Back to Basic Series - Hollow body hold

 Eugene Sandow - 1889

To continue our back to basic series we are going to delve into the illusive and mystical 6 pack obsession. Contrary to popular opinion, and late night TV, getting a 6 pack and more IMPORTANTLY core stability, does not require that you perform a 1000 crunches a day on a strange little frame or hook yourself up to a car battery for a 30 minute session of DIY electro shock therapy.

All it requires is 5 minutes, twice a week, enough floor space to lay down and some good old fashioned grit and determination.

Sounds easy right?

 

The hollow body hold is an essential and basic gymnastic positioning exercises and is graded as there easiest preparatory exercises for the core. Do not let this fool you into thinking that it is a walk in the park, rather let it open your eyes to the unbelievable strength and conditioning that even high school level gymnasts have. The strength that you will gain from this exercise is extremely transferable to many other unrelated movements and will help develop unity throughout the body making you more injury resistant and athletic.

This exercise is your first step towards their level. The primary function of the mid section of the body is to stabilise the spine as it is one of our most vulnerable areas, allowing constant regulation and information from the body, to be sent and received by the brain. Having a string and enduring network of muscles to protect this super high way of information that your lives depend on is probably a good thing. So now your convinced let's get started.

I want you to get up off your butt right now and lie down on the floor. No or I can't because I'm in public are not answers or excuses so off you pop.  

Learn by doing!

Bent Leg Hollow Body Hold

Start with the easiest version with the arms down and knees tucked until you can perform 5 x 60 seconds without breaking form.

Aim: Build up to 60 second holds for all sets 

Equipment

Floor space

      Execution

 

Bent Leg Hollow Body Hold

• Lay on the floor with your feet tucked close to your butt and arms by your sides.

•  Make your lower back as flat as possible on the floor by squeezing the gluteus and lifting the shoulders off the ground, sucking the belly button towards the spine.

•  Keep your head neutral, and lift the feet off the floor keeping the tight tucked position.

•  Arms should be parallel to the ground reaching down towards the feet

•  Keep toes pointed as this will help keep tight

• Remember to breath

Details of Execution

Compression: The aim of this exercise is to begin strengthening the abdominal that primarily respond to stability endurance exercise. They have a small range of motion that shortens the distance between the pelvis and ribcage. To get the most from this exercise compress that distance as much as possible tucking the gluteus  up, making the hips 'flat' and pulling the belly button in towards the spine as much as possible. It helps to visualize the spine being shrink wrapped by all the muscle of the core.

  
Push down with the lower back: Strive to flatten the lower back as much as possible, it can help to visualise that your are pushing the lower back into the ground . You can test this lower back 'push' by sliding your fingers underneath before starting a set. 

Keep tight: Keep everything in the body as tight as possible to begin with. As you gain more control over your body you will be able to identify what muscle need to contract the hardest and what can be held less tense but start as tight as possible.

Keep the legs together: As well as tight gluteus, keep the legs tight together. If you are having trouble with this place a light object between the knees i.e. yoga block, rolled up towel etc, to help with visual feedback.

Now you have experienced this for yourself, you may have found that you are budding gymnastic stud or more likely that you struggled to hold this position for 20 seconds or you were even unable to get into the correct position, particularly flattening the lower back to the floor.

Don't worry this is something with practise that you will get much better at very quickly if you consistent and keep practising and always keep perfect form. If your form breaks in anyway the set is over.

Keep a look out for the next instalment of the back to basics series that is going to focus on the other side of the core, the gluteus and lower back.