Should You Do The Hollow Body? | 2 BETTER Options!

INSTAGRAM: @TheBodyweightWarriors

This video shares why I think the hollow body is not worth your time and exercises that provide better results for the goals you're working on whether than is training the abs, lower abdominals, strengthening the core or even perfecting your handstand.

MUSIC BY:

Christian Nanzell - Always Raining

See you in the next video!

[aaronshafer]

Perhaps a better title for the video could be “moving beyond the hollow body hold”

[BodyweightWarrior]

Just to note, this video is not completely disregarding the hollow body. There are circumstances where it may be useful but for the majority of athletes it's not needed. Many of the benefits will be attained by simply doing the skills and drills where you want to make progress (aspect of body tension etc is prolific in most bodyweight drills). Do it or not, it's worth evaluating the things that actually have benefit vs those that don't in your training :)

[calisteniabb]

You're like 80% more british now with that proper 'stache

[desigilmore]

Interesting perspective.
I would agree that hanging leg raise variations have the best strength carry over to both dynamic and static skills requiring a significant amount of core activation and trunk stability.

However I think something that hasn't been addressed is the benefit the hollow body has in Developing motor control within the trunk, more specifically selective lumbo pelvic movement control while being able to actively control thoracic spine position.
My personal opinion is there is a need to be able to develope proprioceptive awareness of selective spine and pelvis in both closed chain and open chain movements. The hanging position and ability to press down through chest in prone position can mean that by using fixing strategies you don't need to engage deep spinal extensor muscles to create stability in the thoracic spine when maintaining neutral lumbo.plevic alignment while moving limbs into position of your given exericse ( leg raise, planche, handstand). I agree that hollow body is not the most effective exercise for delivering the strength in postural stability muscles, required for maintaining trunk/spinal stability in many calesthenic and static gymnastic holds. However, I would argue that it is important in helping beginner to intermediate practitioners improve proprioceptive awareness of spinal alignment and selective movement control of the whole spine and pelvis in open chain.

Often in pursuit of strength and endurance people forget about developing their proprioception.

[TysonE]

I think it's great to be skeptical and can be very beneficial to question things that aren't often questioned. One thing I'm skeptical about within that however is the way to market your content on the topic: 'stop doing these'. Of course if you watch the video, you aren't saying STOP IT. But for the casual, that could be their take away. So when we discuss topics like this (Philip Chubb does same with warm ups), I think we should be careful not to demonize it in the way we market it otherwise we may end up contributing to the community taking a step back as opposed to forward. E.g. a community that looks down on any type of hollow body training as opposed to a community that considers the usefulness of hollow body position specific to their own or their clients situation.

[cows]

I think its important to have a solid hollow body - it's really useful to understand it and also the base to many other exercises involving movement. Once you have a solid hollow body I'd agree that there's no real use to regularly training a static hollow body.
It is really good as a test though, I've worked with a few people who struggled to hold the lowest level of hollow body, its nice for them to go back and test after some work to find they can now start straightening their legs. I really wouldn't write it off, especially for beginners.

[davidz]

It's so cool that everyone tells you something completely different, so you never know what really works best.

One says, crunches are a waste of time, do hollow holds, next says, dont do hollow holds, it's a waste of time 🤷‍♂️

So just like always, you gotta start somewhere, figure out what Works best for you and your type of training goals.

For me they are still a great excercise for my morning routine.
They helped me development some basic strength in the core and improved my overall Fitness game 🙂

[grantkiba]

Tom, I feel the most important aspect of the hollow hold is that it's accessible to people new body weight workouts. It allows them to build the strength need to do the leg raises and other more advanced drills. I find that most "newbees" can't hold it longer than 30 seconds. But at least they can work on it and build strength.
In terms of handstands, I agree that gravity upsets everything! I don't know how many people I have drilled with hollow holds and when they handstand can't get the pelvic tilt at all!

At the very least it's a great way to illustrate the muscles used to create the pelvic tilt and to minimize the back bending. Most folks understand that they are not tilting correctly.

[dojanglesclimb]

I don't understand the point of this video. You're saying there are better abs exercises, but the hollow body isn't an ab exercise. It's a way to train full body tension, muscle control, and coordination. Usually taught to beginners or used as part of a warm up before jumping into harder skills. It shouldn't really be used for strength training.

[harderfasterbetterstronger]

Great video! Thanks, Tom. Coming from a gymnastics background, I agree with you that the hollow hold is relevant in gymnastics as we often move through this shape in dynamic skills. For body weight training (and handstands), it is probably not the best exercise however if one has built up some decent core strength already, it's worth still incorporating the hollow hold in core strength programs, in particular for dynamic exercise (e.g. hollow hold to slow bicycle crunches).

[sabertoothwallaby]

"let's jump right into it, but before we do..."

[JonGPxl]

Very informative. When in rehab for elbows/shoulders, I've found the hollow body a good exercise that minimises loads/stress in those areas.

[sun]

I have seen other people say similar but your positivity is why I like your channel over other peoples. You even say yourself the hollow body is not wrong on the video but there are better options.  
I always recommend you to other people with aches and pains (so pretty much everyone over thirty) and you, along with others have helped me enormously over the last couple of years.  
Please don't become another tough guy bell-end saying what is wrong and it's my way or the high way. Keep doing what you do best, being positive and accepting that most of us will never get to a position where we are hand standing or doing muscle ups but just want to be a bit more flexible and a lot less in pain.
Keep doing what you do best.

[molomono]

Tbh the hollow body hold has greatly helped me figue out how to properly engage the core. Making all my other ab exercises work better.

Not everyone needs it to figure it out but it has served me and a couple of friends very well before ramping up to rollouts and L sits.

[rachidhennous]

thats actually make sense, cause every time i do my handstand after hollow hold i cant feel that position in the air, im definettly going to try the revers hold thankx for the tip .

[Cacophony]

I *JUST* watched a video of you dedicating the hollow body movement for 15 minutes lol.

The cumulative amount of exercises we're "meant" to be doing 3 to 4 times a week according to the fitness world, means I'd have to buy a gym, and then live in it.

[wayneinteressierts]

I feel like every ab exercise is bad... "stop doing crunches", "hollow body destroys your spine", ... what the fuck??

[Typix]

DID I MISS SOMETHING?! you just pull of a casual front lever like its nothing, I didnt know you achieved it again, especially so easily by looks of it... thumbs up mate!
PS: just finished the video, I think the hollow body hold is good for beginners working their core because you really feel your core while doing it, but for some kind of handstand work the "facing down hold" seems more practical. good explanation as always on your part!

[WataMelun]

i think the only thing i have to say about this video is that front levers do involve your shoulders muscles such as your posterior delts, but it mainly requires strength from your back like your lats & rhomboids, then arms strength such as your tris & forearms. but, since this video is in reference of the hollow body, super informative!

[chriswatts]

Have you talked to Daniel about this, Fitness FAQs always seem to be loving on the hollow body?