Hollow-Body Hold

strengthencoreadvancedCore / pelvic control

Content last reviewed: 2026-07-06

Hollow-Body Hold — start/setup and end/loaded positions — Left: start / setup position. Right: end / loaded position.

How to do it

Lie on your back with knees tucked, low back pressed flat and ribs down.
Lift the head and shoulders slightly off the floor.
Reach the arms overhead and extend the legs low and long.
Keep the low back glued to the floor throughout — the lower and longer the limbs, the harder it is.
Hold the hollow shape, breathing steadily; stop if the back arches.

Form cues

Low back glued down — raise the legs higher if it starts to lift
Ribs down, arms and legs long
Stop the moment the low back arches off the floor

Dosage

Frequency: 3–4×/week
Volume: 3 sets × 15–30 s hold
Rest 30–45 s
Regress by bending knees or raising the legs.

Muscles worked

abdominals — anatomical illustration — abdominalsAnatomical illustration from Z-Anatomy (derived from BodyParts3D), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

iliopsoas — anatomical illustration — iliopsoasAnatomical illustration derived from BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Strengthens: abdominals, iliopsoas

Target muscles

Abdominals Iliopsoas

Abdominal Trunk Curl Formation of the Short Foot Thera-Band Kicks (Dynamic Reflexive Stabilization)Isometric Neck Flexion Sphinx & Prone Hip Extension (Restore Lumbar Curve)Scapular Depression (Elevated Shoulder)