Tip The Gymnastic Exercise You Need to Master Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Training Tip The Gymnastic Exercise You Need to Master Master the hollow body hold then ramp it up with these 3 advanced variations for lifters by Kelvin King, Jr May 29, 2017March 17, 2022 Tags Abs, Tips, Training Why are sit-ups, crunches, and planks still the gold standard for ab training? They're not all that effective. But here's what is: the hollow body hold and its advanced variations. Walk into any gymnastic class and you'll see that the hollow body hold (or "hollow hold" for short) is the foundational core buster that must be mastered before you can progress to advanced core exercises. Mastering it will help you to transfer force throughout your body. It's accomplished by bracing your abs and creating and enduring total-body tension, which is important for any strength or athletic movement. Once you get it down, you can increase the difficulty with just a kettlebell. Why do it? To become stronger and more stable when throwing, pushing, pulling, hitting, kicking, jumping, lifting anything heavy, and for gains of course. Lie down with your chest facing the ceiling. Extend your arms and legs and hold them about an inch or two off the floor (lumbopelvic position). Press your low back flat into the ground so there's no arch, but rather a straight line from your shoulders to your butt. If it's correct, you'll feel it in your abs. Your body should emulate a rocking chair. Grab a heavy kettlebell. Get in the hollow body position. Press the kettlebell out in front of you slightly toward your toes while staying in position. This one is a lot like the previous one, but you hold the KB with a thumbs-down grip and press it straight above your chest instead of at an angle toward your toes. Grab a heavy kettlebell and hold it by the horns with your thumbs on the underside pointed downward toward your body. Get in hollow body position. Do a double-arm kettlebell press by while keeping your core in the hollow position. Grab a heavy kettlebell. Get in the hollow body hold position and grasp the kettlebell with just one hand. Do a single-arm kettlebell press while staying in the hollow body position. If you've already mastered the hollow body hold, then combining it with a variety of presses may be the missing ingredient that you need to sprinkle in. It'll let you know if your core needs to get stronger... and it can always get stronger. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Training Tip Do The Lazy Lifter Warm-Up Two minutes, two quick warm-up drills. The fast warm-up for lazy (or busy) lifters. Check it out. Tips, Training Chris Shugart March 5 Training Tip Do Suspended Flyes for Bigger Pecs Ditch the barbell for a while and build your chest using the perfect mechanical position. Check it out. Tips, Training Eric Weinbrenner February 20 Training 12 Little Changes For Big Gains Get bigger, get leaner, and build strength without overhauling your whole dang life. Make these simple changes and tweaks. Bodybuilding, Diet Strategy, Powerlifting & Strength, Training T Nation January 29 Training Tip Do the Key Press for Pecs Stimulate your chest in a whole new way with this powerful exercise. Check it out. Tips, Training Lee Boyce April 25