Hollow Body Hold
Ages 7 and up · A carpet, mat, or towel on flat floor
The hollow body (lying on the back, lower back PRESSED to the floor, legs and shoulders hovering, the body one tight banana) is gymnastics' foundational shape: handstands, tumbling, bars, and vault all run through it, and gyms drill it daily because the shape IS the sport's core strength. It is also perfectly home-trainable on any floor.
The one standard that rules everything: the lower back GLUED to the floor. A hollow with an arched back trains the wrong shape and strains what it should strengthen; the layered progression (knees bent, arms low, extending gradually) lets every kid hold an honest hollow at their current strength and grow it weekly.
How to run it
- Find the press: lying on the back, knees bent, feet on the floor, press the lower back flat into the ground (no daylight under it). This press never releases; it is the drill.
- Layer one: back pressed, shins lifted to tabletop, arms reaching along the sides, head and shoulders curling slightly up. Hold 10 seconds.
- Layer two: legs extending toward straight at a high angle, arms still low. The legs lower ONLY as far as the back stays glued. Hold 10-15 seconds.
- Layer three (the full hollow): legs long and low-ish, arms extending overhead by the ears, body one tight banana, back still glued. Hold as the press allows.
- Sets: three holds at the honest layer, rests between, logged in seconds and raced weekly. Rocking hollows (gentle rocks in the shape) join later as the classic gym variation.
What to say
Common faults and fixes
The arch (lower back lifting as legs extend, daylight underneath).
Retreat a layer immediately: bend the knees or raise the legs until the glue returns. A hand slid under the back tests it honestly; the layer where the press holds is today's honest hollow.
The neck straining (chin jammed to chest, head yanking up).
The gaze at the knees and a fist of space under the chin: the shoulders curl from the upper back, the head just rides. Shorter holds with the neck soft rebuild it.
Shaking through marathon holds (quality collapsing for seconds).
Cap holds where the shape stays crisp; three honest 15-second holds beat one trembling minute. The log grows on quality; write only crisp seconds in it.
Make it easier, make it harder
Layer one only, shorter holds, feet lightly touching down between reps.
Full hollow with longer logged holds; rocking hollows; hollow-to-arch rolls (the gym's pairing with the superman shape); hollow holds inside other drills (the shape carried into handstand work, where it was always headed).
This page teaches the drill. ParentEdge builds it into a plan for your kid.
Built around their game, their goals, and what they’re working on.