How to Do the Worm

While the Worm was seen during the 1970s punk emergence and popularized in the infancy of '80s hip-hop and dance funk, apparently the iconic break-dancing move was first invented in the 1920s. Despite almost a century of use, it's alive and well in the 21st century. Next time Grandmaster Flash pops up on a party shuffle, clear the floor and do the Worm.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Clear an open space. It should be about the length of your body wide and three lengths long (to be safe).
2. Get a rhythm going. When the music starts, begin bouncing your body to it. Nothing flashy, just get a feel for it.
3. When you catch the beat, fall forward with a slight hop off of your feet. Prevent yourself from jumping in the air, but do offer a little spring as you descend.
4. Catch yourself with your hands. As you near the floor, your arms should be extended. Once they make contact, palms down, slow your fall with your upper body. You'll be exerting slightly less effort than you would during a pushup.
5. Arch your back, thrusting your chest out.
6. Roll or rock onto your chest, beginning near the sternum. As you did, tense your legs and push them back. This will keep them from flailing about and form a crescent shape in your body.
7. When rocking forward, push up forcefully when your chin nears the ground. This will kick you legs immediately to the ground.
8. Right when your toes touch the ground, kick up and out with them. This offers forward motion and sends your torso back toward the ground.
9. Repeat steps 4 through 8.
10. Repeat step 9. It's not a worm without at least three undulations.

Tips & Warnings

• Once you get going, trying starting with a leap. You can get more movement that way and, ultimately, do a better Worm.
• Watch your chin. On any forward progress, be aware of your chin. The move is pretty chaotic, and if you don't have control, you could land chin-first. It hurts.