Hollow Body Hold
The static hollow-body hold. A gymnastic core technique. It works mainly the abs, with help from the obliques and hip flexors.
Flawless ranks it by sets logged: Gold, the third of eight ranks, starts at 50.
How to do Hollow Body Hold
- Lie on your back with the arms extended overhead and the legs straight, and press the lower back firmly into the floor.
- Lift the legs a few centimetres off the floor and the shoulder blades just off the ground, arms staying by the ears.
- Your body forms a shallow curve with only the lower back and glutes touching the floor; if the lower back lifts, raise the legs higher or bend the knees.
- Hold for time and breathe steadily; short clean holds beat long shaky ones.
These are the same steps you see in the exercise guide in the Flawless app.
Muscles worked
| Role | Muscle | Anatomical name |
|---|---|---|
| Primary | Abs | Rectus abdominis |
| Secondary | Obliques | Obliquus abdominis |
| Secondary | Hip flexors | Iliopsoas |
Muscle data from StrengthLog.
Why do it
- Whole front of the core under constant tension
- Body control used across gymnastics
- Position that transfers to every lift
How Flawless ranks Hollow Body Hold
| Rank | Sets logged |
|---|---|
| Bronze | start |
| Silver | 10 |
| Gold | 50 |
| Platinum | 150 |
| Diamond | 300 |
| Obsidian | 600 |
| Painite | 1,000 |
| Antimatter | 3,000 |
Flawless ranks Hollow Body Hold by sets logged: the number of sets you have logged over time. The ladder is the same for everyone, because it measures work done rather than strength relative to bodyweight. The rank updates after every workout.
Similar exercises
Questions
What muscles does Hollow Body Hold work?
It works mainly the abs, with help from the obliques and hip flexors.
How do you do Hollow Body Hold?
Lie on your back with the arms extended overhead and the legs straight, and press the lower back firmly into the floor. Lift the legs a few centimetres off the floor and the shoulder blades just off the ground, arms staying by the ears. Your body forms a shallow curve with only the lower back and glutes touching the floor; if the lower back lifts, raise the legs higher or bend the knees. Hold for time and breathe steadily; short clean holds beat long shaky ones.
How does Flawless rank Hollow Body Hold?
By sets logged: the number of sets you have logged over time. Gold starts at 50 and Diamond at 300, the same for everyone.
Try it free
Free on Google Play and the App Store. The whole log is free; PRO is optional.