51 YEAR OLD Man Does Human Flag Pull Up
By Joseph Hernandez.
Reading Time: 3 Minutes
Overview
This is about calisthenics influencer, Zé Preto, performing human flag pull ups.
He was kind enough to let me have a short interview with him, and I learned the process to his end result so I could share his tips. I provide insight from my own experience to help make the process easier.
The Spiel
On June 10, 2022, influencer, Zé Preto, showed off an inspirational performance of strength. Preto has amassed over 100,000 followers on Instagram and motivates people to achieve strength without limits in the Calisthenics community.
Below, he can be seen performing some badass human flag pull ups at 51 years old!
After seeing this spectacular feat, it got me thinking... How would I do this?
I haven't done one before. I searched online for a tutorial, and nothing popped up. So... I thought it would only make sense to ask for advice from the man himself, Zé.
The Advice
His words were, "With good basics of calisthenics you can do many moves" (Preto).
To elaborate, "With good basics of calisthenics", does not mean do push-ups, some pull ups, and maybe a few sets of planks here and there. The basics include these exercises AND other exercises such as
- Front lever and back lever progressions
- Dragon flags
- Human flags
- Weighted exercises (ex. weighted pull ups, weighted dips, etc.)
- Muscle ups
It turns out he was able to do them on his first attempt which makes the feat more impressive. I, however, cannot do that. Which means I would have to train more and get to a high enough level of strength so that I can also do it first try.
So, performing a human flag pull up oneself is not an intermediate walk in the park. If attempting to learn it, you should probably train "the basics" more and learn how to turn off gravity first! However...
Plan Z(é)
You could try to train specifically for the human flag pull up. This would be accomplished likely through:
- Practicing the (standard) human flag more
- Breaking down the human flag pull up into parts, and then training those parts separately
- Training the human flag pull up directly with a band
Keep in mind that this is not the one way, best all, be all. It is a suggested means of accomplishing the human flag pull up faster.
My Experience
Like in Preto's video, I've tried to use a pull up bar and its post to human flag and it feels a bit harder. I think it would likely have to do with the top arm (holding onto the bar) not being able to pull very efficiently. Plus, I would have to raise myself into a flag which I feel is more difficult. Thus, I have chosen to use a different bar in my video above.
In the video above, the range of motion is limited which may be an issue later on. However, for now, I can still:
- Get an idea of the move
- Work the human flag as a dynamic exercise
As I get better, I can remove the resistance band and transition to the real bar.
Conclusion
Zé is a pretty strong dude.
He has been training for at least 3 years, and he trains calisthenics usually 6 days a week for 2-3 hours. Nonetheless, he makes the human flag pull up possible!
I hope he has inspired you like he has inspired me.
As always,
Happy training!
Works Cited
Bell, Jessica. “Difference between Isometric & Dynamic Exercises.” Healthy Living, healthyliving.azcentral.com/difference-between-isometric-dynamic-exercises-14678.html. Accessed 17 Dec. 2022.
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