How long should you hold the hollow body hold for when you are new to the exercise?

Start with a tucked version, knees bent and shins parallel to the floor, for 3 to 5 rounds of 15 to 20 seconds, resting the same amount between. Extend one limb at a time, arms first, then legs, only once the low back stays pinned for the full 20 seconds.

How do you make the hollow body hold easier or harder?

Easier: tuck the knees toward the chest and keep the arms at your sides. Harder: extend the arms overhead and the legs long and low, or add a light plate to the hands.

What is the hollow body hold good for?

It builds the anti-extension bracing used in hanging work, handstands, and heavy lifting, good for anyone training gymnastics-style skills. It's a poor choice for a beginner who can't yet keep the low back flat even in the tucked version; flatten that first with a pelvic tilt drill before extending the limbs.

Intermediate

Hollow Body Hold

The hollow body hold is the foundation of gymnastics core strength. By pressing the low back into the floor and holding the arms and legs off the ground, you train the entire rectus abdominis to resist extension isometrically. It builds the exact bracing you need for hanging work, handstands, and heavy lifting.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Abs
Type: Strength
Browse by muscle: Lower Rectus Abdominals, Upper Rectus Abdominals
Browse by movement: Core Brace

How to do it

1
Lie flat and press your low back firmly into the floor.
2
Brace your abs and lift your shoulders and legs a few inches off the ground.
3
Reach your arms overhead or by your sides depending on difficulty.
4
Hold the banana-like shape while breathing shallowly.
5
Keep your low back glued down for the entire hold.
6
Lower and rest, then repeat for the target time.

Tips

Keep the low back pinned; if it lifts, tuck the knees or raise the legs higher.
Start with a tucked hold and extend the limbs as you get stronger.
Do not hold your breath; breathe shallowly to keep the brace.

Variations

Common mistakes

The low back lifts off the floor a few seconds into the hold and stays there, so most of the set trains a plank-like shape instead of a true hollow.
Reaching the arms all the way overhead before a tucked hold is solid skips a step, and the low back sags for the rest of the position.
The shoulders round forward and creep toward the ears as the hold drags on, spending tension on the neck instead of the midsection.
Bailing out the instant the abs start to tremble treats a normal fatigue shake as a failure signal instead of the exact stimulus the hold is for.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold the hollow body hold for when you are new to the exercise?: Start with a tucked version, knees bent and shins parallel to the floor, for 3 to 5 rounds of 15 to 20 seconds, resting the same amount between. Extend one limb at a time, arms first, then legs, only once the low back stays pinned for the full 20 seconds.
How do you make the hollow body hold easier or harder?: Easier: tuck the knees toward the chest and keep the arms at your sides. Harder: extend the arms overhead and the legs long and low, or add a light plate to the hands.
What is the hollow body hold good for?: It builds the anti-extension bracing used in hanging work, handstands, and heavy lifting, good for anyone training gymnastics-style skills. It's a poor choice for a beginner who can't yet keep the low back flat even in the tucked version; flatten that first with a pelvic tilt drill before extending the limbs.

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