Exercise guide
Front Lever
- Advanced
- Compound
- Rep-based
- Back
- Lower legs
- Shoulders
- Upper arms
- Waist
The Front Lever is an elite-level isometric hold that builds extreme upper body pulling strength and core rigidity by suspending the body horizontally. It primarily targets the lats and core through intense mechanical tension while requiring total-body coordination.
Reviewed by the Crucible team · Updated June 2026
Muscles worked
Equipment
Setup
- Grip the pull-up bar with an overhand (pronated) grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Hang with arms fully extended and initiate a 'scapular pull' by depressing your shoulders away from your ears.
- Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and lock your knees to create a rigid, straight-line tension from head to toe.
How to do it
- Pull the bar down toward your hips with straight arms while simultaneously lifting your entire body until it is parallel to the floor.
- Exhale sharply as you lift into the horizontal position and maintain shallow, controlled breathing during the hold.
- Hold the position for the prescribed time, ensuring your elbows remain completely locked and your body stays perfectly flat.
- Lower your body back to a dead hang with a slow, controlled tempo to maximize the eccentric load.
Form checklist
- Keep elbows fully locked; any bend shifts the load from the lats to the biceps.
- Maintain a neutral or slightly hollow-body spine; do not let your hips sag or your lower back arch.
- Keep the scapula depressed and retracted throughout the entire hold.
- Ensure the head remains in a neutral position, looking slightly upward or at the bar.
Pro tips
- Think about 'breaking the bar' by pulling your hands toward your waist to maximize lat and tricep long-head engagement.
- Focus on squeezing your glutes and quads as hard as possible; a rigid lower body is significantly easier to balance than a 'heavy' relaxed one.
Make it harder
- Front Lever Pull-ups: Perform vertical rowing motions while maintaining the horizontal lever position.
- Front Lever Touches: Dynamically lift from a hang to touch your hips to the bar, holding the top position briefly.
Frequently asked
- What muscles does the front lever work?
- The front lever primarily targets the biceps, erector spinae, lats, and rhomboids, and also works the abs, deltoids, forearms, hip flexors, obliques, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.
- What equipment do you need for the front lever?
- The front lever uses pull up bar.
- Is the front lever good for beginners?
- The front lever is rated advanced. Build a base with simpler variations first, then progress to it with light load and strict form.
Related exercises
- Cable Twisting Overhead PressIntermediate · biceps, deltoids, erector spinae, and lats
- Snatch High PullAdvanced · biceps, deltoids, erector spinae, forearms, glutes, grip muscles, hamstrings, lats, and trapezius
- Child PoseBeginner · erector spinae, glutes, and lats
- Parsva Balasana Yoga PoseBeginner · abs, erector spinae, lats, obliques, pectorals, and trapezius