This is the first time I hear this exercise called candlestick. The hardest variation is called dragon flag. One of my favorite. Bruce Lee was big fan of it if I remember well. Awesome video! Awesome progression!

@RenaissancePeriodization

10 ай бұрын

Ugh "Dragon Flag" sounds so much cooler than "candlestick!" Damn you, cruel world! - Dr. Mike

@Mxverick._.

10 ай бұрын

I was literally thinking the same thing: "Isn't that called a dragon flag?"

@MO-sb7ny

10 ай бұрын

Also there's a dragon walking variation walking uphill as you rise from horizontal

@karma.suture

10 ай бұрын

@@RenaissancePeriodizationthe biggest difference is for dragon flags you keep your lower body off the bench for the entire movement; hard as hell, and the stretch feels nasty in the abs.

@technocracylao

10 ай бұрын

@@RenaissancePeriodization - I just returned to this video after watching it earlier and yea the Dragon flag version you keep your lower back off the bench as you lower your legs and midsection then raise yourself back up before your butt touches down. Bonus points for pausing for a few seconds with your legs fully extended and your butt 1cm above the bench This has been my go to ab work out for many years, 3 sets of whatever the hell you can do will destroy your abs and you need to roll off the bench as sitting up ain't an option! 😄 Most people starting out with this will be lucky to do 1 strict rep . . .

"Do you have abs that are too big? Is that a problem for you? Probably not. Get on this and do it." - that's just honest and straightforward direction..luv it! Luv it! Thank you for the vids!

Best fitness channel on KZread. Period.

@vecto8695

3 ай бұрын

*ization

@ReizokoRyu

3 ай бұрын

​@@vecto8695 LMFAO you beat me to it

@schultemeister6975

3 ай бұрын

@@ReizokoRyuLmfao you beat to saying “Lmfao you beat me to it”.

@ReizokoRyu

2 ай бұрын

@@schultemeister6975 🤯🤯🤯

@abdullahahmed1673

2 ай бұрын

@@schultemeister6975 Lmfao you beat me to saying “Lmfao you beat to saying “Lmfao you beat me to it” ".

I check youtube in the middle of dragonfly sets and this is what I get

@harzemyalcinkaya

10 ай бұрын

I do this exercise just fine and a few months ago I learned they are actually called DRAGON FLAG.

@Delb9891

10 ай бұрын

Same hahaha

@chillinvillain3536

10 ай бұрын

@@harzemyalcinkaya damn that name is way more cooler

@luffebassen

10 ай бұрын

Dragon flag is static. When you go up and down it becomes fly's. Just like a human flag is a static exercise.

@mpettymusic

10 ай бұрын

​@@luffebassenhuman fly

The Best Single Ab Exercise At Home: CLOSE THE REFRIGERATOR DOOR.

@romanogold82

3 ай бұрын

Right. Junk food turndowns. Do not go to failure lol.

@cineturon

3 ай бұрын

And whatever guilty please snacks you like - don't have them stashed away anywhere, at home.

@EzraLennox-jx5cd

3 ай бұрын

But that’s where I keep my muscle building meal prep containers for the week 😆😆

@malakyah8691

3 ай бұрын

This is the way.

@J_Un1t

3 ай бұрын

Dr Mike tells me I gotta eat more to build muscle tho

Dude thank you so much for doing this video. I was having such a hard time getting sore from crunches and couldn’t really do hanging leg raises that well, but as soon as I tried these I felt it after the first set.

This channel has really increased my enjoyment of exercise. I finally am starting to understand some of the science of muscle growth and am starting to see some interesting results.

I do the expert version just fine, but I think that's because I have 5lbs chicken legs that I neglected for years. Now I'm working on a leg-focused program and I think the candlestick will get harder in time with added mass!

@alastairatcheson1407

10 ай бұрын

Work on that ghetto booty😅

@RenaissancePeriodization

10 ай бұрын

As your legs get bigger, keep doing the candlesticks so that you can have an auto-progression for your abs! - Dr. Mike

@Dark_Angel555

10 ай бұрын

@@RenaissancePeriodization I can also do the expert version and I am also skinny - does this mean I am an elite level athlete when it comes to abs ? lol ... thats what you said in the clip about people who can do the level 3 on this exercise ... also my abs are still not visible even though I am skinny on the rest of my body - yet I can do the original candlestick - I find it very weird

@ShovelChef

6 ай бұрын

​@@Dark_Angel555, this might be where Mike asks, "How many reps, how many sets, how many times a week, and how sore do you feel after 2 days?"

@Dark_Angel555

6 ай бұрын

@@ShovelChef not many reps... max 10... I feel sore the next day but not that sore... just normal sore... yet I still don't see my abs... still skinny fat lol

I do these every day but on the floor with hands placed near the thighs, I also don’t allow my feet to touch the floor. This has improved my hanging leg raise incredibly, and my abs

I do the intermediate version on the concentric to full vertical like the pro version, and then I "try" to do a pro eccentric. It feels the natural progression for me, because the true candlestick (or dragonfly raises, as I've known them) are just too hard. But it is crazy how you can make progress with these. So rewarding.

Awesome video Mike! Loved the dumbbell leg video as well, waiting for the rest of the DB only series!

I actually saw the "abs are made in the kitchen" statement make people in the gym completely disregard ab exercises altogether. Now I'm the only person in our gym with actual thick abs cause I was doing these last couple of years. Going slow is the key! I also like - and would recommend trying out - doing loaded half-bosu ball crunches.

@user-jw9xl8sd1q

10 ай бұрын

"abs are made in the gym, but revealed in the kitchen"

@Koroar

10 ай бұрын

You made the right choice. I got lean and skinny as fuck a few years ago and still had virtually no abs. I'm so much heavier now and I'm barely even taking my diet seriously anymore but just because I put on more muscle my abs look fucking way better. "Abs are made in the kitchen" is absolute horse shit hahaha

@malchir4036

10 ай бұрын

Because a lot of exercises train abs indirectly. Overhead presses, deadlifts, rows, pull/chin-up,...

@user-he4ef9br7z

10 ай бұрын

As a teenager I ate whatever the fuck I saw and still had better abs at 16 than I do now.

@JRT140

10 ай бұрын

I do my ab work in the kitchen

I used to do the expert version all the time. Just got back into lifting after decades off, so it's been a minute. Right now, squats and deadlifts give me my core workout, but I will have to see if I can still do these next time I am at the gym. So glad I found this channel!

This style of video is awesome ! Don’t get me wrong, the jokes are fun, the rants are fun, but this is MONEY!

Thanks Dr Mike! Back into fitness at ~30 after a long break. Summer 2024 prep started about a month ago. Squeezed most of the juice from crunches already, so I've been looking to add in something a bit more challenging. This exercise is great. Felt a burn up and down the entire muscle, which crunches don't accomplish. Your point about the highest loading occurring at the point when the muscle is stretched the most is (obviously) spot on. Felt amazing. Thanks again Dr. Mike.

Been doing the beginer version of this for years as my go to for abs. Cool to know it's the best. I'll be 60 November!

@harryv6752

26 күн бұрын

💯 🔥 🤘

CONGRATS ON 700K SUBSCRIBERS, so happy that more and more people can get to know you guys and your amazing information

Thanks for just giving us the movement progressions and science behind this exercise! The videos you make where you raise your eyebrows and make fun of people have a place but I appreciate just raw info! Thanks!

The first day I had these programmed in the rp app. These killed me the next 3 days. My core has never bene that sore. Ever since this has been a staple for me!

Dr. Mike, your channel is really coming through for me. Great format with demonstrating the exercise and getting expert explanations with it. Thanks!

@whateverman4945

8 ай бұрын

It's a real treat having access to this type of knowledge and teaching.

@StKrane

8 ай бұрын

Absolutely 👍🏻

Oh, just as I was recommended this exercise for abs due to hip issues, RP gives a proper guide for it. Great.

This is my go-to exercise for Abs, I also ad a twist when I raise my hips upwards to activate obliques. Most underrated exercise for midsection

Thank you so much,I'm glad I've found you,I'm on my 9th week training,and have felt pain everywhere else except my core, I've tried this technique but not consistently,but today is a new day,will give you an update .

One of the best fitness channels out there!!! Thanks and God bless!

Good to know I've been incorporating the #1 ab exercise into my workouts for the past 20 years

Did this once in the workout park just to see how it feels, never had more soreness on my abs. Amazing exercise!

Great video... I just found your channel. There is a ton to learn here. I'm slowly absorbing it.

Dr. Mike, I tried these the other day, and oh man did it fry my abs. One simple and super effective exercise. Love it! Thank you Sir.

Great video!! More like this PLEASE!!!

I always took this to be a reverse crunch, either way, man oh man does this burn my core to a crisp, love it

Tried yesterday and it felt tremendous, especially when doing slow. Thanks a lot!

I like the "Have you ever seen anyone with too big [insert whichever muscle]? " argument because you can use it for any muscle and it will always sound like a valid reason to get the muscle bigger.

@jasongarman

10 ай бұрын

It doesn’t work for every muscle though. I have seen bodybuilders with biceps so large that they can’t bend their arms all the way any more. I would consider that “too large” personally. There’s even a video of Dr Mike showing his home gym and he explains that he had to attach duct tape handles to his squatting barbell because some of his muscles were too big for him to properly hold the bar with his hands.

@the_exegete

10 ай бұрын

Yeah I've definitely seen other muscles be too big, but never the abs. Once in awhile I've seen abs that are a bit too big in comparison with chest or glutes I suppose, but that's just an aesthetic opinion. Other muscles can get so big they interfere with daily life.

@sideskroll

10 ай бұрын

Actually, I've seen women with too big legs... At a point they begin to look like cattle. I personally don't like it. Muscular, big thighs yes. Wads of meat breaking through their yoga pants is a nono for me at least

@aaaa-xf3hx

10 ай бұрын

Lots of people have muscles that the average person would consider too big, I’m not saying it’s something you should be worried about. However this attitude some bodybuilder types have of ‘if someone doesn’t want to look like me they’re lying to themselves’ is so vain it’s ridiculous

@patrikjelinek8945

10 ай бұрын

@@sideskroll WHERE ARE THE WOMEN WITH CATTLE SIZED LEGS?

Awesome format for the technique videos.

Completely agree! Dragon flags (I/E the hardest variant) took my ab development to a whole new level.

Always with the spot on info and science based explanations, thanks Doc!

@RenaissancePeriodization

10 ай бұрын

My pleasure! - Dr. Mike

@wushufanatic

10 ай бұрын

Although the video was great, I didn't see any actual science/research presented. Something I wish this channel did more of considering how much of the Dr (PhD) and "Science" is emphasized. Like I said though, love the channel. Just surprised that I hardly ever see references presented.

Your workout insights are amazing. I've changed my tempo/increased range-range/speed on negatives. Seeing amazing results.

Great video, I been looking to up my ab game. this is perfect.

I'll try adding this to my routine! Thanks!

Absolutely outstanding work

This is awesome! Thanks dr Mike!

I like this one. Another favorite is scooting your butt down so it partially hangs off and doing leg raises with your lower body cantilevered. This allows greater depth, stretch, and therefore even more emphasis on the eccentric

@Koroar

10 ай бұрын

I wanna do that but scared about lower back, would be awesome if you're strong enough tho

Exactly what i was lookin for

omg, many thanks for this! I hate ab exercises because they take forever and are more cardio than anything else. One set of 10 of these and I can feel my abs more than 3 sets of 60 bicycle crunches!

A kettle bell is a good grip for that when doing it at home on the floor. I always liked the candlestick so good to learn it can be adapted to an abs exercise like that!

you're great at what you do Mike, keep it up

Works perfectly, thanks for posting 🙏 I was looking for for exactly this, one exercise to do it all. Did sets of 20 for 3, abs sufficiently sore day 1 and day 2 in all the right places 💪👍

I find that a modification somewhere between the beginner and intermediate is really nice as well. You bend your knees and bring your legs up, straighten them up into the air, and then (like in the intermediate) keep your legs straight on the descent. My lower back has been killing me lately and bringing my legs straight up on the ascending movement irritates it, but for some reason lowering them back doesn’t and it still allows me to fry my abs more than the beginner version does for me.

Holding a weight between your feet sitting horizontal on a bench slight lean back and bring your knees to your chest. Thats my favourite and most effective ab exercise

This is awesome. Thanks do much for this one

Thank you so much Dr. Mike. Is there any video on obliques on the channel?

This video was almost enough for me to consider training abs for the first time

Dude this gave me abs for the first time in my life. Thanks so much Mike the Bike!

This is so great, thank you so much! Would it be possible for you to do a “best exercise” for both the obliques and the transverse abdominis as well?

@thedudewhoabides69

10 ай бұрын

I'd like that too! I remember reading about training the transverse abdominis and the vacuum-pose came up a lot. I wonder if there's any truth to that

@vittocrazi

10 ай бұрын

there is. just do it. it doesn't take much time... and aside from bodybuilding, its an exercise that musicians do for singing and playing winds. i will shape your belly, will strengthen your brace and will allow you to bellow properly at your next pr. @@thedudewhoabides69

@hmq2007

10 ай бұрын

Agree!!!!

@smirbelbirbel

10 ай бұрын

I believe for the transverse, vacuum variants are the only way to reach it.

@rachelmel

10 ай бұрын

​@@thedudewhoabides69vacuums are great for TVA! As are hollow body holds and rocks, dead bugs done correctly, and drawing in/bracing the abs while in a bridge position.

Thank you!

Nice job - great video.

I'm always searching for another move to add onto my tummy routine, and this is it... Thanksman!👍

Love it! Introducing these to my clients programs 🙌

It's crazy I've been doing this shit on my bench for years as a rest between presses but never really focused on the resistance down unless I was trying not to tear bench up lol. Thanks for the idea.

I love you Mike!!!!❤❤ and I love this exercise

Thanks Dr. Mike.

Thanks for this, I might be able to train abs again!

So funny, I just tried this a few days ago from reading an old rp article on ab training and it gave me DOMS for days, with zero load on my spine. 10/10

This is the video that got me to subscribe. I guess I know what I will be trying in the gym tomorrow.

the self validation i receieved after this vid, i've been doing this for months

Really felt the abs burning coming down slowly with this

I did a very similar movement to the modified, I am glad to see I was on the right track. I'm gonna try these hopefully I get good at the technique.

The lighting is, well...LIT! Production values FTW.

Been doing the beginner version for ages, called it reverse crunch. Try letting your tailbone be just off the bench, adds an awesome stretch under load that'll kill your soul.

Great, I’ve been doing this from day one - newbie 1 month at the gym 💪

Hell yeh! Great vid

Men's gymnastic training really seems to develop the upper body in a remarkably aesthetic and reliable way. The guys who can do a routine on the rings are all jacked.

There's another version that I do, it's between the second and third techniques, you start by lifting up your lower body with the second technique and then do the eccentric part with the the third technique, very hard but doable, Give it a try!

@user-yb6xb6ii7o

10 ай бұрын

Same all the loading on the stretch but can’t do the up part!

You can level up even more with a small plate on your feet with a tie down strap. Or, you can raise the incline. It is amazing how much harder this is with an incline added.

Hey Mike, love your stuff. Could you make some couching sounds that we could listen too, while we work out. “Go, one, slow, slow, go again” every time I see you doing that in a video I wish I had it. Love the content!!

This is a great ab exercise, one of my favorites. Cool to see Nick Shaw on your video. I was in the Top 5 with him at the NPC Universe when he won his pro card.

Oh man I am currently working on hollow body and man this exercise is the best for abs but feel much more better on partial currently. For sure I will be working on it. Thanks

I'll give it a go. Thanks. I found when doing leg pullovers, it's important to flex the abs before each rep, or it works your hip flexors as much as the abs.

That looks gnarly. I like it!

Hanging leg raises is my go to. Will give these a go

I actually started doing these recently as an alternative to normal crunches. Oddly enough I struggle with those because I have a bad back and for some reason these seem to work better for me. With this in mind I will continue to do them.

*Thanks for the video!

Wow! Just WATCHING this video blasted my abs!!!

If you can do the 3rd variant, you are in insanely good physical shape. Sounds like I have a goal now lol ty for this.

banging music scott!

You are now the only KZread fitness guy I trust.

Tried this today.Absolute destroyer

Idk why I find these videos so gd funny. I watch em MOSTLY for that anymore.

If I had had an actual coach in middle school and high school I'd be an absolute mass monster, luckily I found this channel now though not quite to late to get there.

Wow, haven’t felt my abs like that before , thabks❤❤❤

Perfect timing, I needed a swap for knee raises and tried out the modified candlestick intermediate version this morning. Felt crazy good, especially at the bottom few inches. Thanks for a new favorite!

There is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt and fitness instructor who used to train Rickson Gracie named Steve Maxwell. He has a circuit for combat conditioning in which he does Hindu Squats, Hindu Push Ups, Pull Ups, and something fairly similar to this candlestick exercise that he called Leg Raise to Plow. You would start off like a normal leg raise with a flat body heels on the ground, perform a leg raise, but keep going over your head until your toes touchs the ground on the opposite side of your head.

Thank you so much for the video! I tried these in the gym this afternoon, and four hours later I can still feel a warm glow coming from my abs :D I was doing hanging leg raises but I'm going to replace them with candlesticks.

Insane ! I got the intermediate version but at the end of movement I'm completly vertical like the true candlestick and that without training my abs for years. I'm shocked. But I think that I might fall in love with this exercise. Thanks for sharing :D

I thought this was just reverse ab crunches but a higher intensity version. Ive been doing this actually and the burn is real. Been doing the intermediate variations Thanks for the tips and guides

I've done the 2nd version of this for a while. Kicks my ars every single time. He isn't kidding, you have to go slow on the way down. Resistance bands work nicely if you're trying to push yourself. Haven't been able to do the 3rd version of this due to an old back injury. You'll get the abs you want inside a few solid months if your consistent, but abs you can be proud of.

I’ve been looking for a new abs exercise and the universe has delivered. Thanks dr Mike. Edit Nov23: I’ve been doing these for the past meso and I’m up to intermediates for 4 sets of 15 on Tue and Fri. But… I’ve been touching my feet to the floor on the eccentric and it has been kicking my ass. I was thinking of adding some ankle weights - any thoughts on that? The proper advanced version still seems too hard, having tried it. Thoughts?

More of these videos please

so good to see my favorite ab exercise in such a video. I recognized that hanging leg raises were the best for me. Now at home I dont have a bar to hang from, so I can do it on the floor. Its doable even without something solid behind you, just push against the ground near your hips!

Holy crap! I've been doing this for years on an incline sit up bench by lying with my head against and my hands holding onto the leg brace. Never knew it had a name.

Started doing these unknowingly after I injured my shoulder and couldn’t do hanging leg raise… might keep them in the routine now 😂 also the view of your own quads it’s pretty beast when doing this.