What is Front Lever Advanced Tuck Negative?

The Front Lever Advanced Tuck Negative is a controlled calisthenics negative where you lower from an advanced tuck front lever to a dead hang with straight arms. It targets the core, lats, shoulders, traps and forearms. Difficulty: Easy — great for building tension, scapular strength and eccentric control.

How to Do Front Lever Advanced Tuck Negative

  1. Secure Grip: Jump or step to a high pull-up bar, use a strong pronated grip shoulder-width or narrower, and engage shoulders and core before starting.
  2. Initiate Tuck: Start from a dead hang, curl your knees to your chest with straight arms and maintain scapular engagement and tight core tension.
  3. Pull to Inverted Tuck: Pull with your back to lift into an inverted tuck hold, keeping knees tight to chest and avoiding shoulder shrugging.
  4. Extend to Advanced Tuck: Slowly extend knees until about a 90° angle with the torso, maintaining straight arms, full core tension and shoulder packing.
  5. Controlled Negative Descent: Resist the fall by keeping lats and shoulders active; lower slowly with straight arms back to a dead hang over 3–6 seconds.
  6. Reset and Repeat: Briefly reset scapular position in dead hang, breathe, then repeat. Use a low bar or reduced range if control is insufficient.

Muscle Groups

Core, Shoulders, Trapezius, Forearm, Latissimus

Description

Jump onto a high Pull-Up bar, ensure a strong pronated grip with your hands shoulder width apart or narrower.

From a dead hang, curl your knees up to your chest and straighten your arms.

Pull with your back while keeping your knees tucked to reach an Inverted Tuck Hold position.

From there, extend your knees until they form a 90 degree angle with your torso to get into an Front Lever Advanced Tuck Hold position.

Fight against falling by pulling with straight arms as you slowly descend into a dead hang to complete a full rep.

Note: This exercise can also be done with shorter range of motion on a Low Pull-Up Bar.

Movement Group

Pull

Required Equipment

Pull-Up Bar

Progressions and Regressions

None

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the benefits of the Front Lever Advanced Tuck Negative?

The Front Lever Advanced Tuck Negative strengthens core, lats, shoulders, traps and forearms while improving scapular control and eccentric strength. It develops tension, grip endurance and body-line awareness—key for progressing toward longer front lever holds and safer advanced pulling skills.

What are common mistakes when doing this exercise?

Common errors include bending the arms, shrugging shoulders, using momentum, extending knees too early, and releasing scapular engagement. Also avoid too-fast descents; controlled eccentrics and correct grip width reduce injury risk and improve transfer to full front lever progressions.

How can I progress or regress the Front Lever Advanced Tuck Negative?

Regress with tuck holds, inverted tuck holds, assisted negatives, or using a low bar and shorter range of motion. Progress by increasing hold time, extending legs more, slowing negatives, adding reps, or moving toward single-leg or full front lever negatives and weighted eccentrics.