Warm Up

It is important that you stretch properly prior to hoop practice.  We worked on several stretches including basic stretching plus the following for shoulder and chest hooping:

• Solar Plexus Stretches - push in and out at the diaphragm stretching the core
  
• Arm Circles
  
• Forward Direction - Both
• Reverse Direction - Both
• Split Time Direction - Right Arm Forward Start
• Split Time Direction - Left Arm Forward Start

• Shoulder Rolls
  
• Forward Direction Both
  
• Reverse Direction Both
  
• Right Shoulder Only - forward and backward
  
• Left Shoulder Only - forward and backward
  
• Split Time - Right Shoulder Forward Start
  
• Split Tim - Left Shoulder Forward Start
  
• Hip Circling
  
• Stand in Hoop and trace the hoop with your hips rotating to the left
  
• Stand in Hoop and trace the hoop with your hips rotating to the right
  
• Chest - No Hooping - Keep it on the ground!
  
• Cat - Cow (2 points)  - Push chest forward and back at two points
  
• Side to Side - (2 points) -  Push Shoulders bumping them left and then right or vice versa
  
• 4 Point Movement
  
• Cow - Shoulder - Cat - Shoulder to the left slowly and intentionally
  
• Cow - Shoulder - Cat - Shoulder to the right slowly and intentionally
  
• Cow - Shoulder - Cat - Shoulder to the left circling more and tracing the hoop
  
• Cow - Shoulder - Cat - Shoulder to the right circling more and tracing the hoop
  

With Hoop!

1. Waist to Chest Exercises - Both Currents
   

• Use a big hoop!
  
• Work with different kinds of music
  
• Try slowing down just a little
  
• Tips - Think Up!
  
• Hoop is on the chest when in cow, hoop is on your back in cat
  
• Stand up straight - do not hunch or bend
  
• Make big circles up!
  
• Arms up and Hold Fingers
  
• Shut Your Eyes!
  
• Practice, practice, practice

Arm in Practice

1. Hand Dips for Timing - Both Currents
   
2. One Arm In and Up and Down the body - Left arm in if going left; Right Arm in if   going Right
   
3. Opposite Arm In and Up and Down the body - Left arm in if going left; Right Arm in if going Right
   
4. Neck and Armpit Hooping - feel timing and then play with getting the second arm in and out when near the neck.
   
5. Shimmy Up
   

• Get your first arm in then quickly the second and shrug each shoulder to get the hoop up - think either UP - left right left right or vice versa depending on what current you are in (left or right current)
  
• Shoulders will be pushing a certain way like the circling you did in warm ups.
  
• Left Current - Left shoulder back and bump out to left as hoop rolls across shoulder, right shoulder bumps forward and out
  
• Right Current - Right shoulder back and bump out to right as hoop rolls across shoulder, left shoulder bumps forward and out.
  
• Other Techniques to get started

• Chest Stall Technique - place hoop on chest, arms in and spin til you can get a go circling motion started.  You have to spin fast!
• Neck to Chest - Neck down with one arm in then add the other arm in as above and begin the cat cow 4 point motion
  

Flourishes

• Arms dipping in and out
• Under Hoop Breaks
• Angles
• Barrell Rolls

Basically Practice, practice, practice!  Do your warm ups and make sure you do both sides - dominant and non-dominant!

Be a Yeti and keep going but take breaks as needed!  Listen to your bruises and use Arnica Gel on them!