Hollow Body Progressions

Progressions

1. 01

   Tucked Dish Hold

   • Sit on the floor with knees bent and feet flat

   • Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the ground

   • Hold arms straight out in front of you for balance

   • Press your lower back into a rounded position — no arching

   • Keep chin tucked to chest, look towards your knees

   • Squeeze your abs and hold the position with constant tension

   • If you feel your lower back taking over, bring your knees closer to your chest

2. 02

   Dish Hold

   • Lie on your back with arms by your sides, legs straight and together

   • Press your lower back firmly into the floor — no gap

   • Squeeze your glutes and tuck your tailbone

   • Lift shoulders and legs a few centimeters off the ground

   • Keep your chin tucked and look towards your feet

   • Hold the position with constant core tension

   • Breathe into your stomach, not your chest — don't hold your breath

3. 03

   Tuck Hollow Body Hold

   • Lie on your back with arms extended straight overhead, biceps by your ears

   • Bring knees towards your chest in a tight tuck position

   • Press your lower back into the floor — this is the most important cue

   • Lift your shoulders off the ground, keeping arms straight overhead

   • Squeeze your abs hard and breathe into your stomach

   • Keep your chin tucked and look towards your knees

   • If your lower back lifts off, tuck your knees tighter

4. 04

   Hollow Body Hold

   • Lie on your back with arms extended straight overhead, biceps by your ears

   • Press your lower back firmly into the floor — there must be no gap

   • Squeeze glutes, tuck tailbone, and brace your abs

   • Lift shoulders and straight legs off the ground, hovering a few centimeters above the floor

   • Keep legs straight, together, and pointed — the lower they are, the harder it is

   • Keep chin tucked, look towards your feet, not the ceiling

   • Breathe forcefully into your stomach while maintaining full body tension

5. 05

   Weighted Hollow Body Hold

   • Lie on your back and hold a weight plate or dumbbell with straight arms above your chest

   • Press your lower back firmly into the floor before lifting shoulders and legs

   • Lift shoulders off the ground and extend legs straight, hovering close to the floor

   • The weight creates extra anti-extension demand — keep your ribs pulled down

   • Squeeze glutes and maintain posterior pelvic tilt throughout

   • Breathe into your stomach while keeping full body tension

   • If your lower back lifts off, use a lighter weight or raise your legs slightly higher

6. 06

   Hollow Body Crunches

   • Start in the hollow body position: arms overhead, shoulders and legs off the ground

   • Keep your lower back pressed into the floor throughout the entire movement

   • Crunch up by bringing your arms towards your toes, curling your upper body forward

   • Lower back to hollow body position with control — don't just drop

   • Keep your legs straight, together, and at the same height throughout

   • The legs should not move at all — only your upper body crunches

   • Exhale as you crunch up, inhale as you lower back down

7. 07

   Hollow Body V-Ups

   • Start in the hollow body position: arms overhead, shoulders and legs off the ground

   • Simultaneously lift upper body and legs towards each other, forming a V-shape at the top

   • Reach your hands towards your toes at the top of the movement

   • Lower back to hollow body position with control — don't collapse

   • Keep legs straight throughout — bending the knees makes it easier but less effective

   • Your lower back should stay in contact with the floor during the bottom position

   • Exhale as you fold up, inhale as you return to hollow

Common mistakes

• Lower back lifting off the floor
• Extending the neck to look up (goose neck)
• Breathing into the chest instead of the stomach
• Legs held too high off the ground
• Shoulders resting on the ground
• Arching into a banana shape instead of staying hollow