefinalmovement.Holdingthestabilityballflag(AppliedStrength)exerciserather 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,thetuckedflag.Tostartwithyoumayonlybeabletoholdthetuckedpositionforonlyasplit second so a combination of these exercises will be good to use until you can hold a position foratleast5seconds!Justmakesurewhenyouarepracticingthestabilityballflagthatyoufocuson 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:Intermsofaddingadditionalweighttotheflagprogressionsviaaweightedvest,yesitispossibleand 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 theshoulderscorrectlyfromthe‘dead-hang’positionisakeyroleofthetoparmintheHumanFlag.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 thebodyisstableandwellsupportedandforthehumanflagthatmakesabigdifferencewhenyou’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 onaverticalpole.Itwillfeel‘different’andmoredifficulttostartwith,butonceyou’vedevelopedthe 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 holdorsupportyourfeetinthehumanflaghelpsyouto‘feel’thehorizontalpositionyou’retryingtoachieve. 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 amovement impacts the load on the joints and strength requirements.

Example Human Flag exercise:Thetuckedflagutilizesashorterleverthanthefullstraightlegflag.Thereductioninleverlengthmoves 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 thelegsfurtheraway.Yournextstepisthestraddleflag.

Leverlengthandanglesgohandinhandwiththehumanflag.Decreasingtheanglebetweenthefeet 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.Thisdoeshowevershiftquiteasignificantdemandontothebottomarmsomakesurethat shoulder is stable and strong.

Utilising the locker effectively and to address sticking points in your training is something ourtutors 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 PlanTheSchoolofCalisthenicsFrameworkhasflexibility.Youdon’thavetodoeveryexerciseontheFramework 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 dependingonyourdevelopment.AndthenfinishthesessionwiththeCapacityexercises.

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 TipLet’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

Finallyonceyou’veputinallthehardworkandredefinedyourownimpossiblealongthewayit’stime 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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YOUR TRAINING TEMPLATEPreparation Time

MOVEMENT

Patterning Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

Applied Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest

STRENGTH

Capacity Reps Sets Kg Tempo Rest