01Foundation
20-second front plank
The eleven tests / Hollow hold
Test 07 of 11 · Control
The hollow hold test, and the moment the clock really stops
The rule. On your back, low back pressed flat to the floor, arms and legs off the ground. The moment the low back lifts, the clock stops, not when you decide you are done.
Almost every core test gets fudged the same way: the low back peels off the floor, the hip flexors take over, and the clock keeps running. This one has a hard stop built into it, which is what makes the number worth anything.
The four rungs
Find yourself on one of these.
Your level on this test is the highest rung you can hold cleanly today. Not the one you could hit on a good day five years ago.
02Working
60-second front plank
03Strong
45-second hollow hold
04Standard
60-second hollow, plus 45 seconds side plank each side
Where it goes wrong
The two that cost people a rung.
Mistake 01
The gap under the back
Slide a hand under your lumbar spine before you start. If it can move once the legs come up, the position is gone and so is the rep. Bend the knees or raise the legs higher until it stays pinned.
Mistake 02
Holding the breath
A hold you cannot breathe through is a hold you are bracing your way through. Breathe shallow and steady, and if you cannot, shorten the lever.
Moving up
How to earn the next rung.
- 01
Plank to sixty first
A clean sixty second front plank is the Working rung and the gate before hollow work makes sense.
- 02
Tuck, then extend
Start hollow with the knees tucked and arms by your sides. Extend one limb at a time over the weeks. The back staying flat decides when you progress, nothing else.
- 03
Add the side plank last
The Standard rung wants forty-five seconds each side on top of the hollow, because the sides of the trunk get ignored by almost everybody.
What this test needs
The kit that helps with this one.
Links go to Amazon and a purchase through one pays me a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what gets recommended. The full list, with what each piece is actually for, is on the gear page.
Before you ask
Two questions that come up every time.
Is a 60 second plank good for a 50 year old?
Yes, it is the Working rung here and a solid number. The hollow hold is the harder test above it because it removes the places a plank lets you cheat.
Are sit-ups better than hollow holds?
For a test, no. Sit-ups are easy to do badly and hard to score. A hold with a clear stopping rule gives you a number you can actually retest in eight weeks.
Going deeper on this one: The Over 50 Standard: The Field Manual
Read about itOn the channel
Watch the hollow hold tested at every rung.
What Foundation looks like next to Standard, filmed from the side so the form is actually visible. Every one of the eleven gets its own video.