4d • Training 💪
🧱 Core vs Abs (And How to Train for Real Skills)
Core and abs are not the same thing.
Abs are mostly a visual thing.
Core is what your body can actually DO with those muscles.
You can have visible abs without much “core strength” (low body fat, genetics, etc.).
And you can have a brutally strong core without visible abs (powerlifters are the classic example).
In calisthenics, we care about core strength because it feeds skills like:
• L-sit
• Dragon flag
• Human flag
• Better handstands and body control
✅ The Biggest Mistake
Most people train core like it’s cardio.
Planks for 2–3 minutes.
Hundreds of crunches.
A lot of burn, not a lot of skill carryover.
If you want skills, you need strength, not just endurance.
The 3 Core Patterns That Actually Matter
If you keep it simple, you really only need 3 categories:
1) Straight-body tension (isometric)
This is your “full body lock” for things like dragon flag, planche, clean lines.
Examples:
• Hollow hold variations
• Dragon flag holds and negatives (progressions below)
2) Compression and lifting (L-sit family)
This is your ability to lift the legs and keep the hips working with the abs.
Examples:
• Floor leg raises
• Hanging knee raises
• Toe-to-bar progressions
• L-sit holds as a skill
3) Side core and obliques (human flag family)
This is the piece most people ignore until they try to flag.
Examples:
• Side plank
• Star plank
• 45-degree flag progressions
🐉 Dragon Flag Progression (Simple Rule)
Think: control all the way down.
A good order:
• Leg lifts with strong hip open at the top
• Dragon flag negatives
• Single-leg dragon flag
• Full dragon flag
Key cues:
• Hips stay open, glutes tight
• No “drop point” where you collapse
• Feet touch first, not hips
Progression rule:
• If you can do about 6–8 clean reps, test the next level
• If the next level is 1–2 reps, do those, then finish your sets with the easier version
🪑 L-Sit Progression (Do Reps First)
The L-sit is awesome, but the strength comes from the raises.
A clean path:
• Floor leg raises
• Hanging knee raises
• Tuck up, slow lower down
• One-leg variations
• Full leg raises and toe-to-bar work
• L-sit holds as a separate skill goal
Quick check:
• If you can hold a tuck L-sit for even 1–2 seconds with control, you’re on track
🏁 Human Flag Progression (Obliques + Hang Strength)
Before you chase the full flag, build the base:
• Side plank
• Star plank
• 45-degree flag hold
• Tuck flag
• Advanced tuck
• One-leg out
• Full flag
Big tip:
• Being able to hang on one arm for 5+ seconds makes flag work way easier
And you can train it two ways:
• Holds to get the flag faster
• Reps and negatives to build deeper strength (slower, but transfers better)
📞 Book a Call (Optional Support)
If you want help figuring out which core progressions make sense for you, how to sequence them with your strength and skills, or how to train safely around limitations:
This is a clarity call, not a sales call.
We’ll just look at where you’re at and what the smartest next step is.
👉 Book here:
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🧱 Core vs Abs (And How to Train for Real Skills)
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