What is Dragon Tucks?

Dragon Tucks are a medium-level calisthenics core exercise that targets the abdominals and lats. Lying on your back with hands anchored behind your head, you extend and retract the legs while keeping the lower back pressed to the floor. They require core strength and control to maintain spinal contact.

How to Do Dragon Tucks

  1. Setup position: Lie on your back, bend knees with shins vertical, and place hands anchored gently behind your head to stabilize the upper body.
  2. Engage core & lats: Pull elbows forward, actively engage lats, and press your lower back into the floor to create full-body tension before any leg movement.
  3. Extend legs slowly: Slowly straighten your legs outward, controlling the descent; keep lower back contact and stop extension if your lumbar arch lifts off the floor.
  4. Pause & hold: Hold the extended position for one to two seconds while maintaining tension through core and lats, breathing steadily to avoid bracing or straining the neck.
  5. Return & repeat: Bend knees back to the start under control, exhale, reset tension, and repeat for desired reps. Adjust leg angle to scale difficulty safely.

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

Required Equipment

None (bodyweight only)

Progressions and Regressions

None

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of Dragon Tucks?

Dragon Tucks strengthen the deep core, improve abdominal endurance, and recruit the lats for integrated torso stability. They enhance pelvic control and lower-back awareness, which can improve posture, reduce injury risk, and transfer to other bodyweight movements requiring core tension.

What are common mistakes when doing Dragon Tucks?

Common mistakes include lifting the lower back off the floor, rushing leg movements, pulling with the neck instead of engaging lats, and failing to maintain consistent tension. Correct these by slowing tempo, pressing the lumbar into the floor, and focusing on controlled breathing and lat engagement.

How can I progress or regress Dragon Tucks?

To progress, lower your legs closer to the floor, increase hold time, or add slow eccentric repetitions. To regress, raise the leg angle, perform single-leg tucks, or reduce range of motion. Always prioritize lower-back contact and core control over maximal extension.