Lockdown can be a tough time – not gonna lie. It’s monotonous. It can be anxiety-inducing. It’s HARD! Maybe it’s time to pick up your hula hoop and level up! Put on some fantastic leggings (or pyjamas are fine too) and get ready for some hula hoop training. If you’ve got a hoop, and a bit of space in the backyard, living room or can get to a park, then it’s time for some hula hoop training. If you want to seriously level up your hoop game, do these 10 drills for 10 minutes every day for 10 days.
This 10-drill hula hoop training series includes:
- on body moves
- off body moves
- transitions for flow
- grip changes
In just 10 mins we’ll get the blood pumping AND level up your hooping at the same time.
Unfortunately, it looks like this COVID-19 new (not) normal is here to stay for the immediate future. So, any kind of training – be it hoop dance, balance tricks, or hula hoop training has gotta be good, and in this case carries the bonus of upskilling in the hoop.
Find it hard to stay motivated on your own? I hear you! Grab a hoop buddy, or grab a hooper (they will soon become your buddy) and do these hula hoop training drills together for 10 mins a day for 10 days… You could do it via Zoom or at a safe distance from one another in your local area – depending on what the local lockdown rules are of course..
Up for it? Let’s go! Or just casually scroll through and check out the hula hoop training videos first 😉
Hula hoop training – 10 Drills for Skills
If you don’t need to learn each of the drills, you can scroll down to the end of this blog and jump straight into the full length drills video and train with me!
1. This one’s handy
We begin with a front plane hand spin. Turning the hand in different directions, it takes a bit of brain power and resistance on the arm to keep the hoop moving smoothly. Turn your hand up, to the side, down, and try with both hands. Bonus for those wanting to take it up a notch with your hula hoop training: outstretch your arm, and keep it spinning on your hand. There’s not a specific tutorial for this one like there is for the other moves in the 10 Drills series as there’s an assumed knowledge of a hand spin here – holler at me if you need a hand with it! (see what I did there? 😉 ) Consider this drill the warm-up drill to get you started.
2. Changing hands
We gotta balance hula hoop training on both sides of the body, and use both hands. From the front plane spin, sliiiide the other hand in alongside the hand with the hoop on it and aim for a smooth transfer. Keep it spinning! And change, and change, and change.
3. Getting the thumb into it – transition for flow
This is a useful transition for opening up your flow and making more things possible. It’s a hand to thumb transition which is super handy for joining inside-grip moves to outside-grip moves. The drill has a nice count to it and you should definitely work this one on both hands as part of your hula hoop training!
4. Throw up
Move from an inside to outside hand position on your hoop using a little throw and catch. This hula hoop training drill requires you to watch your ceiling! Go easy with the mini-throw and don’t use too much force. This is another transitional move which will really open up your flow by allowing you a smooth way to go from an inside grip to an outside grip – or vice versa!
5. Get Waisted
We go to the waist. Bend your knees into a squat to work those glutes, then straighten up again. Hula hoop TRAINING indeed! Work hard to squeeze the knees and keep pushing the core. BONUS level, arms up! Or out to the side. Puffing yet? They don’t be calling this hula hoop training for nuffin’!
6. P-Push it real good. Show me dem breaks!
Time for some breaks! Starting with 5 rotations in each direction before BREAK and send it back the other way. This hula hoop training drill is great for dexterity, spacial awareness and timing. We work on going down (minimising the number of rotations between breaks) and then back up again. This counting pattern is called diminishes. It will all make sense when you watch the video.
7. Neck + arms up: taking hula hoop training up a notch
Neck hooping. If you do this one right, it should work the whole body. Remember to be gentle on yourself with this one. Our necks are sensitive and neck hooping can feel confronting – that’s why we only do this drill for a minute. No matter how hard your body is working, continue to relax, breathe and be mindful not to strain your neck. The movement starts from the ground up and engages the core and legs, with a small side-to-side motion to keep it spinning. From there we’re going to insert one arm in, then remove it again. Work on switching your arms through the centre – one, then the other. Remember: push into the armpit, and once you’ve done your count, switch arms down the centre line of your body.
8. Underhand shoulder breaks
Twist your body into the break, and from underneath, bring a hand up (palm facing you) to send the hoop back the way it came. This is a pretty techy hula hoop training move so do it ‘til you can! Ask your body to do something enough times and it WILL work it out. You’ll be amazed at how fast you’ll pick this up by drilling it, even for just a little bit at a time. Play with speed – creating slow, and fast breaks. I believe in you! You got this!
9. Banging beats: shoulder breaks for a hula hoop training challenge
From underhand shoulder breaks we start to count the beats between breaks, which means counting when the hoop hits your chest.1-1, 2-2 3-3, and back down again. Think of it as having a “break battle” with yourself or with your buddy, if they’re joining you!
10. It’s all in the balance
Balances are a great way to conclude your hula hoop training. Having done all these hula hoop training drills you will find your connection to your body and your hoop is stronger so balance comes easier. But we’re not done yet! Balances build strength in the shoulders, arm muscles, and core. Pop the hoop on your palm, and look toward the very top of the hoop. Use your breath to ground into your body and find the stillness of holding it in space.
The Full Drill Thang
Here we go, all 10 drills one after the other. Once you have learnt all the moves, this is the video you want to use to train each day and follow along with me.
Hula hoop training is whatever you make it! You could add in or combine any number of your own moves to create a drill set that works for you! If you made it through these 10 hula hoop training drills for 10 days, well done. We salute you! If you’re feeling up for a new hoop challenge, check out the 10 days breaks challenge for all things breaks, or the 5 days twins challenge for some sweet next-level two hoop tech.
We’d love to hear what hula hoop training drills you are working on so feel free to tag @donnasparx on IG. Let’s share ideas, connect and level up during this lockdown.
Remember the 3P’s: Practise, patience and persistence!
Bonus! Free Two Hoops Warm-Up (Private Link 😉 )
As a special treat for making it to the end of this blog, I hereby reward you with a delicious two hoops warm-up here – to get you started.. 😉 It’s a private video on my YouTube channel just for you! I’ve got heaps of other free tutorials on my Youtube channel too.
Hoop on, twin friends.
