Let me tell you right away:
You’re not weak.
You’re not out of shape.
And no, you’re not dying.
You just had the brilliant idea of trying out one of the most ruthless core exercises ever invented in modern fitness history.
Dragon flags are no joke.
They’re a physical insult cleverly disguised as a “cool” Instagram move.
And the pain you’re feeling?
It’s just your body’s way of saying:
“Never do that again… or do it better.”
It’s not just an ab exercise. It’s a declaration of war on your core.
You know crunches?
Okay.
Now forget them.
Dragon flags are a whole different planet.
This isn’t about “activating your abs.”
This is about survival.
When you do a dragon flag, you’re asking your body to stay completely rigid as you raise and lower it slowly, with only your shoulder blades touching the bench.
Every single muscle in your trunk has to engage to stop your spine from collapsing under gravity.
It’s not just your rectus abdominis (the “six-pack” one) doing the work.
You’re calling in:
- The transverse abdominis (deep core muscle that literally keeps you standing)
- The obliques (for rotation and side stabilization)
- The hip flexors (that burn when you lift your legs too fast)
- The quadratus lumborum and spinal erectors (that scream in agony when control fails)
- Even the lats, glutes, and quads
Yes, even the quads.
Because your body, in that moment, is a single rigid lever.
And if one part gives out…
everything collapses.
That pain after three days? It’s called DOMS. But it’s DOMS with claws.
Feel that deep soreness under your rib cage?
That tightness every time you cough, laugh, or bend over to tie your shoes?
It’s Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.
The famous post-workout pain.
Only this time, in dragon flags, it’s caused by the brutal eccentric phase you forced your body through.
Every time you lowered your legs slowly while keeping them straight, your muscles lengthened under load.
That’s the toughest eccentric contraction there is.
And guess what? That’s what causes the most micro-tears in muscle fibers.
So yes:
- If you’re not used to deep eccentric work
- If you never train your core in anti-extension
- If you did 3-4 dragon flags without any kind of prep…
…it’s normal for the pain to last two, three, or even four days.
It’s not a red flag.
It’s your body adapting to something completely new.
The little muscles that usually sleep… are now screaming
Want to know a secret?
In most “ab exercises,” the deep muscles barely clock in.
The transverse abdominis, for example, is essential for spinal stability…
but during traditional crunches, it’s basically asleep.
In dragon flags, it gets thrown to the front line like an untrained soldier.
Same for the quadratus lumborum, internal obliques, and deep spinal stabilizers.
And when you hit them for the first time with a dynamic, eccentric, unstable load…
they’re not happy.
They punish you with a diffuse postural pain you can’t even pinpoint.
There’s also a neural factor: your brain wasn’t ready
Training isn’t just “muscles contracting.”
It’s also your brain learning how to control those muscles precisely.
Dragon flags are a neuromuscular coordination overdose.
Your motor cortex, which is usually pretty chill during standard ab work, is now under pressure.
It has to:
- Activate the right muscles
- Inhibit the wrong ones
- Coordinate the descent
- Maintain control
And it has to do all that while you’re upside down, trying not to snap in half.
This neural hyperactivation leads to more muscle fiber recruitment.
Which, in turn, creates more microstructural damage.
And so… more DOMS.
Your body is learning.
The hard way.
If it hurts this bad, should I be worried?
No, unless you went way overboard beyond all human logic.
If the pain:
- Isn’t in one specific spot
- Doesn’t get worse over time
- Doesn’t involve the spine in a sharp, acute way
- Has no swelling, bruising, or strange stiffness
…then relax.
You’re just paying the price for asking too much, too fast.
But if you feel sharp back pain, stabs in your lower spine, or a sudden “tearing” sensation…
take a break and maybe get checked out.
You’re not weaker for pausing.
You’re just smarter.
What can I do to recover faster?
Here’s a little anti-DOMS toolkit:
- Light movement: walk, gentle stretching, move your abs in a controlled way
- Heat: hot water bottle, warm showers, or self-heating patches
- Magnesium and Omega-3s: can help reduce muscle inflammation
- Sleep: it’s when your body repairs, so sleep well
- Hydration: better blood flow means more oxygen and nutrients where needed
- Avoid anti-inflammatories if you can: they slow down muscle adaptation
And for the love of all that’s holy…
don’t do dragon flags again two days later “just to see if it still hurts.”
This isn’t a Rocky montage.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. But you have to do it smart.
Dragon flags, when done properly and progressively, are one of the most effective exercises for building a truly functional core.
Not only do they sculpt your abs (with the right diet), but they teach you to:
- Control your body in space
- Create usable tension for squats, deadlifts, and bench press
- Protect your back during dynamic movement
- Coordinate muscle groups that rarely work together
It’s not just aesthetics.
It’s biomechanics.
And it’s a skill.
One that can improve your entire way of moving and training.
How do you do a dragon flag… without wrecking your spine?
Doing a proper dragon flag isn’t just about throwing your legs in the air and hoping for the best.
It’s about building active tension from your neck to your ankles.
Here are the key steps to do it right:
- Lie on a flat bench and grip the edge firmly behind your head
- Keep your shoulder blades glued to the bench and use only them as your base
- Bring your knees to your chest, then extend your legs straight up like a candle
- Now begin the descent: lower slowly, keeping your body straight like a ruler and your pelvis tilted posteriorly (no arching!)
- Lower until you feel effort but can still maintain control
- Don’t collapse: resist the drop with active tension and either rise back up or return to fetal position
- Only repeat as long as you can maintain form and control
💡 A good starting goal is to descend to a 45-degree angle and hold the rigid body line for 3–5 seconds.
Can’t do it yet?
Start with simpler versions:
- Tuck dragon flag (knees bent)
- Controlled negatives
- Eccentrics with band support or feet on the wall
Classic mistakes that ruin everything (and make you hate dragon flags)
If you felt like a snapped toothpick… there’s a reason.
Here are the most common mistakes I see (and yes, I’ve made them too):
- Arching your back: lose the pelvic tilt, lose ab tension, welcome lower back pain
- Collapsing on the way down: the descent must be controlled, not a sack-of-potatoes drop
- Thinking it’s “just for abs”: it’s actually a full-body move. If you don’t squeeze your glutes, quads, and even your lats, you’ll never stay rigid
- Using momentum to start: if you throw your legs up, you’re just cheating yourself. It starts with tension, not swing
- Doing too many reps: 2–3 good ones are enough to feel it. If you’re doing 10, the last 7 were probably an acrobatic cramp
- Ignoring your breathing: learn to breathe into your belly under tension without losing tightness
Solution?
Record your attempts.
Watch them.
And be ruthless with form, angles, tension, and descent.
Can people with back pain do dragon flags?
Fair question.
And the answer isn’t a hard yes or no.
It depends on the type of back pain and where you are in your recovery journey.
If you have:
- Active lumbar herniations
- Acute disc issues
- Vertebral instability
- Ongoing pain during extension movements
…then no, it’s not the time for dragon flags.
This move puts massive tension on the lower back, especially during the descent phase.
But if you’re:
- In the advanced stage of postural recovery
- Strengthening your deep core
- Already doing anti-extension work pain-free (like planks, dead bugs, controlled ab wheels)
…then you can start a gradual path, using regressed and controlled variations under supervision.
Start with exercises like:
- Anti-extension core work on a fitball
- Hollow holds
- Reverse crunches
Then try a tuck dragon flag while keeping your lower back protected at all times.
And remember: dragon flags aren’t mandatory.
They’re a tool, not a fetish.
If they’re not for you right now, it doesn’t mean you’ll never do them.
And it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t build an iron core with other exercises.
Conclusion
Don’t do it randomly.
Don’t do it just for the Instagram likes.
And never do it without prep, control, and progression.
Start with:
- Advanced planks
- Hollow body holds
- Controlled negatives with support
- Tuck dragon flags
Then, step by step, build your strength.
No rush.
No ego.
When the pain fades and you finally manage a clean, controlled dragon flag without trembling…
It’ll be one of the most satisfying moments of your gym life.
And you won’t just “do abs” anymore.
You’ll dominate them.