Step One - Hip Rotation
Start by finding a bar that is standing height. Bring one leg back behind you, this will be the swinging leg. You will then drive that leg across the body. This guides the rotation.
Step Two - 180
The second stage is the 180 on a swing. You are using the hip rotation to guide you and then you will focus on the tap of the bar with the hand that comes across.
Step Three - Hand Rotation
Back to a standing bar. This time you are focused on what the hands are doing in the 540. After we tap the bar, it should essentially be a 360 swing. We tap and then rotate the same direction we would for 360. A common occurence for 540 is to see people open out to a ‘T’ shape. The aim is to keep your hands close after you tap ‘stay tight’ so that you will rotate more and get closer to the bar.
Step Four - Tornado 360
The tornado 360 helps with the timing for the 540. It allows you better understand the rotation and height you should be at before you let go to rotate.
Step Five - Full 540
When you progress to attempting the full 540 you should look at the height. You should be at a forty-five degree angle before you turn towards the bar and start the rotation. The height is what gives you time to catch the bar after rotating.
Last tip: BE PATIENT! This is a difficult skill and will take a lot of attempts before it feels comfortable to achieve. Try to record each attempt you make to see your progress and which area of the 540 ( based on the tips above ) you should focus on with each one.
For more tips like this weekly, subscribe to our newsletter that will provide you with training articles, coaching insights and details on any upcoming events - subscribe and enter the world of calisthenics!
