He
hollow rock seems easy. That is until you sit down, try it, and realize you have the core strength of a blade. You will need full body tension to resist the load and rotational forces on the spine. But if you succeed, you will gain a lot of strength and you will have impressive abs.
The particularity of this exercise is
in its simple execution. The first thing is to lie on your back on the floor with your feet together. Lift them off the ground and bring your arms above your head so that your biceps are next to your ears. Press your lower back into the floor, contract your trunk, and lift your arms and legs off the floor. Tuck your chin in to help maintain a neutral spine.
While in the position, gently rock forward as you continue to suspend your arms and legs off the ground. When you feel comfortable in the position, try to increase the range of motion. Make sure you keep a
constant tension in your core.
Neither your hands nor your heels should touch the ground. But
don’t sway too much. Neither the heels nor the hands should touch the ground. If you feel tight in your lower back, reduce your range of motion a bit. Think of the base of a rocking chair moving back and forth. That is hollow rock.
benefits of hollow rock
Many movements make you flex your spine. Hollow rock is unique in that, like a board, it forces you to
maintain a neutral spine while holding the position. As a result, your core will train to hold your spine in this specific neutral position while your muscles fight to stabilize your body and prevent rotation.
Woman with flat stomach/PEXELS
The exercise not only challenges your core strength, but also your ability to
keep balance and stay stable. This unique challenge is more responsive than more nuanced exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, or dips. Essentially, you’re building a more functional core strength.
Hollow rock predominantly trains the anterior chain, the muscles in the front of the body. And it’s important to remember that the core is about more than just abs. All the
core musculature work with this exercise: rectus abdominis, transverse abdominals, obliques, hip flexors, quadriceps…
Making hollow rock will strengthen and
improve core stability because it requires the core muscles to be activated over a long period of time. Plus, it’s an exercise that you can easily back up or progress on – all lifters, from beginner to advanced, can benefit from this exercise.
It is recommended to perform
hollow rock with repeats, and not by time, since it is generally more practical. Count each back and forth movement as a single repetition. This is a versatile exercise to add to your warm up or after workouts to finish working your core.
Woman with flat stomach/PEXELS
For whom it is
Although it is primarily geared towards fitness enthusiasts with a certain physical base, just about anyone can benefit from doing hollow rock on a regular basis. No equipment required and
your own body weight is enough. Plus, it’s relatively easy to progress at all fitness levels.
If your lower back hurts during the exercise, first have an instructor check your technique for errors. It could be due to a
lack of resistance in your abdomen. If there are no defects and you still feel pain, return to the starting position and do not force.
