Gymnasts are not just textbook strong; they flip their bodies around defying gravity, so their biceps, abs, and quads need to be downright powerful. Trust me: I slipped on my first leotard at 4 years old and competed for more than a decade, so I know. Learning how to work out at the gym once college came around and my gymnastics days drew to a close was foreign territory, and while the eight-pack I once had is nowhere near where it used to be (and that's OK), my strength is still intact. (Fun fact: I worked out in my rhinestone-studded velvet spandex for the first few months until my roommate finally told me I might want to find something else to wear. At practice, the more sparkly your shorts were, the better, so of course I had them on hand!)
In order to keep up with the physical demand of the sport, we used to do half-hour conditioning sessions at the end of every practice (see some of those moves here). But there was one exercise that always had me and my teammates clutching our core, complaining of how much it burned. Introducing hollow body rocks: the move I still find hard to this day. And if you're familiar with it, I've added some variations you might want to try.