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Kufu / Skill trees / Back lever
Skill tree · Pulling & Levers

Back lever progression

A back lever is a straight-arm hold from a bar or rings with your body horizontal and facing down. Kufu's back lever tree has 8 nodes, from Skin the cat (Smooth rotation, controlled) to Full back lever (Body straight, 10 sec). Each node opens only when you pass its challenge. Before step 1 there is an entry gate: 10+ pull-ups, good shoulder mobility.

From the tree that ships in Kufu 2.0 · Last updated 2026-10-13

  1. Entry gate

    Prerequisites

    Challenge to open it10 clean reps10+ pull-ups, good shoulder mobility
    Drills to practise (2)
    • Pull-ups 4 × 8–12Strict, full range. The base for every lever.
    • Shoulder dislocates 3 × 10Wide grip band or stick. Levers need shoulder extension you may not have yet.
  2. Step 1

    Skin the cat

    Challenge to open it3 clean repsSmooth rotation, controlled
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Skin the cat 3 × 3–5Hang, tuck the knees, rotate backward through. Reverse to return. Slow is the whole point.
  3. Step 2

    German hang

    Challenge to open itHold 30 secComfortable 30 sec hold
    Drills to practise (1)
    • German hang hold 3 × 15–20 secThe bottom of skin the cat. Only as deep as comfortable — this is a stretch under load.
  4. Step 3

    Tuck back lever

    Challenge to open itHold 10 sec × 3 setsKnees tucked, 10 sec hold
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Tuck back lever hold 4 × 10–15 secFrom an inverted hang, lower to horizontal with the knees tucked. Hips up, glutes tight.
  5. Step 4

    Advanced tuck

    Challenge to open itHold 10 sec × 2 setsKnees less tucked, 10 sec
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Tuck back lever hold 4 × 10 secOpen the knees a little more each session. The back stays flat.
  6. Step 5

    One leg extended

    Challenge to open itHold 10 sec × 2 setsOne leg out, 10 sec each
    Drills to practise (1)
    • One-leg back lever hold 3 × 10 sec each sideOne leg long, one tucked. Keep the hips level — the long leg wants to twist you.
  7. Step 6

    Straddle back lever

    Challenge to open itHold 10 secLegs apart, 10 sec
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Straddle back lever hold 4 × 8–12 secLegs apart shortens the lever. Straight line from shoulders to hips.
  8. Step 7

    Full back lever

    Challenge to open itHold 10 secBody straight, 10 sec
    Drills to practise (1)
    • Full back lever hold 4 × 8–12 secArms locked, body straight, glutes squeezed hard, toes pointed.

How the tree works

A node opens only when you pass its challenge: a timed hold, a number of clean reps, or landings out of attempts. Quality you can only judge by eye, such as a straight line or a clean exit, is self-assessed. Practice volume, gym numbers and the coach's opinion never open a node.

Practising a node in Kufu logs a real workout: a short warm-up, the node's drills and a cooldown, on the iPhone or the Apple Watch.

What it builds

Shoulder extension under load, biceps tendon tolerance and a strong posterior chain.

Skills and weights

Kufu is a hybrid app: the back lever tree sits beside your barbell and dumbbell work rather than replacing it. Skill work goes first in a session, while you're fresh. The Skills & Lifts plan runs two bodyweight skill days and two gym days a week.

Other trees

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