Which Hoop is the Best for Me?

I’ve been asked many times questions like:

• “How do i know which hoop is right for me?”
• “What size hoop should i get?”
• “what is the difference between single and double point hoop?”
• “Can i hang a hoop in my house?”

So i decided to answer these questions and give all this information and than some.

• How do i know which hoop is right for me?

There are different types of hoops.

There are single point hoops like this hoop from Fire Toys:

Single Point Aerial Hoop

There are double point hoops like this hoop from Fire Toys:

Fire Toys Double Point Aerial Hoop

There are hoops that are thicker and there are hoops that are thinner and there are heavier and lighter hoops.

So… what is the difference?

The single point hoop will spin faster than the double point one.
On top of the double point hoop you can do different exercises than on the single point one, so it really depends on what you like, what you are used to, and what you are interested in.
You can choose a thicker or thinner hoop according to what is comfortable to you, bigger or smaller hands might be an issue here.
A heavy hoop will spin faster than a lighter hoop.

After you take all these factors under consideration, you are now one step closer in deciding which hoop is good for you.

• What size hoop should i get?

the simple answer to this question is – you measure.

But measure what?
well, you measure the height between your feet and your lower back.

You stand like in the photo bellow:

This height is the inner diameter of your hoop.

• Can i hang a hoop in my house?

Don’t hang your hoop yourself. You need to have a concrete ceiling or a concrete belt, you can’t hang your hoop of a regular building blocks ceiling.Hire somebody who knows how to do it – a professional, and ask an engineer’s advice – Don’t do it yourself!

So here you go, I hope I have helped you to get one step closer with your decision in which hoop you like.

If you have any edit suggestions or questions regarding this article, I will be more than happy to know.

XXX
Emily

Grand Split / Splits Away – Aerial Hoop Class for Beginners

The Grand Split is a beginner's move. It is a pose by itself but it is also a transition to a lot of other moves.

It is a relatively easy move, but the way you get in and out of it is very important.

I always teach this move on the 1st or 2nd lesson, because this is how my students start to understand not only the move itself but also how important it is to be smooth and to keep your movements clean.

In this video you can see how I get in and out of this position. See how I get out of the sitting position into the grand split, and how I come back into sitting position. I avoid extra movements or unnecessary touches, and I always remember to engage my shoulders and keep them down and very strong.

If you can't take your back leg to a split at the beginning, just point it down to the ground. Don't worry about it, in time you will manage to get your split on the ground, and this will help you to take your leg to the back and into the grand split.

Enjoy and please let me know what you think of it!

Emily Cage

How to Get Your Splits FAST – You Can’t!

Lately I see in many of my YouTube wanderings, videos on "How to get your splits FAST".

You can't get your splits fast. 

Getting your splits, like every flexibility skills, takes time and work.

In order to be able to do your splits you need to take your time and start with a good warm up. Hence you need to stretch, keeping in mind the difference between a good stretch and a bad one (one that feels like a pinch or a sharp pain).

Working on splits can take several months and it is OK. It should take time and you mustn't put too much pressure on your body, as it may cause injuries.

Take your time, inch by inch and you will see the different. Practice at least 3 times a week, and keep a day of rest in between each session. If your muscles are too stiff, breath in and while letting the air out, try to intensify the stretch. Be patient with your body and it will be kind to you :-)

When I started to work on splits, I was able to reach a split of 90 degrees approximately. I never thought I will be able to do a full split, but after a hard work of several months, I got there.

It is usually easier for one leg to do the split than for the other. When my right leg's hamstrings got injured due to an excessive practice on my splits, a friend advised me wisely to take the opportunity to work on my other leg's split, and therefore today I have good splits on both legs.

It is always better to work on flexibility on both sides of the body so that everything will be balanced and just as strong. Imbalance can cause back pains and posture problems.

Another important thing that helps is magnesium.

Magnesium is a supplement that I take every day before going to sleep. It helps to relax the muscles and this way, the day after a workout, your muscles are ready for the stretch again. I never work out if my muscles are cramped.

You can check the warm up for splits and the splits on my "Warm Up for Aerial" video starting at 08:40 min.

Send me your stretching photos and I would love to post them, and always remember to be kind to your body!

xxx

Emily Cage

Today Is The Day That You Will Do Your First Pull-Up!

I am going to create a video soon to show some aerial conditioning exercises that will make you stronger. Meanwhile, I've found a very good YouTube tutorial for "How to do your first pull-up".

Pull ups are really important for the overall aerial conditioning that you do.

Always remember, start small, not everything at once.

So here is something to encourage you:

Keeping Your Balance – Aerial Tutorial

The first thing I teach, after teaching How to Get on the Hoop, is how to keep your balance.

Finding your balance is very important both physically and mentally. You need to learn how to find your balance in each position on the hoop (as in life :) ) and so this is a good way to start.

Also, when you take 1-2 minutes to find your balance, you actually prepare yourself to start practice. It's like the mental process you go through when you warm up.

This balance that I bring on this tutorial is similar to the Navasana pose in yoga:

photo was taken from Wikipedia

You sit on your sitting bones, which is the lower part of your pelvis:

photo was taken from the website yoga.about.com

So here's the tutorial, please let me know what you think:

xxx
Emily Cage

The Ball – Pike – A beginner’s position

The Ball - Pike Mount - is a beginner's pose.

That was my nemesis when i just started learning aerial hoop.

The hardest thing with this position is that in life we are not used to make our abdominal muscles to work in this way, so please, don't get upset if this doesn't work for the first time.

Practice again and again, do only part of this exercise if you can't do all of it, and i promise you that in time you'll get there.

*This video contains annotations so the best way to see it is on full screen mode and not on i-pad, i-phone etc. because annotations need flash.

If you have any questions, i will be glad to answer!

 xxx

Emily Cage

Still Posting On This Blog

I have noticed that many of you still visit this blog, so i'll be posting my tutorials and articles here as well as on my website www.flyandfit.com .

I would love to hear comments from you guys!

xx

Emily