If You Can Do These 3 Moves Without Rest, Your Core Is Rock Solid
If you want a straightforward way to gauge the strength and conditioning of your core, set aside the flashy workouts and try this: perform a hollow hold, flutter kicks, and V-ups in one continuous sequence without rest.
These three bodyweight movements are a progression that challenges your core through static tension, dynamic control, and movement. Each one targets your muscles a little differently while building on the demands of the last. You start by holding tension, then maintain it through movement, and finish with a high-effort test of coordination.
If you can complete all three without dropping your legs, losing form, or needing a break, it’s a clear indication that your core is well-developed and capable of performing at its best. Here is what makes each move so effective, along with the proper technique for executing them.
Move 1: Hollow Hold
The hollow hold is a fundamental core exercise that builds full-body tension. It teaches you how to engage your deep abdominal muscles while resisting spinal extension, a skill that carries over to almost every weightlifting movement and athletic activity. This move sets the foundation for core control.
Muscles Trained: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, internal and external obliques, hip flexors, quads
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back with your arms extended overhead and legs straight.
- Lift your arms, shoulders, and legs a few inches off the ground.
- Press your lower back into the floor and tighten your core.
- Hold the position while keeping your body in a smooth curve from fingertips to toes.
Form Tip: Keep your lower back pressed into the floor the entire time. If it lifts, raise your legs slightly or bend your knees.
Move 2: Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks take the hollow hold to the next level by adding constant lower-body motion. This builds muscular endurance and challenges your ability to maintain a braced core under dynamic tension. It’s a key movement for developing lower abdominal strength and hip flexor control.
Muscles Trained: Lower rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, hip flexors, quads
How to Do It:
- Stay in the same hollow body position with your shoulders and legs off the ground.
- Keep your arms by your sides or tucked slightly under your hips for support.
- Raise one leg slightly while lowering the other toward the floor.
- Alternate your legs in a fast but controlled motion, like a fluttering kick.
- Keep your core tight and legs straight throughout.
Form Tip: Move from the hips, not the knees. Small, fast kicks with rigid legs are more effective than big, sloppy ones.
Move #3: V-Ups
V-ups are a high-effort explosive core movement that demands power, timing, and coordination. They combine the benefits of a leg raise and a crunch into one efficient motion. You build strength through a full range of motion and reinforce your ability to generate force from your midline.
Muscles Trained: Upper and lower rectus abdominis, hip flexors, obliques, quads, lats
How to Do It:
- Lie on your back with your legs extended and arms reaching overhead.
- Engage your core and lift your legs and upper body simultaneously.
- Reach your hands toward your feet at the top of the movement to form a “V” shape.
- Lower back down with control and repeat for the specified number of reps.
Form Tip: Keep your legs and arms straight. Use your abs, not momentum, to lift your body.
The Bottom Line
Most people can fake their way through crunches, but this three-part test doesn’t lie. Completing all three exercises consecutively demonstrates control, endurance, and the ability to generate force through multiple planes of movement.
Try the challenge:
- Hollow Hold: 30 seconds
- Flutter Kicks: 30 seconds
- V-Ups: 15 reps
If you’re daring enough to kick it up a notch, see how many rounds you can perform, with a little bit of rest in between, before tapping out.
