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From the VAULT /// Training the Hollow Body Position

by Nicole Zapoli

Hollow Body Position

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Mastering the Hollow Body Position: Build Strength, Stability, and Body Awareness

This week on the blog, we’re diving into one of the most fundamental positions for building a strong, healthy, and happy body!

This position is known as the hollow body position. 

The hollow position is the foundation for all movement and offers incredible benefits that go beyond just core strength. 

The hollow position develops body awareness, core control, strength through stability, and muscle endurance throughout the anterior chain. 

But that’s not all— the hollow also plays a key role in keeping our back and posterior chain protected, strong, healthy, and yes, happy!

Who Can Benefit from the Hollow Body Position?

This versatile exercise can benefit just about anyone! 

Whether you’re a fitness beginner or a seasoned athlete, incorporating the hollow body position into your routine will yield amazing results. 

Here’s who stands to gain the most:

  • Beginners: If you’re new to fitness, the hollow body position is perfect for building foundational strength and stability, especially throughout your trunk = your core + back, which is key to every movement in your fitness journey.
 
  • Athletes: Gymnasts, CrossFitters, weightlifters, yogis, and dancers regularly use the hollow body to improve control, balance, and strength. It’s essential for movements like handstands, muscle-ups, Olympic lifts, and beyond.
 
  • Posture and Rehab Seekers: If you struggle with back pain or poor posture, training the hollow body position can help strengthen and stabilize your spine, leading to better posture and reduced discomfort.
 
  • Anyone Looking for a Stronger Core: This position trains your entire anterior chain, not just your “6 pack”. It engages deep stabilizing muscles that support your spine and improve your overall strength.
 

Want more exercises tailored specifically to your fitness level and goals? 

My remote coaching program provides personalized programming, movement demo videos, and weekly coaching cues designed just for you. Check it out here!

Benefits of Training the Hollow Body Position

So why should you make this a staple in your weekly workouts? 

Let’s break down the benefits:

  1. Core Control: The hollow body position requires total core engagement, strengthening both the outer and deeper layers of the abdominal muscles. This is crucial for movements like squats, deadlifts, and overhead lifts, where core + trunk stability is everything.

  2. Improved Body Awareness: By focusing on keeping your body tight and controlled, you’ll develop a better sense of how your body moves through time and space. This increased awareness will transfer into better performance in dynamic movements.

  3. Full-Body Tension: This movement trains you to create and maintain tension throughout your entire body, improving your ability to stabilize yourself during high-demand movements like gymnastics and weightlifting.

  4. Back Protection: By actively engaging your core and pressing your lower back into the ground, you’re protecting your spine by strengthening as well as increasing stability throughout your your core + trunk. This leads to reduced risk of injury, especially during heavy lifts or intense workouts.

  5. Endurance: Holding this position for extended periods builds muscle endurance, particularly in your core and hip flexors. This is a fantastic way to prepare your body for higher volume training sessions or sports activities.

How to Perform the Hollow Body Position

Already feeling curious? 

Check out this quick video demonstration!

 

Let’s walk through the basic steps again to make sure you’re nailing your technique:

  • Compress your ribs toward your hips
  • Pull your bell button toward your spine
  • Squeeze your glutes
  • Tuck your tailbone
  • Engage and fully straighten your legs
  • Squeeze your heels together
  • Point your toes to engage your legs even more creating more tension throughout your entire body
  • Aim to keep your entire upper back as high off the floor as possible
  • Keep your lumbar spine pressed firmly into the floor
 

Always remember, the tighter you are the lighter you will feel!

The first step is to begin with your feet flat to the floor set at about hip distance apart.

From here, to add more challenge, lift your feet off the floor while maintaining a tight tuck. 

Keep your positioning through your torso still. 

To add even more challenge to this try extending one leg out straight, then switch. 

To add even more challenge from here straighten both legs out while also still maintaining firm contact with your lumbar spine to the floor.

If you begin to feel your low back lift off the floor at all go back to the step before until you are able to hold that position properly for the specified time within your programming.

To add even more challenge to this position add weight on the ankles and/or overhead by holding a plate, a medball, dumbbells, etc.

Why You Should Add the Hollow Body Position to Your Routine

Incorporating the hollow body position into your routine will improve your overall core + trunk strength, enhance your posture, and protect your back. 

But that’s not all! 

You’ll also build mental toughness, body control, resilience, and more. 

Whether you’re progressing to more advanced movements like handstands or simply want to move through daily activities with ease, this movement will help you achieve those goals.

 

Want a program that helps you progress through exercises like these while targeting your specific goals? 

My remote coaching program offers tailored workouts, accountability, and expert guidance. 

You’ll get movement demos, coaching cues, and personalized support to keep you on track! Sign up here!

full body workout - glutes - hamstrings - core - abdominals - training

Conclusion: Strengthen Your Core, Protect Your Back, and Boost Your Fitness!

The hollow body position may seem simple, but its benefits are powerful. 

This one exercise can help you build a foundation of core + trunk strength, protect your spine, and develop total body awareness. 

Plus, it’s incredibly versatile.

You can scale it up or down depending on your fitness level and goals.

Ready to take your fitness to the next level? 

My remote coaching program is designed to give you all the tools you need to succeed.

From personalized programming to one-on-one support, I’m here to help you achieve your goals! 

Start your fitness journey today with expert guidance, accountability, and a plan tailored just for you. 

Click Here: To learn more about the program

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