The hollow position. This position can be very easy to “half-ass”. Many people tend to think they are in a solid hollow position, but if you are able to have a full conversation, or hold for minutes on end, you are most likely not in the correct position, and completely missing the benefits of the hold.
A correct hollow hold goes as followed:
To begin the hollow position start by lying on your back.
Your legs should stretched out and straight (ensure they are fully straightened by flexing your knees)
Your feet should be together (bonus points for pointed toes!)
Your arms should be reaching overhead in a locked out position (straight elbows), squeezing your ears.
When you lift your legs and shoulders off the ground, the hollow position has been achieved. It’s important to make sure you keep your lower back pressed to the ground, so there is no space between your mid-line and the floor. You know you’re doing a hollow hold correctly if you are squeezing every inch of your body.
One test you can do is to have someone come lift your feet- like we tried with Desiree.
Top Image: We told Desiree to get in a hollow position, then lifted her feet. As you can see, her hips hinged, causing the angel of her hips to narrow and break her solid hollow position. This means, she more than likely was not squeezing and engaging as much as she should have been to receive the benefits of this hold.
Bottom Image: We then talked through the idea of energy shooting out of her extremities (fingers & toes) and told her to flex and engage her whole body. She got into another hollow position, this time focusing on engaging, and again we lifted her feet. As you can see, her hips stayed up and her solid hollow position stayed strong and unbroken! This shows that Desiree understands the concept of keeping her whole body tight, and she now knows what it should feel like as she progressed through her gymnastic skills (kipping, handstand holds, and so much more!).
Another thing you can do to test your hollow position would be to try and hold the hollow position for a full 60 seconds, making sure every muscle is engaged and the proper position is being held. To ensure there is no cheating, use a timer to count your minute. If you cannot hold the position with integrity for the full time, then you might need to start with a scaled version such as tucking your legs in towards your chest or bringing your arms down by your side.