Isometric exercises don’t actually involve moving through an exercise, but rather holding a contraction. The plank hold is a perfect example of isometric contraction—the muscles of your entire body work to keep you steady and hold solid form. But there’s another exercise that should get more love from those who want to improve their core strength: the hollow body hold.

The hollow hold targets the lower back, obliques, and abdominal muscles, and it teaches you to brace the core, which helps with better posture, form, and efficiency on the run. The move requires no equipment—just a commitment to embrace the burn. Here, we break down how exactly to execute the hollow hold and the best variations to add to your workout, thanks to Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., Men’s Health fitness director and Runner’s World run coach and certified strength coach, Jess Movold. You’ll find this move as part of the 20-Minute Functional Core program, a collaboration between Runner’s World and Men’s Health, available in the All Out Studio app, which you get for free with a Runner’s World+ premium membership.

preview for The Art of the Hollow Body Hold, Plus Variations to Turn Up the Challenge


How to Do a Hollow Hold

  1. Lie faceup. Lift head, neck, and shoulders off floor and pull knees into chest. Press low back into floor.
  2. Extend legs straight out, just a few inches off the floor (or as low as you can), and extend arms straight overhead. Keep low back against floor.
  3. Hold here for 40 seconds, or as long as you can with good form.

How to Do a Tipping Hollow Hold

  1. Lie faceup. Lift head, neck, and shoulders off floor and pull knees into chest. Press low back into floor.
  2. Extend legs straight out, just a few inches off the floor (or as low as you can), and extend arms straight overhead. Keep low back against floor.
  3. Tip to right side, onto right glute and right shoulder blade. Left glute and shoulder blade lift off floor. Hold for about 2 seconds.
  4. Shift through center and to left side. Hold for about 2 seconds.
  5. Continue alternating for 20-60 seconds.

How to Do a Hollow Body Rock

  1. Lie faceup. Lift head, neck, and shoulders off floor and pull knees into chest. Press low back into floor.
  2. Extend legs straight out, just a few inches off the floor (or as low as you can), and extend arms straight overhead. Keep low back against floor.
  3. Use momentum from legs to rock back and forth, along the spine, for 20-60 seconds. Maintain core tension.

How to Do an Anti-Rotation Hollow Body Rock

  1. Lie faceup. Lift head, neck, and shoulders off floor and pull knees into chest. Press low back into floor.
  2. Extend legs straight out, just a few inches off the floor (or as low as you can), and extend arms straight overhead. Keep low back against floor.
  3. Extend one arm straight out to the side, perpendicular to torso. Then, use momentum of legs to rock back and forth, along spine, for 20-60 seconds. Maintain core tension.
  4. Rest for 20-60 seconds.
  5. Repeat on other side for 20-60 seconds.
Headshot of Mallory Creveling
Mallory Creveling
Deputy Editor, Health & Fitness

Mallory Creveling, an ACE-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach, joined the Runner's World and Bicycling team in August 2021. She has more than a decade of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. As a freelance writer, her work appeared in Women's Health, Self, Men's Journal, Reader's Digest, and more. She has also held staff editorial positions at Family Circle and Shape magazines, as well as DailyBurn.com. A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, she's now based in Easton, PA.