Move · Videos · Technique · 7 min

Popping Basics for Beginners: How to Pop Your Arms

Popping Basics for Beginners: How to Pop Your Arms — video by Versa-Style Street Dance Company Play · 6:33

Video by Versa-Style Street Dance Company on YouTube · Open on YouTube

Leigh 'Breeze-Lee' Foaad of Versa-Style Street Dance Company teaches the arm pop for popping: squeeze the forearm, biceps and triceps together on the beat, relax in between, then pop without a fist and practise to music. A first lesson for new poppers.

  • 7 min
  • Beginner
  • Low impact (no jumping)
  • No equipment

Good forDancing for fun

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Step by step 6

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  1. Hold your arms out and squeeze a tight fist for eight counts to feel the tension, then relax. 1:01
  2. Squeeze for four counts, then two, relaxing in between each time. 1:37
  3. Pop on every count, relaxing between pops so each one stays sharp. 2:08
  4. Pop without a fist: drop the wrist, as if revving a motorbike, to flex the whole arm. 2:48
  5. Eight counts of fist-free arm pops with no music, three times. 3:31
  6. Pop your arms to the music, trying different directions. 4:09

The steps are a summary in our words, checked against the video — the coach shows every move.

Form cues from the coach

  • Squeeze the forearm, biceps and triceps together, then relax fully between pops
  • Drop the wrist, as if revving a motorbike, to flex the arm without making a fist
  • Start with an eight-count squeeze, then four, two and one count

What it works

Tap an area for more videos that work it.

Joints it uses light on the joints

  • Shoulders movesarms held out while popping
  • Elbows movesflexing and relaxing the whole arm
  • Wrists & hands movestight fists and wrist drops on each pop

A guide to the joints this video’s moves load, from what the coach does — not medical advice. Some ache is normal; stop if a joint hurts sharply. How joints are rated

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Video by Versa-Style Street Dance Company; the summary, steps, cues, body areas and joint notes are Notbroken’s, written from what the coach actually does in the video and checked a second time. Warm up first, take the easier options until a move feels easy, and stop if you feel sharp pain, chest pain or dizziness. General instruction, not advice for your body. About & safety