Hollow Rocks: How to do, Benefits & Form Tips

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August 25, 2022

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Are you looking for a workout that challenges your six-packs, obliques and deep stabilisers, which is your entire core? Then hollow rocks are the right exercise for you. It looks easy to do, but you will know that your core is not as stable as you thought it was once you do it. The hollow rocks are easy to do, but the hard part is maintaining the form. Read below to learn how to do it and some of the hollow rocks’ benefits.

How to do the hollow rocks?

The hollow rocks workout is also sometimes referred to as the hollow rock hold. In this workout, the torso should be firmly on the ground, the head, arms and legs should be lifted from the floor. When you are in this position, it should look like a banana. This simple isometric exercise puts your abs on fire and that is why the hollow rock hold is challenging. However, though the move is hard, it has many benefits, making this exercise worthwhile.

Hollow rocks for beginners

This is a core isometric exercise that stabilises the spine and strengthens the abdominal muscles. However, the hollow rocks for beginners or advanced practitioners should be done using proper form. Below are the steps to perform it in the correct form.

Lie on the floor on your back with the arms and legs extended. The arms are to be over your head and feet should be held together with toes pointed.
Bring the ribs to the pelvis, tighten the core and flex the abdomen.
Raise the legs, feet, and shoulders a few inches away from the ground. The back should be flat on the floor. Stay in this position for about 15 seconds to start with.
While you are in this hold, the spine should be on the ground.
If you cannot keep the spine on the floor, a variation is to keep the feet on the floor and extend the arms towards the feet instead of going overhead.

Hollow rocks abs workout

Getting killer abs is easy if you can do hollow rocks abs workout properly. It targets every muscle in the core and thus making it more challenging. Instead of just holding the pose, you will go back and forth in this exercise, allowing you to get the strength that will help in different activities. The steps to be followed are similar to the hollow hold, instead of holding in the position for 15 seconds or more, start to rock without breaking the arch or the banana shape. Repeat this hard rock exercise as many times as you want to get a good form.

Weighted hollow rocks

This is a progression of the hollow rocks workout. It is a simple yet challenging exercise that will give your abs a great workout and is a hollow rock alternative but with weights. For this, everything remains the same as the hollow hold; the only difference is that you will hold weights in your hand. You can use a medicine ball, dumbbell, kettlebell, or a plate. Anything that you can comfortably hold in your hands and helps you keep proper form can be used for weighted hollow rocks.

Hollow rock exercise benefits

The hollow rock exercise benefits both beginners as well as advanced practitioners. Some of them are

It is scalable: The hollow rock pool is one of the extremely scalable exercises and provides all the benefits. This is an advanced exercise where you can change the length and the difficulty level. It can be regressed to make it easy or make progressions to make it harder. If you are unable to hold for more than a few seconds or cannot keep the spine down, use variations and when you are ready, you can move on.
It is highly functional: In general, the muscles in the midsection work to prevent any extension. But due to lifestyle and various other issues, it may not happen. Nevertheless, hollow rocks do this function and positively impact your other activities in the gym and outside.
Not hard on the joints: One of the main reasons situps and crunches get criticised is repeated movements of the spine extensions and flexion. This causes wear and tear, pain, and overuse. However, the same cannot be said about hollow rocks. But, this exercise can also cause injury if not done using proper form.
Useful for calisthenic exercises: This workout is a precursor if you want to perform advanced calisthenic exercises. Master this workout, stabilise your spine, and then move on to things like planches, one-arm pull-ups, front lever raises, and other such compound exercises.
No equipment needed: An Abs Workout does not need any equipment. So it can be done anywhere, be it your home, gym, or even in the park. Moreover, it is among the most no-fuss core exercises where all you need is some space to lie down.

Hollow rocks form tips

Hollow rocks for beginners and others are quite safe if done with proper form. But here are a few things to consider and remember while doing the workout.

Do not arch your back when doing a hold, as it can lead to stiffness or increase the risk of disc issues in the spine.
Do not hyperextend the neck as it can lead to neck stiffness. Always tuck your chin when doing the exercise to prevent any issues.
Follow proper vertical loading mechanisms to have a neutral spine. Otherwise, there can be pressure on the spinal discs, leading to injuries.
Always start these exercises after doing proper warm-ups.
Practice heavy lifting exercises and hollow body strength exercises separately to avoid issues.

Takeaway

The hollow rocks are good exercises for beginners and intermediate/advanced trainees. However, try to do it correctly to get all the benefits. If you cannot do it correctly, try a hollow rock alternative. Once you have better strength and control, start with a simple version and try the advanced variations. These are versatile exercises that can be part of your core training or can be done as a separate session.

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