Give your core a killer workout with the hollow rock exercise

Looking for an exercise that hits the core and challenges your six packs? If yes, look no further than the hollow rock exercise.

Hollow rock targets every muscle in the core, making it one of the most powerful and challenging movements you can do to strengthen your midsection and fire up the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis and obliques. This exercise blasts up the entire midsection and helps keep the spine stable while you rock back and forth.

Additionally, it also builds up overall muscle strength that helps in carrying out different activities and bodily movements.

What muscles does the hollow rock hold exercise target?

Hollow rock exercise targets the entire core muscles. (Photo via Pexels/Gustavo Fring)

Hollow rocks primarily target the anterior chain muscles, i.e., the muscles in the front of the body. These majorly include the core, abs, quadriceps and hip flexors.

It's typically considered a core-strengthening exercise that works on the transverse abdominis, external and internal obliques, rectus abdominis and the erector spinae muscles.

How to do the hollow rock exercise correctly?

Follow the given instructions to perform hollow rocks correctly:

Lie on an exercise mat with your back straight and pressed on the floor.
Move your shoulders off the floor with the arms extended straight towards the ceiling. Make sure the arms are aligned with the ears and are perfectly straight.
Push your lower back, and lift your legs about 3-5 inches off the floor. Squeeze the abs, arms and legs together to maintain proper balance.
Maintaining this position, start to rock back and forth while keeping the abs tight so that you don’t compromise on the position you’ve created with your arms and legs. Remember to keep your abs squeezed and tight throughout the exercise.
Rock back and forth for a few reps, and come back to the starting position. Repeat the exercise.

Important beginner tips

While this exercise might seem simple, it's important to focus on the form and remember certain things to prevent muscle strains and injuries.

Here're a few tips you must keep in mind when doing this core-killing exercise:

When doing this exercise, do not curve your back, as that can lead to disc problems in the spine and also cause back pain.
If you're considering weights, always start with a light weight that’s suitable and safe for your fitness level. Do not start with heavy weights initially.
When rocking back and forth, avoid hyperextending your neck, as that can cause neck pain and stiffness. Instead, tuck your chin throughout the movement to prevent pain.
Before starting the exercise, make sure to warm up properly to activate your muscles.
Always keep a neutral spine when doing the hollow rock to prevent tension on the spinal discs.

Weighted hollow rocks

Hollow rocks can be done using any kind of weight. (Photo via Pexels/Ketut Subiyanto)

Once you’ve mastered this variation, move up to weighted hollow rocks to challenge your muscles even harder. This variation is a progression of the standard version that will give the core muscles a productive workout but with weights.

To do this variation, all you have to do is grab a weight with your hands and position it at the center. You can use weight plates, medicine balls, kettlebells or dumbbells, depending on your fitness level.

Hollow rock exercise benefits

There are several benefits to practicing hollow rock exercise regularly. Some of the major ones are:

No equipment

While you can use a weight to level up the movement, the standard version of the hollow rock exercise is done with no weights.

That makes it an accessible exercise that can be done almost anywhere – be it in the gym, home or even in an outdoor park. All you need is some space and an exercise mat for back support.

Easy on the joints

This core killing exercise is easy on joints. (Photo via Pexels/Pikx By Panther)

Core exercises like sit-ups and abs crunches put pressure on the spine and cause spinal issues like pain, overuse, and wear and tear. However, with a hollow rock exercise, this isn’t the case, as the exercise requires you to keep the spine neutral as you hold the position.

Builds up balance and stability

Another great benefit of practicing hollow rock exercise is that it helps build balance and stability. That helps you carry out advanced exercises like dips and pull-ups more efficiently and easily.

Overall, hollow rock exercise is a versatile exercise that can be added to your core-strengthening session or can be a part of your upper body workout routine. Just be very mindful of your form, and make sure to keep yourself positioned correctly to attain the benefits.