Intermediate

Hollow-Body Push-Up

Holding the gymnastic hollow position, ribs down and pelvis tucked with the whole body braced, turns an ordinary push-up into a lesson in full-body tension. The chest, shoulders, and triceps press while the abs work hard to keep the spine from arching, teaching the rigid line that handstand and planche work require. It is an excellent intermediate carryover drill for anyone chasing calisthenics skills, and it makes every rep feel more solid and controlled.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Abs, Chest
Type
Strength
Browse by movement
Core Brace, Horizontal Press
Muscles worked
Target
Pectoralis Major Sternocostal
Secondary
Pectoralis Major Clavicular, Deltoid Anterior, Triceps Brachii Long Head, Triceps Brachii Lateral Head, Triceps Brachii Medial Head
Tertiary
Upper Rectus Abdominals, Lower Rectus Abdominals, Abdominal External Oblique

How to do it

  1. 1

    Set up in a push-up plank with hands just wider than the shoulders.

  2. 2

    Tuck the pelvis, pull the ribs down, and squeeze the glutes to lock a slight hollow shape.

  3. 3

    Keep that braced hollow as you bend the elbows to lower your chest toward the floor.

  4. 4

    Stop just above the floor with the body still in one rigid line, no sagging hips.

  5. 5

    Press back to the top while holding the hollow tension, breathing shallowly to keep the brace.

Tips

  • Think of the whole body as a single plank; the hips must never sag or pike as you press.
  • Keep the ribs pulled down and the glutes tight to hold the anti-extension brace under load.
  • If you cannot keep the hollow at full depth, shorten the range until your core can maintain the line.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • Breath gets held from the first rep because bracing feels like holding your breath, and the whole shape falls apart around rep six; take short breaths into the sides of the ribcage instead.
  • The pelvic tuck is set once before rep one and never checked again, so by the fourth rep you are doing ordinary push-ups with a tired core.
  • Overtucking until the upper back rounds and the shoulders fold forward turns a hollow into a slump; the tuck should flatten the low back, not curl the whole spine.
  • The feet spread wide for stability, which is comfortable but takes the glutes and inner thighs out of the shape that holds you rigid; keep the legs together and squeezed.
  • Hands creep up beside the head as you tire, which puts the shoulders behind the wrists and asks the low back to arch to cover the difference.

Frequently asked

How many hollow-body push-ups should you do when you are new to the exercise?
Three or four sets of 5 to 8 reps, two or three times a week, ending each set on the rep where the low back leaves the hollow rather than at a number. If you cannot hold a flat-backed hollow on the floor for 30 seconds, build that first and press with your hands raised on a bench in the meantime. Once three sets of 12 feel steady, slow the descent to three seconds or put the feet on a bench rather than chasing higher reps.
How do I make the hollow-body push-up easier or harder?
Raise the hands to a bench, a table, or a counter to make it easier. Do not drop to your knees: kneeling removes the leg tension that holds the hollow together, which is the whole exercise. Shortening the range is the better regression. To make it harder, put the feet on a box, pause two seconds with the chest just off the floor, take four seconds to lower, point the toes and squeeze the legs together, or bring the hands closer to load the triceps.
What is the hollow-body push-up good for, and who should skip it?
It teaches the rigid full-body line that handstands, levers, and planche work are built on, and it makes ordinary push-ups feel far more solid. Choose something else if size is the goal, since a loaded press puts more weight on the chest than tension drills ever will. Skip it for now if the hollow collapses the moment you bend your elbows, because every rep then rehearses a sagging back. Build the hollow hold on the floor first.

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