Front Lever - proper form

Should a FL be done with perfectly straight arms? As in, should the elbow be locked with the triceps contracted and biceps fully relaxed? Most front levers I've seen are with slightly bent arms (biceps contracted).

Note that it doesn't mean the biceps would be relaxed. Quite the contrary actually,  they have to work in a very disadvantaged position which is the main reason gymnasts have balloons in place of their biceps.

This is how most people do the FL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE1Spk3f5hc - you can see his left arm is slightly bent. I've noticed that most people go from straight arms to slightly bent when transitioning from Flat Tuck to Straddle.

When I do FL now, I made my bicep relaxed. Much harder this way, and my arms are definitely straight. If your bicep is contract, then it's a almost a surefire way for the elbow to bend slightly. Is this wrong?

Don't over think it. Keep your arms straight, and pull back on the shoulders enough to keep them in a neutral position (i.e. don't let them protract).

Well I think you already know the answer to this before hand. The harder one (locked arms) is always the way to go. Most people on youtube especially from the street workout community do it wrong. There is a big difference in difficulty between the two.

Flameous said:

Note that it doesn't mean the biceps would be relaxed. Quite the contrary actually,  they have to work in a very disadvantaged position which is the main reason gymnasts have balloons in place of their biceps.

I believe in the case of a proper FL (locked arms), the biceps are fully or mainly relaxed because it doesn't have to protect the elbow from over-extension and the triceps are contracted instead. Now statics like the BL, planche, and maltese will definitely have the biceps working strongly to protect the elbows and assist in shoulder flexion.

My biceps are quite soft when doing front lever position the only. Time they feel worked is when I have a slight bend in my arms