Even worse, you might only be hitting your abs from one angle. Maybe you're only going through the motions with endless situps and overdoing it with the spinal flexion. Introduce new elements and shake up your program with dynamic exercises, like this challenge from Men's Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S.. The corkscrew hollow hold challenge takes the foundational hollow hold position, then adds some extra work to really push your obliques.
All you need to take on the challenge is some room to spread out on the floor, although you might want a yoga mat for your backside. If you don't have a good one available, check out this self-rolling option from our brand Backslash Fit.
- Find a spot on the ground and get into hollow hold position.
- Bring your left elbow to the right knee, keeping your position otherwise unchanged.
- Perform 8 rocking reps, keeping your lower back on the floor and your arm "glued" to your knee (this is the corkscrew referenced in the name).
- Shift back into a normal hollow hold. Perform 8 more rocking reps.
- Repeat the series again, this time for 6 reps each, then again for 4, then 2. That's one set.
You have a tough task keeping up with the demands of the series, according to Samuel. "The added challenge here is how your core changes responsibilities continually; coming off the corkscrews, the standard hollow rocks will take a moment to get used to," he says. "Make sure to keep your non-connected arm and leg long as you do this. That's critical to the challenge here; continuing to create the long levers that make the hollow rock and hollow hold worthwhile.
Take on the corkscrew hollow rock challenge by rocking through 3 sets per side.
This article originally appeared on Men's Health