Strength: Your Legs

Strength and flexibility come hand in hand.  Even though it may seem like flexibility is everything, it's not.  You need to be able to hold your legs up high using your muscles!  Just like flexibility, strengthening your leg muscles takes time.  It could take up to four weeks or even up to years or hard work.  


In this post, we will focus on your leg muscles.  During class, it is important that you always tighten your knees.  This strengthens your muscle called the quadricep, or your thighs.  This is what will hold your leg up high; it helps with extension.  Another exercise to try are squats or grand pliés.  


For your calves, relevés are the best thing to do.  Whether you do them with plié or without, it is important that you do them nice and slow.  Make sure that you keep your legs tight while you are doing this.  

In dance, we use our hamstrings quite a bit when we jump.  It is important to do lunges or leg lifts to strengthen them.

To work your inner leg muscles, lie on your back with your legs straight up in the air and your feet pointed.  Switch them back and forth in fifth position.  Do this ten times.  Then move your legs down towards the floor a little.  Do it again for ten times.  Do this until they're almost touching the floor.  This exercise also strengthens not only your inner leg muscles, but also your core!


Do this once a day, and you'll be good to go!

 

Flexibility!

Extension is important when it comes to dance, ballet especially!  We've all seen the end product, but how do we get there?  How do we get to that?

How do I do that?

Like anything else you do in life, it takes time!  Depending on how flexible you are now and how flexible you want to be, it could take anywhere from a month to a couple of years.

Some of the following stretches are good to do in your free time:

1. Lunges –– Stand in a good forth position with your right leg behind you.  Lunge down.  Try to straighten your right leg (or leg that is behind you) all the way so that it is not touching the ground.  Don't lift your heel off the ground.  Stay down there for thirty to sixty seconds.  Then switch.  Repeat four times on both sides. 

2. Front splits –– Put one of your legs in front of you, and go down into a split.  Try to straighten and turn out both of your legs.  Try to stay squared, if you can.  Stay here for one minute.  Then come up and repeat on the other side.  (If you can do all of this, stretch forward and back for thirty seconds.)

3. Straddle splits #1 –– Open your legs to the side.  Take your right arm and stretch side to the left.  Stay there for thirty seconds.  Then, come back up, and stretch forward as much as you can.  Stay here for one minute and then come back up.  Then, take your left arm and stretch to the right.  Stay there for thirty seconds.  Then, stretch forward.  Repeat this for four times. 

4. Straddle splits #2 –– Open your legs up to the wall.  Sit up straight.  Push forward as much as you can.  Stay here for five minutes and then stop.  (Make sure you keep your legs straight!)

5. Straddle splits #3 –– Lie on your back, and put your legs up onto a wall.  Then, let them go down into a straddle split.  Gravity will pull it down.  Stay here until it starts to hurt.  (Not sort of hurt, really hurt!)

6. Use a stretcher from Discount Dance!

Here are a couple links:
Anaheim Ballet: 3 Steps: Instructional Stretching
Intermediate Ballet Dancing : How to Stretch before Dancing Ballet
Free Flexibility Video: 5-Minute Stretch Routine 

If you do some of these stretches each day, you're only one step closer to the final product!

And, guess what?  You not only need flexibility, but also strength!  Stay in tuned for a whole article on strengthening your body!

Summer goals!

Summer is coming up, which means summer intensives/camps for most of you guys!  It is important that during the summer you set one or two goals that are important for you.  I love seeing my improvement from the beginning to the end!  My summer goals are:

1. Flexibility!
2. Triple pirouttes!
3. Core strengthening!

 Now, after you choose what you want to improve on, then you ask "How do I improve that?"

1. Flexibility –– stretch a little each day
2. Triple pirouttes –– try to not leave class without doing one on each side
3. Core –– crunches, planks, etc.

Now, all you have to do, is do it!   


Remember, when setting your goals, you want to make sure it's measurable, and you can obtain it (it's not too difficult to do).  You may want to set a date, in my case, it would be by the end of the summer.  I hope this helps!