Tag: goals

Lesson Recap.

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hoopprogressreport

My hoop goddess Geri says my chest hooping looks GREAT but I don’t believe her! I think I doubt her because I can’t do it for very long. I get tired. It’s really exhausting. Like, REALLY exhausting. If you are out of shape. Like I am.

She’s the expert so I will take her word for it. She has challenged me to turn while I am doing it, which I don’t feel coordinated enough to do, but I’ll do it…and she wants me to try to put an arm in. And then the other arm. And I’m thinking, lady, you are cray if you think I am good enough to do that…but I just do what she says. I am actually not as negative about it as I seem. I like hooping because it is a challenge, and therefore I don’t think about anything else except what I am doing. Feeling the hoop go around me, adjusting my body here and there to try to make it work better. I don’t listen to music very often because I work in short bursts, and it is too much to get the right hoop music going for such a small amount of time. So it is a very focused exercise each time.  Anyway. I digress.

Other things we went over:

  • Isolations. Love how these look, so I want to get good at them. Also, they hurt my arms so I am expecting to acquire some SICK MUSCLES.
  • Turning while spinning the hoop. I don’t know what to call this. Moving my hand from inside the hoop to outside and back again.
  • Mandalas behind the back. These are fun too, but a little tricky.
  • Leg hooping. We briefly touched on this. This is another area that I fully expect to be tricky for me (like the chest hooping is). I haven’t really tried it yet.

https://instagram.com/p/2UEo5TOFWC/?taken-by=aprildesigns

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Oh! And I almost forgot! I bought a new hoop. She’s a beauty, in my favorite colors (pink and black). She’s a lot smaller and lighter and I have quite a crush on her. I haven’t tried waist/hip/leg hooping with her yet because I have not been feeling so hot this week, but as soon as I am feeling better I will take her out for more of a spin.

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Chest Hooping For Nerds.

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Oh, so ill-equipped for the chest hooping. Geri was teaching me how to chest hoop with my hands in the air like I just don’t care. She even had me try it while sitting down. Guys, that is shit is no joke. Holy crap! I cannot believe what a workout it is to get a circular tube to roll around your chest. Or even just your body. But especially your chest. Dang. I’ve got some work to do.

She has challenged me to be good at it in time for our next session (which I sneakily have not scheduled yet) so we can build on it by throwing an arm in. Or two. Or I don’t know. We’ll see how good I can get before then. I’m anticipating the appearance of some bulging back muscles within the next few weeks….

I’ll throw some videos up over the course of the next few weeks so you can see how it goes.

Whoa Dude.

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https://instagram.com/p/1JFsvUuFeQ/

 

Guys. I am totally down 5 lbs! This is definitely due to integrating hooping into my routine (and taming my sweet tooth a bit). Between that and Zumba, I am trying to do something active every day. And it is paying off! The cool thing is that with the hooping, it doesn’t feel like work and I don’t even do it very much…like I mentioned previously, I practice here and there throughout the day when I want a break from the computer screen or need to let the dogs outside.

Rock hard abs, I’m coming for ya!

Progress Report

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hoopprogressreport

Today I had another lesson with Geri over at The Hoop Shack. I think she was happy with my progression since last time. I haven’t been putting in hours of practice every night…really, I just practice whenever I let the dogs outside or want to take a break from the computer. It helps that I work from home, but you could easily take your hoop to work and accomplish the same thing in the parking lot or a conference room. In fact, I’ve done that before too! So I end up working in a few 10-15 minute bursts of hooping throughout the day. It adds up! It’s enough for a song or two, or just skip the music and enjoy the fresh air.

I walked away with some homework. A lot. Sometimes I worry I am going to forget something that we talked about, so I make a few notes when I get home. Two big things I will be working on the next couple weeks:

1. Hip Hooping – Geri explained that this is a good foundation to build on for leg hooping. Plus, it works your abs! A lot!

2. Working on the motions for eventual chest hooping. Chest hooping frightens me a little, because right now I do not feel loose enough or graceful enough to get there. Some of our dances in Zumba involve some chest rolls, and I feel like such a nerdy girl trying to be hip. I can’t do it. Hopefully, with some practice, I’ll get there in Zumba AND in hooping.

We also did some vertical work. I was a flag in junior high through high school, so I feel like some of the motions here are similar and familiar. Still, circle vs stick. A little different.

Here’s a little flag throwback. Ah, parades….

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Short-Term Hooping Goals.

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Things I am still working on this month:

1. Feeling equal in capability in both hooping directions. I am decent, but I definitely, definitely have a stronger side.

2. Lifting the hoop off my body. Sometimes it goes flying, sometimes I just don’t have the momentum to keep it spinning once it is mid-lift.

3. Putting the hoop back on my waist from halo…with my non-dominant hand. Or, basically anything with the weaker hand.

I have video of the lift-off move, I will put that up later gator. For now, just use your creative brain to imagine someone doing the move moderately-well.

Long-Term Hooping Goals.

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1. Lose some pounds.

Since I have been with my husband, I have been carrying around an extra 25 pounds. Yeesh. If I can spin some of this off (get it? get it?), I will feel much better (and much stronger.)

2. Learn all the tricks.

You know, the ones that all the hula hoopers know.

3. Find my hooping style.

I see so many different dance styles within the hula hooping community, and I am working towards finding my own personality as a hooper. This also includes fine-tuning my hooper fashion, because FUN.

4. Video-diary monthly progress.

This is the easiest way to show off what I am learning.

5. Connect with other hoopers.

Because this is how you learn.

I would like to get to the point where I am confident enough in my skills to justify purchasing one of those swanky LED light hoops. (Good to have a reward for your effort, amiright??) For now, practice, practice, practice….