Can’t Do a Hollow Body Hold? Here’s What Your Body’s Trying to Tell You

Lack of core strength is the biggest reason you might find hollow body holds challenging.
Image Credit: SerhiiBobyk/iStock/GettyImages

If you've been focused on strengthening your core, chances are you're familiar with hollow body holds. This exercise is a fairly advanced abdominal move that targets your rectus abdominis, external obliques and transverse abdominis, as well as your back and spine.

Advertisement

"It's important to have a strong core for the general integrity and health of our backs," says Andres Padilla, CPT, personal trainer, board-certified exercise physiologist and owner of AP3 Personal Training. "Oftentimes when you hear that someone [has injured] their back, it's because they have a weak core, and when your core is weak, you're more susceptible to getting injured."

Video of the Day

Advertisement

But as with many advanced strength exercises, they can be seriously hard to do! So, if you're having a hard time nailing the hollow body hold, we share a few common reasons why — plus what you can do to help.

First, How to Do a Hollow Body Hold With Proper Form

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Core
  1. Lie down on your back on the floor or on an exercise mat and press your lower back down into the ground.
  2. Squeeze your navel down toward the floor to activate your abdominal muscles. Make sure your legs are glued together as you gently raise them up off the ground.
  3. Float and extend both arms overhead and gently raise your head and shoulders off the floor, keeping your arms by the side of your face.
  4. Keeping your lower back flush against the floor, hold this position. Think about pulling your bellybutton into the ground.

Why You May Struggle With Hollow Body Holds

One of the main reasons you may struggle to do a hollow body hold is because you're lacking enough core strength to begin with, according to Padilla, which can make it easy to compromise or arch your back. (We've got a few exercises to help you build core strength below!)

Advertisement

Other reasons include if you're dealing with a lower back or hip flexor injury, or if you have weak neck muscles, which can make it hard to keep your head up. Additionally, if you have vertigo, you may find you get dizzy if you're not doing the move correctly, Padilla says.

If you're finding you're having a hard time with hollow body holds or suspect you're doing them incorrectly, Padilla recommends chatting with a certified fitness trainer for an assessment. They can pinpoint if your head is too far forward, you lower back isn't pressed into the floor or if you're not breathing properly during the exercise.

Advertisement

Finally, not everyone is necessarily suited to do this exercise. If you have a history of lower back pain or any kind of spine issue (like nerve damage or sciatica), Padilla generally recommends avoiding this move. But the good news is Padilla doesn't consider hollow body holds to be the pinnacle of core strength, so a trainer can help you come up with alternative exercises you can do that'll work your core and not bother your back.

Exercises to Build Up to a Hollow Body Hold

If you don't yet have the muscle strength to be able to do a hollow body hold, there are other exercises you can do to work up to it. Padilla recommends the following three moves.

Advertisement

Advertisement

1. Coffee Table Crunch

Hollow body holds can put a lot of strain on your lower back. But because your thighs are vertical during this exercise, it's easier to engage your core muscles without having to compromise your lower back, according to Padilla.

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Core
  1. Lie on your back on a mat with your knees in tabletop position bent at a 90-degree angle.
  2. Exhale, contract your abs and lift your head and shoulder blades off the ground. Your neck can curl slightly, but it shouldn't strain toward your chest.
  3. Inhale as you lower back down so that your head is hovering just off the ground and repeat.

2. Boat Balance

Because this move is similar to a hollow body hold — you're just sitting on your glutes instead — it's a great way to see if you're ready for hollow body holds. "If you can't get into a boat balance, it will be very tough to get into a hollow body hold, which is why this is highly recommended to start," Padilla says.

Advertisement

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Core
  1. Sit tall on your mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
  2. Extend your arms out in front of you and raise your feet until your lower legs are parallel to the mat.
  3. Lean your torso back to about a 45-degree angle.
  4. Draw the crown of your head up and lengthen through the spine; do not let your back round. Focus on maintaining a strong core.
  5. Flutter your arms up and down for more of a challenge.

3. Opposite X

This exercise does a great job at engaging all the muscles around the core to get you ready for hollow body holds, according to Padilla.

Activity Body-Weight Workout
Region Core
  1. Start lying on the ground with your legs extended and held together, arms above your head, elbows along your ears.
  2. Raise your torso, right arm and left leg off the ground. Touch your right arm to your left foot.
  3. Lower your torso, right and arm left leg back down to the starting position.
  4. Raise your torso, left arm and right leg off the ground. Touch your left arm to your right foot.
  5. Lower your torso, right and arm left leg back down to the starting position.
  6. Repeat, continuing to alternate arms and legs.
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top