Hollow body holds are one of my favourite exercises for improving lumbo-pelvic stability. Here are two innovative hollow body hold variations I’m guessing you haven’t tried before!
#1) Dynamic Hollow Body + Banded Retractions + Weight Plate
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. The addition of the weight plate adds a slight element of instability to the exercise.
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, and fully extend your knees.
- Keep your neck in a neutral position, and chin tucked.
- Hold a long resistance band in each hand, and slide the band through a light weight plate. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- While keeping your elbows straight (but not hyperextended), draw your shoulder blades together and towards your spine (retract). When you do this your hands will spread apart.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core muscles (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/wrinkle the front of your shirt).
- Now slowly lower your legs and arms towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- Gain a moment of control, and return to the starting position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- 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 muscles braced (360 degree brace).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Hollow Body + Band Resisted Overhead Dowel Presses
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility. This exercise has a great carryover to pull-ups.
Coaching Tips:
- Loop a resistance band around a secure surface and slide the 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, and fully extend your knees.
- Keep your neck in a neutral position, and chin tucked.
- 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 around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/wrinkle the front of your shirt).
- Now extend your elbows and perform an overhead press.
- Gain a moment of control, return your arm and the weight to the starting position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- 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 muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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