6 Steps to a Stronger Core
…Using Hollow Body
Is your core strong enough to support your aerial practice?
Aerial arts requires A LOT of core strength and stability in order to execute skills effectively and safely. The stronger we are from our core center, the less ‘extra’ work our shoulders and less strain on your back and hips. Let’s look at how hollow body exercises can directly support your aerial practice. Hollow body is the narrowing and/or stabilizing of the space between the bottom of the front of your rib cage and the top of your iliac crest (front hip bones). In the images below, the image on the right shows an incorrect hollow body because the back is arched. The image on the right shows a hollow body hold.
Although this is a foundational concept for acrobatics (on the floor or aerial), it is not for beginners only. Many intermediate level aerialists I have worked with still lack the core strength and endurance to use hollow body to their advantage especially when executing more advanced skills such as straight arm/leg inversions, beats, and dynamic movement. Your work is not finished once you achieve the base amount of core strength. You have to maintain your strength and endurance by doing your drills regularly (2-3 times per week).
6 Foundational Drills Using Hollow Body
These Drills begin on the floor and progress into the air.
- Floor – Lady Bug Lifts & Hollow Body Hold Variations
- Sling – Lat Hold variations
- Sling – Upward Facing Variations
- Sling – Straddle Ups using as little arm pull as possible
- Any Apparatus – Bent Arm (Brazos T-Rex) Hold Variations with stabilized shoulders and engaged core
- Any Apparatus – Long Arm Hold Variations with stabilized shoulders engaged core
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