PHASE 2 : MASTERING THE FRONT LEVER
| Exercise | Sets x Reps / Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rest: Heavy sets 2‑4 min · All others 60‑90 sec | ||
| Straight‑Arm Lat Pullover (5RM) (Check out) | 3 x 8‑10 W1 | Click me
|
| Tuck/Adv.Tuck Front Lever Hold (Check out) | 4 x max W1 | Click me
|
| Front Lever Eccentric Negative (Check out) | 3 x 1 W1 | Click me
|
| a) Supinated Chin‑Up | 2 x 5‑8 W1 | Click me
|
| Towel Hang (Check out) | 2 x max W1 | Click me
|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps / Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rest: Heavy sets 2‑4 min · All others 60‑90 sec | ||
| → FIRST: Overcoming Iso Front Lever (Check out) | 3 x 5‑8 sec W4 | Click me
|
| → THEN: Straight‑Arm Lat Pulldown (Check out) | 3 x 8‑10 W4 | Click me
|
| Front Lever Eccentric Negative | 3 x 1 W4 | Click me
|
| a) Supinated Chin‑Up | 2 x 5‑8 W4 | Click me
|
| b) Overcoming Iso Curl (Check out) | 3 x 5‑8 sec W4 | Click me
|
| Towel Hang | 2 x max W4 | Click me
|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps / Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rest: Heavy sets 2‑4 min · All others 60‑90 sec | ||
| Overcoming Iso Front Lever (Bottom Position) (Check out) | 4 x 5‑8 sec W7 | Click me
|
| → FIRST: Pre‑Stick Runway Lat Pullover Partials (Not to failure) (Check out) | 3 x 3‑5 W7 | Click me
|
| → THEN: Straight‑Arm Lat Pullover (5RM) | 3 x 8‑10 W7 | Click me
|
| Front Lever Eccentric Negative | 3 x 1 W7 | Click me
|
| a) Supinated Chin‑Up | 2 x 5‑8 W7 | Click me
|
| b) Overcoming Iso Curl | 3 x 5‑8 sec W7 | Click me
|
| Towel Hang | 2 x max W7 | Click me
|
| Exercise | Sets x Reps / Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Rest: Heavy sets 2‑4 min · All others 60‑90 sec | ||
| Overcoming Iso Front Lever (Bottom Position) (Check out) | 3 x 5‑8 sec W10 | Click me
|
| → FIRST: Pre‑Stick Runway FL Partials (Not to failure) (Check out) | 3 x 3‑5 W10 | Click me
|
| → THEN: Straight‑Arm Lat Pullover (5RM) | 3 x 8‑10 W10 | Click me
|
| Front Lever Eccentric Negative | 3 x 1 W10 | Click me
|
| a) Supinated Chin‑Up | 2 x 5‑8 W10 | Click me
|
| b) Eccentric Chin‑Up Negative (Check out) | 1 x 3‑5 W10 | Click me
|
| Towel Hang | 2 x max W10 | Click me
|
Additional Sections
Warm‑Up
WARM‑UP (every back session)
| Exercise | Duration / Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy Bag Rounds | 2 min | light punches, constant movement |
| Face Pulls | 15‑20 reps | band/light cable, 1‑sec squeeze |
| W Raises | 12‑15 reps | light weight, lying or bent‑over |
| Bench Rows | 15‑20 reps | lie face down on bench, light DBs |
| Scapular Shrugs | 10 shrugs | on pull‑up bar |
GVT Hybrid
PHASE 2 GVT HYBRID WORKOUT
1‑2 sets — Supinated Chin‑Up, Armour Tempo, 5‑8 reps.
Keep volume minimal — the pulling volume is already high.
Deload
DELOADING WORKOUT (1‑2 weeks after GVT Hybrid)
- Reduce load to 50% of working weights
- Do NOT take any set to failure — stop 2‑3 reps short
- Maintain Armour Tempo for technique
- Skip all intensifiers: Rest‑Pause, Drop Sets, Cluster Sets, Overcoming Isos
- Focus on recovery, movement quality, and preparing for the next block
Techniques Used
TECHNIQUES USED
Armour Tempo
1‑sec explosive concentric : 3‑sec controlled eccentric + maximal tension at the hardest position. Default unless stated otherwise.
Rest‑Pause
After reaching failure, rest 15 seconds, then perform 2‑3 more reps. Repeat as prescribed.
Drop Set
After failure, immediately reduce weight (via band assist, lighter dumbbell, or easier variation) and rep to failure again.
Overcoming Iso
Push or pull against an immovable object with maximum intent. Builds tendon strength at specific joint angles.
Eccentric Negatives
Slow lowering phase from the top position to dead hang. Builds control and strength through the full range.
Pre‑Stick Runway Partials
Overload the easiest portion of the lift. Bottom position to just below the sticking point. Use Armour Tempo. Not to failure.
GVT Hybrid
German Volume Training style: high sets, moderate reps, short rest. Performed on a separate day at the end of each block.
Deload
1‑2 weeks using 50% load, no sets to failure, Armour Tempo maintained. Focus on recovery and technique.
Exercise Guide
EXERCISE GUIDE
STRAIGHT‑ARM LAT PULLOVER (5RM)
- Lie face up on a flat bench with your head near the end.
- Hold a dumbbell with both hands, arms extended straight above your chest (like a bench press).
- Keep your lower back pressed into the bench and feet planted firmly on the floor.
- Shoulders are packed down, chest up.
- Keeping your arms straight, slowly lower the dumbbell in an arc behind your head until you feel a stretch in your lats.
- Then pull the weight back to the starting position using Armour Tempo: 1‑sec explosive pull, 3‑sec controlled return.
- Squeeze your lats and serratus at the top of the movement (when the weight is back above your chest).
- Do not bend the elbows — the movement is all straight‑arm.
- Builds straight‑arm pulling strength specific to the front lever.
- Develops lat, tricep, and serratus engagement.
STRAIGHT‑ARM LAT PULLDOWN
- Attach a straight bar or rope to a high pulley cable machine.
- Stand facing the machine, grip the bar with both hands, arms fully extended overhead.
- Step back slightly, lean forward a little from the hips, and keep your core braced.
- Shoulders are packed down, chest up, arms straight.
- Keeping your arms straight, pull the bar down in an arc from overhead to your thighs.
- Use Armour Tempo: 1‑sec explosive pull, 3‑sec controlled return.
- Squeeze your lats at the bottom when the bar touches your thighs.
- Do not bend the elbows — the movement is all straight‑arm.
- Works the opposite end of the straight‑arm pull compared to the Overcoming Iso Front Lever – Top Position.
- The Overcoming Iso Top Position strengthens the initiating phase (overhead to horizontal), while the Lat Pulldown strengthens the finishing phase (horizontal to thighs).
- Completes the full straight‑arm pulling strength curve, building end‑range control and lock.
TUCK/ADV.TUCK FRONT LEVER HOLD
- Hang from a pull‑up bar with an overhand grip, arms shoulder‑width apart.
- Pull your shoulder blades down and back — do not let them shrug.
- Keep your arms completely straight.
- With straight arms, lift your knees toward your chest (tuck) or extend one leg (advanced tuck).
- Pull your body up until it is horizontal to the floor, forming a straight line from shoulders to hips.
- Hold that position, breathing normally.
- No swinging — maintain a tight hollow body shape.
- Develops the straight‑arm strength and core tension needed for the full front lever.
FRONT LEVER ECCENTRIC NEGATIVE
- Get into the top position of the front lever: either use a box to push yourself up into a horizontal body position, or start in a tuck front lever and extend your legs to reach the full front lever.
- Hold the bar with straight arms, body fully extended and horizontal.
- Engage your core and keep your body tight.
- Slowly lower your body, keeping arms straight, through the horizontal position.
- Continue lowering to a dead hang over a total of 10 seconds.
- Control every inch — no free‑fall.
- Builds eccentric strength and control through the full front lever range.
- Teaches the body to maintain tension at the hardest angles.
TOWEL HANG
- Drape a towel over a pull‑up bar so both ends hang evenly.
- Grip one end in each hand, or use a single hand for a more advanced variation.
- Keep your arms straight and shoulders engaged.
- Hang from the towel with your body still.
- Focus on keeping the shoulder blades pulled down and the core tight.
- Hold for the prescribed time.
- Builds grip strength and straight‑arm shoulder stability.
- Conditions the hands and forearms for front lever work.
ECCENTRIC CHIN‑UP NEGATIVE
- Use a box or jump to get your chin above the bar with an underhand grip.
- Hold the top position of a chin‑up with elbows fully bent.
- Keep your body tight and core engaged.
- Lower yourself as slowly as possible (5‑8 seconds) until arms are fully straight.
- Control the descent — do not drop.
- Pause briefly at the bottom, then reset.
- Strengthens the biceps and elbow tendons through eccentric overload.
- Builds the control needed for slow, heavy lowering movements.
OVERCOMING ISO FRONT LEVER

- Set a barbell in the rack at a height you can reach with straight arms while seated.
- Sit on a bench directly underneath the bar.
- Reach up and grip the bar. Arms must be completely straight and locked out.
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Actively push your legs into the ground.
- Push as hard as you can against the bar, driving it forward and away with straight arms.
- Maximum intent. The bar does not move.
- Simultaneously, drive your feet into the floor. This activates the full body and reinforces hollow body tension.
- Hold for 5–8 seconds. Breathe.
- Do not let the elbows bend.
- Do not let the shoulders shrug.
- Trains the top position of the front lever — the straight-arm pulldown and away that locks the body horizontal.
- Builds lat, tricep, and serratus strength at the exact angle of peak contraction.
OVERCOMING ISO FRONT LEVER

- Set a barbell in the rack at chest height when lying on the bench.
- Lie face up on a flat bench directly underneath the bar.
- Reach up and grip the bar. Arms completely straight and locked out.
- Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Push your feet into the ground and press your lower back into the bench.
- Pull the bar down and away toward your hips with straight arms. Maximum intent.
- Drive your straight arms through the space behind you. Pull down and push away simultaneously.
- Maintain tension through your feet and lower back. Full-body lock from hands to feet.
- Hold for 5–8 seconds. Breathe.
- Do not bend the elbows.
- Do not shrug the shoulders. Keep them packed down.
- Trains the bottom position of the front lever — the straight-arm initiation from dead hang.
- Builds lat, tricep, and serratus strength at the most mechanically disadvantaged angle.
- Full-body tension reinforces the hollow body shape required for the front lever.
OVERCOMING ISO CURL

- Pin a barbell or dumbbell at a height where your elbow is bent at exactly 90° when gripping it.
- Grip underhand, shoulder-width. Stand close. Elbow pinned to your side. Upper arm vertical. Forearm parallel to the floor.
- Plant your feet and push them hard into the floor.
- Curl upward with maximum intent. The bar does not move.
- Squeeze the bicep as hard as possible. Imagine touching your hand to your shoulder.
- At the same time, push your feet hard into the floor. Drive down like you're trying to leg press the ground away.
- The curling arms and the pushing legs work against each other. This creates full-body irradiation.
- Keep the elbow locked and pinned. Do not let it drift forward or backward.
- Hold for 5–10 seconds. Breathe.
- Maximum squeeze throughout.
- Do not let the elbow drift.
- Builds maximal bicep strength and tendon resilience at the mid-range.
- Teaches the nervous system to recruit maximum motor units in the exact position where the curl is mechanically hardest.
- Fortifies the elbow and bicep tendon against heavy pulling. Armour for the biceps.
PRE-STICK RUNWAY METHOD
- The Pre-Stick Runway method overloads the strongest, easiest portion of a movement—the range just before or after your sticking point.
- You load this partial heavier than your normal working weight.
- The nervous system adapts to handling a supramaximal load in a range where you are mechanically advantaged.
- Then, when you strip the weight back and perform the full range of motion, the movement feels lighter, and you accelerate through the sticking point with greater force.
- The heavy partial primes the nervous system. The full range expresses that potentiation.

- Hang from a pull-up bar with straight arms. Body in a hollow position. Feet together. Toes pointed.
- You will only be moving through the strongest portion of the front lever—from dead hang to just before the horizontal position, where most athletes begin to stall.
- Add weight via a vest, belt, or ankle weights. Load this heavier than your working weight for full range front lever work. This is supramaximal loading in the mechanically advantaged range.
- From a dead hang, pull with straight arms and drive the body upward. Explosive intent.
- Stop just before the horizontal position—the point where the movement becomes hardest. Do not enter the sticking point. Stay in the strong range.
- Pause briefly at the top of the partial. Feel the control.
- Lower back to dead hang over 3 seconds. Armour Tempo eccentric. Keep the arms straight throughout.
- Reset. No bouncing out of the bottom. Not to failure.
- By overloading the strong, mechanically advantaged range just before the sticking point, the nervous system is primed to handle supramaximal load.
- When you strip the weight back and perform full range of motion work immediately after, the movement feels lighter, and you accelerate through the sticking point with greater force.
- The strong range builds the runway. The full range takes off.
Note: This method is applied throughout the program. Wherever you see "Pre-Stick Runway" in the exercise description, the same principle applies—heavy partials in the strongest range just before the sticking point, loaded heavier than your working weight, followed by full range of motion work with a lighter load. The runway is built. The plateau breaks.