Beginner

Beast Hold

The beast hold is the foundation of nearly every ground-flow drill, so it earns its place as a staple. Lifting the knees off the floor turns a simple all-fours position into a fierce anti-extension challenge that lights up the whole front of the trunk while the shoulders and quads hold a rigid table. Use it to teach bracing before you add travel or reaches, or as a standalone core builder for anyone new to floor work.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Abs, Shoulder
Type
Balance, Functional
Browse by movement
Core Brace
Muscles worked
Target
Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals
Secondary
Abdominal External Oblique, Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Gluteus Maximus
Tertiary
Rectus Femoris, Erector Spinae, Trapezius Lower

How to do it

  1. 1

    Kneel on all fours with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.

  2. 2

    Set the toes down and spread your fingers to grip the floor.

  3. 3

    Brace your abs hard and pull your ribs down toward your hips.

  4. 4

    Lift both knees a couple of inches off the floor and hold them there.

  5. 5

    Keep your back flat and level, like a table, without letting the hips pike or sag.

  6. 6

    Breathe shallowly into the braced position and hold for time, then lower the knees under control.

Tips

  • Push the floor away to keep the shoulder blades wide and the upper back full.
  • Squeeze the glutes to stop the lower back from arching.
  • Keep the knees close to the ground; lifting them high tips you off balance.
  • If your wrists complain, make fists or use push-up handles to keep them neutral.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Hands creep forward of the shoulders, which loads the wrists and shoulders instead of the abs; stack the wrists directly under the shoulder joints before the knees come up.
  • The hips ride up into a high pike the moment the knees leave the floor, which is the easier version and takes the load off the front of the trunk. The back should stay level enough to balance a cup on.
  • Breath gets held for the whole hold, so the brace is really a held breath and it collapses around twenty seconds; keep short breaths moving with the ribs down.
  • The head hangs between the arms and the upper back rounds with it; keep the neck long and look at the floor a hand's length in front of your fingers.
  • Holds get run to a minute because the clock says so, though everything sags after fifteen seconds; end the set when the flat back goes, not when the timer does.

Frequently asked

How long should a beginner hold the beast hold?
Three to five holds of 15 to 20 seconds with about a minute of rest is a sensible start, and 20 seconds with a genuinely flat back beats 45 with a sagging one. Progress in 5 second steps to about 30 seconds per hold, then make it harder rather than longer by adding a reach or lifting one hand.
How do I make the beast hold easier or harder?
Easier: leave the knees on the floor and hold the same braced table position, or cut the holds to 10 seconds. Harder: lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder, reach a hand out in front of you, take one foot off the ground, or crawl forward and back while the hips stay level. A plate resting on your lower back is the most direct way to add load.
What is the beast hold good for?
It teaches a trunk that resists extension and wakes up the shoulders, wrists and quads at the same time, which is why it works both as a first core exercise and as preparation for crawling and ground flow. It is a poor choice if your wrists hurt in extension unless you use fists or handles, and it does nothing for rotation or the hip flexors, so it should not be your only core work.

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