Flexing for Beginners: The Basics and Key Rules

Flexing is a dance that requires excellent stretching, especially of the arms, because almost all basic movements are performed with the hands. Stretching is needed to avoid injury during training and to prevent arm muscle soreness.

There are several effective stretching exercises that will help tone your arms.

1. Kneel down and bend forward. Straighten your arms and stretch them forward. Freeze for a few seconds. Then return to the starting position. Repeat this exercise at least ten times to properly warm up your arm muscles. Don't overdo it.

2. Support yourself on the floor with your palms and knees. Your toes should point outward, and your fingers should point toward your knees. Press your palms firmly against the floor and gradually lean back to stretch your forearms well. Freeze for about fifteen seconds. Then relax a bit and repeat the exercise several times.

3. Next, stand up. Slightly bend your knees. Pull one elbow behind your head and simultaneously lean to the side. Do the same with the other arm. Remember to breathe; don't hold your breath. Sometimes this happens unconsciously during exercises.

Now that you've warmed up, you can start learning the basic flexing moves.

1. First, find something suitable to practice bending your arms, such as a towel, stick, or similar item. Hold it with both hands. It shouldn't be too heavy to avoid difficulties in learning new exercises.

So, take the item in your hands and raise them above your head. Then bend your elbows backward.

Start with the right arm, then the left. Slowly lower your arms behind your back without straightening your elbows. Then slowly return your arms to the starting position, bringing your elbows back. If you succeeded, repeat the movement several times. Take your time to avoid injury. Later, you can practice starting with the left arm instead of the right.

2. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tense your shoulder and lift it up and down. Keep it tense. You can even bend your arm at the elbow for this. The movement should be sharp, not smooth. Up and down.

3. For flexing, it's also important to learn to tense other muscles, such as the neck, so you can move your head properly without consequences. Tense the muscles as hard as possible, then suddenly relax. While tense, turn your head in each direction. Stretch your head and neck forward and then back.

4. Next, tense the muscles of your arms, legs, neck, and shoulders. Imagine you are frozen. In this position, twist your torso right and left, forward and backward, and in circles. Nothing should be loose. Stay tense—don't relax.

These are the basic exercises to remember for your first step in learning flexing. Also, remember that in this style, you need to learn to hear pauses in the music, as some movements should stop during those pauses. The dancer freezes briefly, then continues dancing.

Flexing is not the simplest street dance style because you need to be able to bend the joints of all limbs. Without proper stretching and preparation, it's best not to attempt it, as you could injure yourself.