Gain super strength by mastering the Dragonflag, Bruce Lee's favourite exercise
The exercise isn't just about the abs which are working while executing a dragonflag. While it is led by immense core strength for sure, the exercise also works the arms, glutes, and shoulders, making it a full-body exercise. It might feel like an isometric exercise and even start off as one, but the essence of it lies in the slow concentric downward movement of the body while keeping it in a straight line. When done right, even just one rep can make one feel like a superhuman. And that's the beauty of it.
I had mentioned this exercise in a story I wrote for Lounge a few years ago titled, How to build muscle like Bruce Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but now we will discuss how to master the dragonflag. But before getting into the steps of learning, know that it could take up to three months or even more to get there. So this is a long process. Patience is paramount, but so is practice. That said, even if you leave some gaps in training, the muscle memory that the body builds in the process is priceless and the relearning is easier.
All you need for the dragonflag is a surface (mostly the floor) and a grip behind you which is unmoving (unless held down by somebody), so you can hold onto it while extending your hips and knees in a straight line at a 45-60 degree angle from the shoulders. This takes immense strength but it is important to let the hips also take some load along with the shoulders and arms, rather than take the weight just on the neck and lower back.
The key is to then lower your body slowly in an eccentric move. However, start off with a partial dragonflag which is with the knees bent. Some people use a bench as well, holding the back of it with both hands. But most prefer a pole, or a fixture which is upright and easier to grip with both hands.
This is the recipe for a full-fledged dragonflag: 'Contract your torso and lift your legs as if you were doing a reverse crunch, but keep your entire body rigid from your shoulders down to your toes, and don't bend your hips. Point your toes to keep your body aligned properly. After lifting your legs off the floor, slowly lower them in a controlled manner without letting any part of your body touch anything else except for the upper back and shoulders. If you give up, drop your hips, arch your back, or cave in, you don't have enough strength yet and you shouldn't continue the exercise," according to a Bodyweight Training Arena article titled Dragon Flag Progressions, Benefits, Requirements and Variations. This is exactly what Sylvester Stallone follows when he does the exercise in the movie Rocky IV.
While this exercise is not for beginners, intermediates can start with a simple full range of motion (ROM) leg raise while holding onto the pole or the horizontal bar (or the bench). Let the legs go beyond the usual 90 degree angle ROM and let the toes go past the head while doing this. It will prepare you for what is to come.
This will make the lower back lift off the ground and the weight will transfer onto the upper back. This is the first step to knowing the sensation of the exercise. Remember, no swings, and no jerks while doing this. The dragonflag is a strict bodyweight movement that does not utilise momentum.The key is to understand how the body, with the lower back lifted off the floor, can still go into an isometric position. If you cannot do a leg raise with straight legs, then do knee tucks, but make sure that the lower back is not aiding you. Lifting the lower back with core strength is a big ask and it is imperative to get used to these. Now comes the straddle, where you do a knee tuck and throw the legs forward without momentum, in a V-shape, which is way easier than letting them dart forward with the legs straight and together.
This really useful video by FitnessFAQs states that the manual roll out is an excellent supplement exercise to do on the side in order to increase your strength for a dragonflag. This is to be done without a roller (the wheel with two little handles to the side that you see in the gym) and looks like a fully supported plank on the palms with the arms as far out as possible.
It's remarkable how it all comes down the leg position. An example would be the difference between a strict pull-up which is performed with the toes together and feet straight, versus one with the feet tucked in behind towards the buttocks. The latter is always easier. Step three would be to do a dragonflag with the legs open, rather than together.
Over 8-10 weeks, these steps should get easier, increasing the strength of the core and the muscle memory to get used to the movement. Do not try going into a full dragonflag without these training principles because not only will it shatter your morale but also be detrimental to the body. Over time, with enough practice, it is entirely possible to get there. And just a few reps every other day in a workout will make the difference. Just ask Rocky.
Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.
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Ambassadors of the Dharma: Meet the nuns leading Tibetan Buddhism into a new era
Next Story Swati Chawla One of the enduring legacies of the Dalai Lama is that for the first time, Tibetan nuns are leading their own educational institutions. Lounge takes a in-depth look at the nuns who are spearheading this change The Dalai Lama with 'geshema' graduates who subsequently completed the year-long Tantric Studies programme at Gyuto Tantric University, Sidhbari, in February 2025. Also seen in the photograph are Nangsa Choedon and Tenzin Palkyi of TNP. Gift this article "This is a precious human life. And we should do what we can." "This is a precious human life. And we should do what we can." Geshema Dawa Dolma, 43, recalls these words from the Dalai Lama during our phone interview. 'Internal work," she adds, 'is more important than external work. Nuns should work hard." Dawa Dolma teaches Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy at Thosamling Nunnery, Institute, and Retreat Centre in Sidhpur, near Dharamsala, the seat of the 14th Dalai Lama for over six decades. Venerable Chhering Norjom, 47, who goes by Norjom and works as a nurse at the nearby Dolma Ling Nunnery and Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, echoes another of the Dalai Lama's exhortations with animation during our phone interview: 'Hum Buddhist hain karke baithe mat raho. Philosophy seekho. Zyada achche se padhai karo. (Don't be content with just saying you are Buddhist. Learn philosophy. Study harder.)" Both women are graduates of Dolma Ling's rigorous 17-year monastic programme, which centres on the Five Great Canonical Texts—Pramanavartika by Dharmakirti, Abhisamayalamkara by Maitreya, Madhyamakavatara by Chandrakirti, Vinayasutra by Gunaprabha, and Abhidharmakosha by Vasubandhu—alongside courses in Tibetan language, English, basic mathematics, computer skills and ritual arts such as sand mandalas and butter sculptures. They represent a radical shift in the landscape of Tibetan Buddhism in exile, which came into sharp focus earlier this year when their alma mater moved from male to female leadership for the first time in its three-decade history. Geshema Delek Wangmo, the new principal at Dolma Ling Nunnery. On 17 April, Dolma Ling Nunnery, home to about 300 nuns, mostly from Tibet and the Himalayan regions of India—from Ladakh to Tawang—and from all Buddhist sects, appointed a trio of senior nuns to succeed a male principal. The team includes two nuns who had escaped from Tibet in the 1990s, and a third from the Himachali district of Kinnaur, which borders Tibet. Two hold the geshema degree, equivalent to a doctorate in Buddhist philosophy in the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, a qualification that was formally opened to women only in 2012. The Nunnery was officially inaugurated in 2005 by the Dalai Lama, after over a decade of construction by the nuns themselves. In the month we marked the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday, this achievement by monastic women is one of his quieter but more enduring legacies. To understand the significance of this moment—unimaginable even a generation ago—and why it took so long to arrive, we must trace the long arc of Buddhist ordination all the way back to the first woman ordained by the Buddha. A HISTORY OF DEFERENCE The story goes that a few years after Siddhartha Gautama became the Buddha (the enlightened one) around 450 BCE, his aunt and stepmother, Mahaprajapati Gautami, asked to join the monastic sangha along with 500 other women. The Buddha turned her down. 'It is not a good idea," he said. Undeterred, Mahaprajapati and her companions shaved their heads, donned saffron robes, and walked 150 miles east to Vaishali, where the Buddha was teaching. They were refused again. Buddha's disciple Ananda interceded: 'Can women not attain awakening?" 'No, they are equal to men in their capacity for awakening," the master responded, and agreed to ordain them. Thus began the fourfold sangha: laymen, laywomen, monks and nuns. But the Buddha's acceptance came with conditions that have shadowed monastic life ever since. Known as the garudhamma, literally weighty rules, the vinaya (monastic code) mentions eight additional precepts that apply exclusively to women. The first of these lays down that 'a nun who had been ordained for even a hundred years must rise and pay respects to a monk ordained for a day." And the last that 'a monk may point out a nun's transgressions, but it is forbidden for a nun ever to admonish a monk." We cannot know what the Buddha intended. The garudhamma might have been later interpolations, pragmatic concessions to patriarchy, or safeguards for nuns living in vulnerable conditions. Regardless, they proved to be consequential and enduring. Millennia after Mahaprajapati's ordination, Tibetan poet-activist Lhasang Tsering captured the persistence of gendered hierarchies in a roadside scene in Dharamsala. In his poem, The Monk and the Nun, first published as part of the anthology Muses in Exile, edited by Bhuchung D. Sonam (2004), two Tibetan Buddhist monastics look the same, don the same red robes, and live by the same vows. Yet one is 'ample-bellied," 'big," and 'dashing around in a Toyota," and the other is 'frail, sad-looking," 'little," and 'selling postcards by the roadside." Why? 'The big one is a monk/And the other only a nun." There have historically been fewer nunneries than monasteries in Tibet, and they were worse-resourced and did not offer the same education. Many nuns who arrived in India following the Dalai Lama, who came into exile in 1959, were destitute and illiterate. Also Read | Our world is in need of the Mahatma's teachings: Dalai Lama Geshema Delek Wangmo, 49, the new principal at Dolma Ling, says in a phone interview that she was illiterate till the age of 19, and spent her teenage years herding yaks and sheep. There was no school or nunnery in her village. There was a monastery nearby where some nuns could attend classes, but they could not live there and had to take up lodgings nearby. Geshema Tenzin Kunsel, 55, from the very first batch of geshema awardees in 2016, mentioned in a 2017 testimonial released by the Tibetan Nuns Project that she was grateful for a training in philosophy, debating and English at Dolma Ling, when her sister's nunnery in Tibet 'has only prayer and no classes and no studying…" Things were not significantly different for her contemporaries on the Indian side. Norjom shares that the older generations of women who embraced monastic life in her extended family in Himachal Pradesh did not receive a formal education. Norjom and her sister, Geshema Sherab Wangmo, 49, come from a family of apple farmers in Chango, Kinnaur. 'Wahan ani gompa nahin tha. Masi wagera gaon ki ani hain. Padhe likhe nahin hain (There was no nunnery there. My aunties are village nuns. They are not educated)," she says, explaining that they performed pujas but did not know the Bhoti language and did not study Buddhist philosophy. They would wear red suits and mostly stay at home. Nuns during prayer in Shugsep Nunnery, built by the Tibetan Nuns Project, near Dharamsala. Men had enjoyed greater mobility and educational access. Norjom's paternal uncle was a senior monk at the millennium-old Tabo monastery in Spiti valley. 'Woh baahar padhai karne ke liye bhai ko le kar gaye," she says—her uncle had taken her brother to a Tibetan monastery in Karnataka to study. THE PURSUIT OF EDUCATION Most Tibetan nuns mention the prospect of studying the dharma freely when they speak of why they undertook the arduous journey into exile. Delek Wangmo says, 'I had wanted to see His Holiness (the Dalai Lama) and I wanted to study philosophy." After being barred by Chinese authorities from visiting sacred Buddhist sites during a pilgrimage from Lithang to Lhasa and denied access to the Jokhang Temple, she and others journeyed to Mount Kailash and eventually escaped to Nepal and India in 1990. It was during the pilgrimage that she first learned the Tibetan alphabet and received teachings from her lama, belatedly beginning her education. Venerable Ngawang Palmo, 50, who has taken on the administrative leadership at Dolma Ling, escaped to India after some nuns in her nunnery, Gari Gompa near Lhasa, were expelled for celebrating the Dalai Lama's Nobel Peace Prize award in 1989. The Tibetan Nuns Project (TNP) was established in 1987 to support nuns who had fled Tibet. Most arrived in India illiterate. Its founding director is Rinchen Khando Choegyal, 78, a sister-in-law of the Dalai Lama, who also reinstated the Tibetan Women's Association in exile. Registered as a non-profit in the US, with its Indian office in Dolma Ling, the TNP currently supports around 900 nuns and seven nunneries. The TNP also extends material assistance and educational support to individual nuns, including older practitioners living outside nunneries or in long-term meditative retreat. Also Read | The Buddhist ateliers of ancient Magadha Two nuns studying in Dolma Ling Nunnery in Sidhpur Everyone I spoke to traced the course of monastic education for women to the Dalai Lama's encouragement, especially the Tibetan Women's Association's meeting in 1992, where he said that something needed to change urgently, 'In our society, we have as a legacy from the past the notion that nuns engage in ritual only and do not study Buddhist texts." This legacy 'perpetuated the nuns' dependence on monks as teachers," according to Venerable Lobsang Dechen, 65, former co-director of the TNP. The most significant curricular shift introduced by the TNP was the inclusion of rigorous training in philosophy and debate, disciplines central to the geshe degree and rooted in heterodox Indian philosophical traditions—which had historically excluded nuns. The geshe degree, a monastic academic tradition that began in the 17th century during the time of the 5th Dalai Lama and was later reformed and made more academically rigorous under the 13th Dalai Lama, was for centuries open only to men. In 2012, the degree was finally made available to nuns. The first batch of 20 geshemas graduated in 2016; as of December 2024, there were 73 geshemas. Studying for the four-year-long geshe degree requires almost two decades of prior monastic training, and very few nuns had managed that until recently. A WIDE INFLUENCE It is rightly and well acknowledged that no country has done more for Tibetans in exile than India. Just as true, but less often said, is how deeply India—particularly the Himalayan region—has been shaped by the moral presence, public service, and quotidian love of its Tibetan guests. Delek Wangmo notes that about 100 nuns in Dolma Ling are from the Himalayan belt in India. The TNP also supports many nuns and nunneries in Kinnaur, Spiti and Ladakh. For instance, the TNP provided textbooks and a school bus for the 700-year-old Dorjee Zong Nunnery in Zanskar, enabling students to make the 12-mile journey from the nunnery—where classes once ended at class V—to a government school offering education up to class X. Six nuns from Dorjee Zong studied in Dharamsala for years, and three of them have returned to help revive it. Many geshemas now serve as teachers and administrators in under-resourced schools and nunneries across the Indian Himalaya, continuing to strengthen local communities. Youdon Aukatsang, 55, a four-time member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile (TPiE) and part of the TNP's Indian board of directors (Buddhist Women's Education Society), says on the phone that 'Tibetan women have always contributed to the struggle, but earlier they were largely unacknowledged and invisible." She observes that Tibetan society in exile has responded to the changing needs of contemporary times to make women more visible in public life and take on leadership positions. Nuns are indeed more visible in many areas of Tibetan public life. Delek Wangmo was sworn in as an Election Commissioner for the TPiE in 2020. She and Tenzin Kunsel also broke new ground as the first nuns to become teachers at Dolma Ling. Yet gender parity remains a distant goal. Nuns remain a minority among the predominantly male faculty at Dolma Ling: three women (all nuns) among 19 total teachers. The pattern extends to political representation. There are 11 female MPs in the current 45-member TPiE, and of the 10 ecclesiastical seats reserved for representatives from religious schools— two each from the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism, viz. Gelug, Kagyu, Sakya, Nyingma and two from Bon—all are held by monks. Also Read | A new book looks at the art of Tantric Buddhism A PURPOSEFUL LIFE In her study of Sri Lankan nuns, Buddhist Nuns and Gendered Practice: In Search of the Female Renunciant (2013), anthropologist Nirmala Salgado notes that renunciant narratives are often misread through a liberal feminist lens that casts nuns as 'indigent subjects" in need of 'empowerment." The nuns she interviewed spoke instead in the idiom of moral discipline (sila) and renunciation. The Tibetan Buddhist nuns I've spoken with also articulate recent curricular changes—especially the introduction of philosophy and debate— as a way to live out the dharma more fully, framing them in the language of service and the responsibility that comes with a precious human life. They emphasise that rigorous study enables them to grasp the subtleties of texts and teachings and, more importantly, to communicate these effectively—a responsibility they regard as central to monastic vocation. Their chance conversations with younger nuns and the laity often change lives. Geshema Tenzin Dolma, 44, who joined Ngawang Palmo at the helm of Dolma Ling's administration, had dropped out of primary school in Kinnaur to help her farming family in the fields. Her life took a different path when a nun from Dolma Ling came to her village for the holidays. Inspired by the interaction, she decided to become a nun and pursue an education in Dharamsala. The nuns at Dolma Ling changed my life, too. I spent a summer with them in 2004 through a fellowship with the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and SPIC MACAY—and returned every chance I got. Norjom made offerings for my mother at the temple in Dolma Ling when she was ill and when she passed in 2007. The nuns anchored me through grief and confusion; gave me food and a room in the nunnery; held my hand and prayed for me. Every minor trigger felt like a crisis then, and the world seemed laced with landmines. Dawa Dolma—then in her 20s—shared the wisdom from the 8th century Indian pandita Santideva: rather than trying to cover the whole earth in leather to avoid pain, one can simply wrap the soles of one's own feet. Through their philosophical counsel, intercessory prayer, and quiet pastoral care, they reminded me that the Tibetan word geshe comes from the Sanskrit kalyan mitra, literally 'a beneficial friend," or someone who can serve as a spiritual adviser or guide. Norjom returns to her village over the lean seasons and teaches the Bhoti language to young girls so that they may read religious texts. People flock to her for counsel—'What do I do about my anger?", they ask, and she tells them that to truly be Buddhist, they must study the dharma: 'Buddhist ho toh matlab bhi aana chahiye." Swati Chawla is associate professor of history and digital humanities at O.P. Jindal Global University and senior fellow in Dalai Lama and Nalanda Studies at the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Topics You May Be Interested In Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Mint
19-07-2025
- Mint
Gain super strength by mastering the Dragonflag, Bruce Lee's favourite exercise
It seems almost impossible to do when you haven't tried it ever. It probably has something to do with the man who popularised it. The dragonflag, one of the most incredible eccentric core exercises, was a favourite of none other than Bruce Lee, who already falls into the 'impossible' category of fitness, body type, and ability. But, like every other exercise, there is a way to crack it. It will take time, and there are many steps of progression, but once you have it, you will never let go of it. The exercise isn't just about the abs which are working while executing a dragonflag. While it is led by immense core strength for sure, the exercise also works the arms, glutes, and shoulders, making it a full-body exercise. It might feel like an isometric exercise and even start off as one, but the essence of it lies in the slow concentric downward movement of the body while keeping it in a straight line. When done right, even just one rep can make one feel like a superhuman. And that's the beauty of it. I had mentioned this exercise in a story I wrote for Lounge a few years ago titled, How to build muscle like Bruce Lee and Arnold Schwarzenegger, but now we will discuss how to master the dragonflag. But before getting into the steps of learning, know that it could take up to three months or even more to get there. So this is a long process. Patience is paramount, but so is practice. That said, even if you leave some gaps in training, the muscle memory that the body builds in the process is priceless and the relearning is easier. All you need for the dragonflag is a surface (mostly the floor) and a grip behind you which is unmoving (unless held down by somebody), so you can hold onto it while extending your hips and knees in a straight line at a 45-60 degree angle from the shoulders. This takes immense strength but it is important to let the hips also take some load along with the shoulders and arms, rather than take the weight just on the neck and lower back. The key is to then lower your body slowly in an eccentric move. However, start off with a partial dragonflag which is with the knees bent. Some people use a bench as well, holding the back of it with both hands. But most prefer a pole, or a fixture which is upright and easier to grip with both hands. This is the recipe for a full-fledged dragonflag: 'Contract your torso and lift your legs as if you were doing a reverse crunch, but keep your entire body rigid from your shoulders down to your toes, and don't bend your hips. Point your toes to keep your body aligned properly. After lifting your legs off the floor, slowly lower them in a controlled manner without letting any part of your body touch anything else except for the upper back and shoulders. If you give up, drop your hips, arch your back, or cave in, you don't have enough strength yet and you shouldn't continue the exercise," according to a Bodyweight Training Arena article titled Dragon Flag Progressions, Benefits, Requirements and Variations. This is exactly what Sylvester Stallone follows when he does the exercise in the movie Rocky IV. While this exercise is not for beginners, intermediates can start with a simple full range of motion (ROM) leg raise while holding onto the pole or the horizontal bar (or the bench). Let the legs go beyond the usual 90 degree angle ROM and let the toes go past the head while doing this. It will prepare you for what is to come. This will make the lower back lift off the ground and the weight will transfer onto the upper back. This is the first step to knowing the sensation of the exercise. Remember, no swings, and no jerks while doing this. The dragonflag is a strict bodyweight movement that does not utilise key is to understand how the body, with the lower back lifted off the floor, can still go into an isometric position. If you cannot do a leg raise with straight legs, then do knee tucks, but make sure that the lower back is not aiding you. Lifting the lower back with core strength is a big ask and it is imperative to get used to these. Now comes the straddle, where you do a knee tuck and throw the legs forward without momentum, in a V-shape, which is way easier than letting them dart forward with the legs straight and together. This really useful video by FitnessFAQs states that the manual roll out is an excellent supplement exercise to do on the side in order to increase your strength for a dragonflag. This is to be done without a roller (the wheel with two little handles to the side that you see in the gym) and looks like a fully supported plank on the palms with the arms as far out as possible. It's remarkable how it all comes down the leg position. An example would be the difference between a strict pull-up which is performed with the toes together and feet straight, versus one with the feet tucked in behind towards the buttocks. The latter is always easier. Step three would be to do a dragonflag with the legs open, rather than together. Over 8-10 weeks, these steps should get easier, increasing the strength of the core and the muscle memory to get used to the movement. Do not try going into a full dragonflag without these training principles because not only will it shatter your morale but also be detrimental to the body. Over time, with enough practice, it is entirely possible to get there. And just a few reps every other day in a workout will make the difference. Just ask Rocky. Pulasta Dhar is a football commentator and writer.
Hindustan Times
04-06-2025
- Hindustan Times
Patrick Schwarzenegger wanted to change name to avoid nepotism jibes, Arnold is glad he kept it: 'Now I can take credit'
After years of being known as Arnold Schwarzenegger's son, 2025 was the year when actor Patrick Schwarzenegger finally found his breakthrough. The success of The White Lotus season 3 ensured that Schwarzenegger was a name unto himself. But this fame and recognition have come after years of work. At one point, the actor even considered changing his name as he felt it was an obstacle in his path. (Also read: Arnold Schwarzenegger 'couldn't believe' son Patrick's nude scene in The White Lotus: All of a sudden, I see the weenie) Patrick and Arnold sat down for Variety's Actors on Actors 2025 edition to discuss their careers, acting, and more. When Arnold asked Patrick if he felt his famous last name ever felt like an obstacle, the younger actor replied, "I feel it in multiple different ways. Mike White (creator of The White Lotus) said that it comes with baggage, the idea that when you have successful parents like I do with you and Mom, there's an added level of what other people think. Mike was worried about, if he cast me, what other people would think. Which they did — they did care about that; people said I got the role because of you and Mom. There were times earlier in my career where I was wondering, does it make sense to go under an alias? It took a while for me to get to a point where I was less worried about living in your shadow versus wanting to do it the way I thought I should do it." Arnold Schwarzenegger began his career as a bodybuilder in Europe before finding fame as a multiple Mr Olympia winner in the US in 1970s. He took this fame to the movies and became an action star with Conan, before finding his big break with The Terminator in 1984. In the 80s and 90s, Arnold was arguably the biggest movie star in the world, alongside Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone. Needless to say, Patrick faced a lot of comparisons with his father when he first began. Reacting to Patrick's thought about changing his name, Arnold reacted, "I'm glad you kept the name, because now I can take credit. You joined a very short list of people: You know, Jamie Lee Curtis — I think she's one of the greatest actors in history. If you show you have the substance, you can get rid of the whole idea of nepotism." The son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, Patrick began his career with minor roles in the 2000s. As a teenager, he had supporting roles in Stuck in Love, Grown Ups 2 and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse. After his first lead role in the 2018 film Midnight Sun, he found fame with a recurring role in Gen V, before The White Lotus became his breakthrough.
