Abstract: A personal exercise and strength building hoop is disclosed. The hoop has two handles attached at diametrically opposing positions, and are used for grasping the device. The hoop includes a central core made of a flexible, resilient rod material, and further includes a compliant foam outer covering suitable for grasping. The covering is preferably circular in cross-section, while the core is preferably rectangular in cross section. The hoop has a spring constant in diametric compression of approximately 0.4 to 1.6 pounds per inch, and a spring constant in diametric expansion of approximately 1.3 to 3.7 pounds per inch. A person's muscle groups may be exercised over a range of motion of approximately 24 inches in compression and 10 inches in expansion. An auxiliary tensioning device may be removably attached between the handles, or at points between the handles, for increasing the expansion and compression spring constants, respectively.