Been having lots of fun in my recent park workouts. Here is a video on me doing a Clutch Flag.
Clutch Flag
To be honest, I had never seen nor heard of this version of the human flag, until I read Convict Conditioning 2.
Anyone with a good level of strength should be capable of doing the clutch flag with a small amount of work. It is recommended to master this movement before you even move into the human flag (called press flag in that book). I think this is very sound advice.
The basics of it are to wedge one elbow (the lower arm) into the hip. This helps support the body. The other arm wraps around the bar and pulls back, while you lever out your body.
Because you’re wrapped around the bar, and don’t have your arms extended, the leverage of this movement is way easier. Yet you still need to control your body in this side levering movement, and you can even get use to your body wanting to turn or sway in the air.
My friend and I plan on building up the time in this movement to at least 20 seconds before we really get started on the human flag. That’s of course for both sides. I feel a little stronger on the side shown in the video (I guess I’ll call that the right side) but not too far behind with the other.
It should go without saying that to practice this move, be sure you’re on a steady bar that can support your weight and will not topple over. Sign posts, swings sets, basketball poles and much more will work.
And this move is uncomfortable in the beginning. It can hurt a little to grab the bar as you tense up completely against it. Yet after a few days working on this, while I wouldn’t call it comfortable, it is manageable at this point.
I haven’t done a full review on Convict Conditioning 2 yet, but if you’ve like to read the original Convict Conditioning review its still one of the most popular posts on my site.
The clutch flag is also a very different movement from the shoulder flag which I learned from the Tapp Brothers in their course. When I use to think of the human flag as one movement, its clear there are many routes and similar, yet easier, movements to work on.
Good stuff Logan! Correct me If I’m wrong though… But didnt you already do a HALF Human/Press Flag last year? From what I remember you showed that to ALL of us over here thru your advanced bodyweight calisthenic video compilation… again, I could be mistaken though…
Or do you just practice & train the CLutch Flag for NOW as a experiment & just trying out NEW stuff? whats up with that? NOT that the clutch flag isnt any good… cause if DEFINITELY is! No doubt about that…
& to answer your email title… Yeah I CAN do a Clutch Flag, & thanks for waking me the fuck up & let me realize that I need to get back to practicing the Clutch Flag & Human Flag ASAP!!!! Got backtracked with it for a while man, NOT good… I’ll be back on the job Starting tommorow! same as with the Gymnastic Straight Body FreeStanding Handstand! I’m ALSO HEAVILY working on that one nowadays!
from what I gather here though, is that 1 of your MAJOR goals for this year is a Human Flag Hold for a few sec. (maybe 5 or less… or more)… am I right or wrong?
you know what you gave me a freaking AWESOME idea rite now! I will ALSO train outside now on the Flags progressions SPECIFICALLY! WITHOUT a shirt! While its freezing here in Holland these days! Talk about MENTAL TOUGHNESS & NOT giving a shit! I’ll post a video of myself doing Flag training very soon! watch my youtube channel for it…
@Matti: Good question. I sort of did a human flag with the legs straddled. That was on a rack so the grip is parallel, which in my opinion is much easier to do. Part of the reason I’m working on this is this move is to build up slowly and steadily, rather then just going for the hardest move I can possibly do.
Also I wouldn’t say its a major goal, though it is one I’d certainly like to hit this year. And about 5 seconds sounds reasonable.
Hey that’s pretty good in your video.
I agree that Convict Conditioning is a good book, although I think I liked the first one better.
Probably the thing I liked most in CC2 was the grip strength technique of hanging from a towel. So simple and quick and natural.
@Chris Pine: Yeah the first was better but the second is still pretty good. I’ve been doing some work on the towel hangs and progressions in there as well.