Also known as: lying leg tucks, supine leg tucks, hollow leg tucks, floor core extensions, lying core tucks

What is Dragon Tucks?

Dragon Tucks are a medium-level supine core exercise where you extend and retract the legs while anchoring the hands behind the head. They primarily target the abdominal core and engage the lats for tension, improving trunk stability and pelvic control while maintaining lower-back contact.

How to Do Dragon Tucks

  1. start supine: Lie on your back with hands anchored behind your head, knees stacked over hips, feet together and lower back pressed firmly to the floor.
  2. brace lats & core: Actively pull with your arms to engage the lats, press your lower back into the floor and brace the core before moving your legs.
  3. extend legs slowly: Slowly extend both legs outward at a controlled angle, keeping the lower back in contact with the floor; lower angles increase difficulty.
  4. hold with tension: Pause briefly with legs extended, maintain full core and lat tension, inhale and exhale steadily to avoid breath-holding and prevent lower-back arching.
  5. return controlled: Bend the knees back to the start while maintaining tension through the lats and core; move smoothly and avoid using momentum between reps.

Muscle Groups

Core

Description

Lay on your back, with your hands anchored behind your head. Start with your legs bent and knees directly above the hips.

Engage your lats & core by actively pulling with your arms, pressing the lower back into the floor & driving the elbows forwards.

Now maintain tension as you extend your legs out. Adjusting the angle at which you extend your legs will adjust the difficulty. The lower your legs are, the more challenging it will be, but make sure that your lower back remains in contact with the floor. Pause with your leg extended, then bend the knee back to the start and repeat for repetitions.
Movement Group: Core
Equipment: None (bodyweight only)

Progressions and Regressions

None

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of Dragon Tucks?

Dragon Tucks develop deep core strength, improve pelvic control and trunk stability while training anti-extension. They also teach lat-driven tension for safer lower-back position and require no equipment, making them effective for core conditioning and progression to harder gymnastic moves.

What common mistakes should I avoid?

Avoid arching the lower back, extending legs too low, using momentum, and gripping the neck with your hands. Fix by keeping lumbar contact, choosing a higher leg angle, controlling tempo, and anchoring the hands to drive lat tension.

How can I progress or regress Dragon Tucks?

Regress by keeping knees bent, raising leg angle, or limiting range of motion. Progress by lowering legs closer to the floor, slowing eccentrics, performing single-leg extensions, or adding light ankle weights once core control and lower-back contact are consistent.