HOLLOW-BODY
CORE • 55s
Hollow-Body is a foundational move in gymnastics to teach proper spinal positioning & total body tensioning. The shape resembles a lying banana or hammock. You must flatten your lower back to the floor throughout the drill. It also teaches you how to breathe in a compressed position. Mix between inhaling through the nose into the belly & fully exhaling through the mouth for time or reps.
Start with the tucked body position. Progress to moving the arms & legs away from each other until you’re fully extended. The Hollow-Body Pump, where you move between a tucked & extended position, is a fantastic dynamic variation for abdominal development.
You can also add rocks & rolls to increase the stability demands. Be sure to do it on a padded surface. My favorite variations are doing flys and pullovers with dumbbells. This absolutely crushes your core & mobilizes your shoulders.
Up Next in CORE
-
FRONT PLANK
The Front Plank trains your anterior core to resist lumbar spine extension. And you must first master the plank before you master the pushup. It can be performed on the forearms or hands. The forearm variation is more of a strength challenge where the longer-lever hands variation is more of a sta...
-
SIDE PLANK
The Side Plank trains your lateral core to resist lateral flexion (or side-bending) and rotation. It can be performed on the forearms or hands. The forearm variation is more of a strength challenge where the longer-lever hands variation is more of a stability challenge. Train both positions for b...
-
BACK PLANK
The Back Plank (or Bridge) trains your posterior core to resist flexion. Consider it a reverse front plank. This drill is a must to offset the damaging effects of prolonged sitting by activating the glutes and mobilizing the hips. Adding a mini-band above the knees increases lateral hip activatio...
