Training Tip: Hip Key Drills

What makes a good Hip Key (or Scissor, as some know it)?

It all starts with that hip lift! You can’t have a good Hip Key without a ton of engagement from your obliques. You want to think of lifting your hips up to your elbows when you go to pick up the tails. Then we need to shoot the toes towards the ceiling and lift into a half inversion before folding into the final position. If we miss that second part, the silks will end up somewhere between our knees and our thighs, rather than tucked nicely up in your…uh…personal space.

Here’s a way to practice those two key pieces on the floor. It’s great to connect them so that you’re moving through the full motion in sequence. Sometimes we can do one component, then the other, but linking them together becomes an issue.

To do this:

⭐ Hit your Hollow Body position.

⭐ Lift one leg and bring it across so that it's as close to 90 degrees from your bottom leg as possible.

⭐ Do a side crunch, but think of bringing your hip to your shoulder, rather than lifting your upper body.

⭐ Lead into a straddle with that crossed leg, lifting your hips (think of Booty Bumps!).

⭐ Follow through to the other side until your legs meet again in another Hollow Body.

⭐ Reverse!

Do these on your own for conditioning and warm ups, or do them with us in the Cirque-It class!