Hollow body holds are one of my top exercises for building a strong core. If you want to thrive at pull-ups, push-ups (and also perform more advanced variations of both), and countless other exercises, sports, and daily activities, you should possess a good amount of lumbo-pelvic stability (if you are unfamiliar with this term, you’ll likely relate to the term “core”).
Here are 5 awesome hollow body hold variations you need to try!
#1) Hollow Body Hold + Weight Lowering
This exercise, which is extremely anti-extension in nature, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, and point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Hold a weight plate (or dumbbell/kettlebell), and extend your arms so they are vertical/the weight is over your chest.
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core muscles (360 degree brace), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- While maintaining the hollow body position, reach back and lower the weight behind you, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Gain a moment of control, return your arms and the weight to the starting position.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Hollow Body + Band Resisted Overhead Dowel Presses
This exercise, which is extremely anti-extension in nature, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Loop a resistance band around a secure surface and slide a dowel through the band. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Grab onto the dowel, and adopt your preferred hand width.
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core muscles (360 degree brace), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- While maintaining the hollow body position, extend your elbows and perform an overhead press.
- Gain a moment of control, and return to the starting position. In the starting position, do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move. As you perform the overhead presses, your shoulder blades should spread apart and move away from your spine, and move away from the opposite hip. During the lowering, your shoulder blades should perform the opposite movements.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to excessively elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#3) Hollow Body + Single Arm Anti-Rotational Flies
This exercise, which is extremely anti-rotational in nature, improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Hold a weight in one hand, and get your arm into a fly position.
- In the starting position, the weight should be in line with your armpit.
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- While maintaining the hollow body position, perform a fly with one arm.
- The further away from the midline of your body the weight travels, the more challenging the exercise will be.
- Gain a moment of control, return your arm and the weight to the top/starting position (middle of your chest), grab the weight with your other hand, and perform a fly.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset.
- During the flies, keep your elbows and wrists locked (do not move via them). Move via the shoulder.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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#4) Hollow Body + Banded Retractions/Protractions
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Hold a long resistance band in each hand. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Keep your neck in a neutral position, chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), and brace your core muscles (360 degree brace around your spine).
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- While maintaining the hollow body position, and keeping your elbows straight (but not hyperextended), draw your shoulder blades together (retract). When you do this your hands will spread apart.
- Once you hit your end range pause for a count and really contract the muscles around your shoulder blades.
- Now perform the reverse movement and spread your shoulder blades apart (protract). When you do this your hands will come together (stop when your hands are in line with your armpits).
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hips to leave the floor.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Hollow Body + Mobility Challenge
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and controlled mobility in different parts of the body, including the hips and shoulders. This exercise also strengthens the hip flexors.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor, and hold a dowel. Bend your knees, and lift your feet from the floor.
- Lean back a small amount. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- While remaining in this position, tuck your knees in towards your body, reach forward with your arms and bring the dowel around and under your feet. Once you do this, extend your knees and plantarflex your feet (point them away from you).
- Now perform the reverse movements.
- Once you are back in the starting position, reach back with your arms, lower your body to the floor, and get into a full hollow body position. As you are doing so, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Gain a moment of control, and return your body to the top/starting position.
- When you return to the starting position pause and do a proper reset.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, excessively round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, weight to shift from hip to hip, or hips to leave the floor (during the hollow body component).
- Perform 100% of the movements with complete control, and do not allow the dowel to hit your legs, feet, or floor. This is much easier said than done ;).
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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