Inverted butterfly

## Description

   The inverted butterfly is a calisthenics dynamic strength movement.

It could be described as so: "*from inverted hang, pull vertically with straight arms to inverted cross (2 s.)*". As with the regular butterfly movement, it's unsure if the final position is inverted cross or handstand.

The most common mistake in this movement would be to excessively arch the back, or to do it in a slashed motion.

As an arm abductor and flexor movement, main muscle used are the middle and front deltoids, as well as the biceps. Lats and chest only have a minor involvement and serve as stabilizers, hence the extraordinary difficulty of the movement.

The inverted butterfly is a major display of mobility, strength and body awareness, and is without a doubt the hardest anterior movement pattern possible.

## History

The inverted butterfly has never been executed in a proper form. Many people concieve the dream of achieving it. The movement is still considered possible: indeed, the negative version of the movement is only rated B in the FIG Code of Points.

The movement was attempted by Italian athlete Matteo Spinazzola on December 4th, 2020. However, there were many technique flaws: bent arms, minimal range of motion, slashed body, excessive false grip (not to mention wrong head position and legs not tight together). He claimed to have the skill named after him, but this doesn't make sense, as:

* it was not performed in a FIG gymnastics competition.
* the form deductions are simply too big to consider the skill achieved.

Other people attempted the skill, like Dafni. His form errors are excessive back arching and slashed body. However his attempts were way better than Spinazzola's.

American athlete Elias Page has many attempts of the skill, but with too much explosivity and a lack of control in the final position.

Azerbaijan gymnast Nikita Simonov might try to compete the skill in a FIG competition in the near future: he's one of the few athletes to be able to perform a Carmona, as well as his named skill, the Simonov.

## Prerequisites

An obvious prerequisite of this skill is a leveled Inverted cross. Then, experience with the Carmona will be appreciated, especially being able to do a fluid Carmona. Finally, experience with movements involving inverted butterfly negative (Jovtchev and Vorobiov) will have great carry-over.

The easiest ways to perform the motion seem to be from a bounce: either bouncing straight from the inverted cross, or doing a "reverse Jovtchev" and bouncing form the maltese.

## Carry-over

As being the ultimate anterior strength skill, there is not much to say. Being able to perform it, you might be able to do any other anterior movement pattern.

## Difficulty

If the inverted butterfly were to be registered in the FIG code of points, it would be easily of F difficulty, maybe G. Noting that the difficulty of a negative Nakayama (a D-value skill) or backlever to handstand (a skill never competed before but arguably of E or F value) are also B, judging the difficulty of a skill by the one of its negative is to no avail.

One thing is sure: if you can perform an inverted butterfly, you're the strongest bodyweight athlete to exist.