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How to do the exercise
The Touch Front Lever is an advanced calisthenics pulling movement that builds extreme back strength, core control, and full-body tension. You first hold a strict Front Lever in a horizontal position, then pull your body up until your hips touch the bar – while keeping the body straight and parallel to the ground. Here's how to perform the Touch Front Lever with proper form:
1. Starting Position
Start hanging from a straight bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Engage your lats, squeeze your glutes, and lock your core to pull into a full Front Lever: your body should be fully extended, horizontal, and parallel to the floor. Keep your arms straight and your head in a neutral position. There should be no hip bend or knee tuck.
2. Pull Phase (Touch)
From the Front Lever hold, pull your entire body toward the bar without breaking alignment. The goal is to raise your body until your hips make contact with the bar. Keep legs locked, core tight, and glutes squeezed. Your body should stay in one straight line - do not pike at the hips or bend the knees to “cheat” the distance.
3. Hold at the Top
Once your hips touch the bar, pause and hold that top position as long as possible while staying parallel to the ground. Focus on continuous lat engagement and total-body tension. Avoid letting your lower back sag or your shoulders roll forward.
4. Controlled Eccentric & Reset
Lower yourself back to the ground. Take a short rest if needed, then go into the next rep. Every rep should start from a clean, horizontal Front Lever, quality matters more than volume with this movement.
Recommended Equipment for Touch Front Lever
Benefits of the exercise
The Touch Front Lever is a high-level strength skill that targets maximum pulling power, full-body control, and static strength endurance:
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Builds elite lat and upper back strength by demanding a strict lever hold plus a powerful hip-to-bar pull
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Teaches full-body tension and hollow body control, which is essential for Front Lever, Back Lever, and advanced freestyle statics
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Improves straight-arm pulling strength, scapular depression, and shoulder stability under high load
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Develops isometric strength and control for longer front lever holds and harder progressions
This movement is not just about touching the bar – it teaches how to stay tight under extreme leverage, which carries over to statics, weighted pull training, and freestyle power moves.
Main muscles used
The Touch Front Lever primarily challenges:
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Lats (Latissimus dorsi) – Main driver for pulling the hips toward the bar while keeping the body horizontal
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Upper back & scapula stabilizers – Especially the lower traps and rhomboids, which keep the shoulders packed and protect them under load
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Core (abs & obliques) – Keeps the hollow body position locked so the legs don’t drop or bend
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Glutes & posterior chain – Maintain a straight line from shoulders to feet and prevent hip pike
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Forearms & grip – High tension on the bar is critical, especially during the isometric hold at the top
Because every muscle from your hands to your toes is under tension at once, this exercise is one of the best total-body displays of raw calisthenics strength and control.
If you're looking for other exercises, check out our Youtube video:
Mistakes to avoid
Common mistakes when performing the Touch Front Lever include:
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Piking at the hips: Bending at the waist to get the hips closer to the bar might look like a “touch,” but it kills the purpose. Keep the body in a straight line at all times.
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Letting the legs drop: If your feet fall below hip level, you are losing lever tension. Squeeze glutes and quads to stay parallel to the floor.
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Rushing the pull: Exploding up with momentum instead of pulling under control removes the isometric strength benefit. Move slow and keep constant tension.
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Collapsing shoulders: Protract and depress your scapula. Do not let your shoulders roll forward at the top – this increases injury risk.
- Overtraining without rest: This is a very high-intensity skill. Add plenty of recovery between sets and avoid doing it fully fatigued to protect elbows, lats, and lower back.
To progress, build a solid Front Lever hold first, then work on partial-range hip pulls and isometric pauses. Over time, increase control, not just contact time.
Discover more Exercises
Looking for more ways to level up your training? Check out our full exercise overview or try these effective exercises that perfectly complement your training:
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