Legs and Ballroom Fitness

[Artemia]

I am probably going to end up prefacing the first 50 threads I start this way but... "I'm new here, so please forgive me if this has been discussed elsewhere and I couldn't find it." :D


I've been a dancer all my life, but I was never very good until I found my one true love -- Belly Dance. However, I discovered that while belly dance encourages great abs and flexibility in the upper half of your body, we hide everything under a billowy skirt to disguise the really awkward things we have to do to our legs in order to get our hips to be as crazy as they are.

Now I've come to ballroom and to my dismay, the exact opposite is true. Instead of wearing huge skirts, some outfits either have no skirt at all or make sure every inch of the leg is visible when you move! Scream!

I've lost weight in the 9 months I've been dancing, but unfortunately it seems my body takes all the weight from the top half. I'm down to nearly no bra size, you can see my ribs ALL THE WAY AROUND and my stomach is flatter than it ever was when I belly danced. (And no, I don't starve myself in the least. I have always been a healthy eater, small meals throughout the day.)

Unfortunately, the rest of my body has decided to rebel. I'm building muscle in my legs but not burning off any fat, meaning I've actually grown a pant size since I started, while dropping a dress size due to the lack of anything other than skin on my upper body. Blech.

I come to you crying for help: How can I focus more on my lower body while dancing? I am willing to go to the gym as well, if there are things people know have worked for them. I will try anything at this point! I have a competition in April and I would love to be dancer-toned by then. 8 months is enough time, but I need help getting there.

Thanks for any suggestions you have for me!!

[latingal]

Hi Artemia....

Seems like muscles are the topic du jour lately. *grin*

Genetically we all have certain tendencies. But there are ways in which long lean and bulky muscles form. I am no expert but I can tell you that I have taken ballet and I've been an avid cyclist. When I trained in ballet, I have always developed long lean muscles in my legs (that is unless you use the wrong muscles!). When I was an avid mountain biker I had humungous quads. So I'm pretty sure what muscles you're using when and for what makes a difference.

Most of the ballroom and latin dancers I have seen do not have overly bulky leg muscles, and from what I know of latin and the muscle groups you're supposed to use when, I would have guessed this to be the case. So you may wish to check that you are not over using muscles in your legs.

As for burning fat in that area? That I have no idea.

But if you do want to assist your legs in developing long lean muscles, try a ballet class (and make sure you're using the correct muscles!!).

[samina]

Artemis, I found that my ankles, hips, and thighs really change shape when dancing standard and latin regularly, and it's only an improvement (caveat: see big calves thread, but I believe that's not the dancing at fault, but the way I have used my body).

Anyway, as for fat vs. muscle.... Keep at it. I suspect they'll start to trade place and give your legs a nice shape soon enuf.

[Artemia]

Le sigh.. you mean.. there's not a miracle cure in one day's worth of work?

I already dance 6 to 7 nights a week, plus I work 40h a week, lol, so I can't dance more than I do. I can only hope that keeping up with it will help!

Thanks and please keep the suggestions coming if anyone else has thoughts. :)

[latingal]

Le sigh.. you mean.. there's not a miracle cure in one day's worth of work?

*grin* I'm assuming you mean me...sorry, no miracle cures up my sleeve.

[Wolfgang]

'Spot reduction' is not possible.
It's a myth perpetrated by companies trying to sell you 'miracle' weight loss stuff.

Women's bodies tend to store fat first in the hip/thigh area, so that's where the last, stubborn holdouts are going to be.

Aside from adjusting your diet ( = smaller portions, less fat, duh....), nothing burns calories faster and more effectively than running and cross-country skiing (which can be sort of simulated on skates).

[3wishes]

"I'm building muscle in my legs but not burning off any fat, meaning I've actually grown a pant size since I started, while dropping a dress size due to the lack of anything other than skin on my upper body." wowee sounds like your actually building lean muscle mass. Where's Fascination? the resident physical fitness buff? She probably has a good take on what's going on with you. For me, my inches changed, and the hips were the last to go. Since I already train for downhill skiing every year - my hips and legs are the last to slim down. That said, every individual is different. When dancing - if I do alot of Salsa or high activity cardio (whole song dancing not just the 90 seconds worth) for at least 30 to 45 minutes every day - within a few weeks the weight starts coming off - first the inches - then the weight. However, I also don't eat anything with white flour or wheat in it which is the way I have eaten for years (for my health and it's not an option for me). You could try going to a totally organic way of eating and see if that jump starts the hips to lose it~!

[Artemia]

If I were to modify my diet at all, I would be open to suggestions. I do eat healthy, but not organic or super green, I still haven't met a carb I don't like! ^.^

P.S. I have never been taken in by those miracle weight loss programs, mostly because all of them seem to target "belly fat" and for some reason my belly has nothing but organs behind it... I don't think they'd find anything to work on with me.

[tanya_the_dancer]

Artemis, I found that my ankles, hips, and thighs really change shape when dancing standard and latin regularly, and it's only an improvement (caveat: see big calves thread, but I believe that's not the dancing at fault, but the way I have used my body).

Anyway, as for fat vs. muscle.... Keep at it. I suspect they'll start to trade place and give your legs a nice shape soon enuf.

Yeah, I think it would be nice to merge these two threads (this one and big calves, that is). They're pretty much about the same thing.

[Chiron]

Yep, unfortunately you can't spot reduce as Wolfgang said. Genetics are going to determine where you store your fat. For you it sounds like thighs, you have to get your body fat low enough to burn that off as well. Keep eating healthy and try not to eat too many processed carbs.

Cardio (e.g. distance running, distance biking, distance swimming, hours at the dance studio) tends to help keep the body from bulking up. I forget what the horomones are that are released, but it tends to make you burn fat and muscle, this will usually result in the long/lean look you see in dancers/distance runners.

Keep exercising, dancing, and eating healthy. I've known people who were training for marathons to not drop any weight for several months then suddenly drop 10 lbs.

If all else fails, start dancing standard so you can wear the long ballgowns.

[WorksForShoes]

Artemia, I do both belly dance and ballroom as well, and I understand your concern. Depending on how long you've been doing each discipline, it could be that you are carrying over some of the technique from one discipline incorrectly into another and building muscles inappropriately. For me, I started ballroom first, so my eight work in belly dance has a decidedly Latin/rhythm feel to it unless I really try to not let that happen. If the reverse is true for you, perhaps doing exercises like rumba walks or such basic ballroom skills with good ballroom technique will build the right muscles and muscle memory. (Edited to clarify: And it seems to me that doing exercises "wrong" for the discipline sometimes creates some questionable-looking muscle development.)

Diet-wise, for me, I can always see it on my body if I have allowed myself to consume more than a marginal amound of high fructose corn syrup. The corn processing industry can say what it wants about HFCS being the same as sugar, but for some reason my "back fat" or lack thereof is an outward sign of whether I had HFCS or regular sugar in that pop or tea.

[samina]

They're pretty much about the same thing.
To my mind, not exactly. It's only the calves I'm interested in, and not fat reduction...

[chachachacat]

Calf Muscles are GOOD!
(I missed the other thread, so I might be misunderstanding.)

They give the leg shape, and that's part of the beautiful dancer's leg!

[samina]

I like calf muscles too. But...well...that's for the Big Calves thread.

[Artemia]

WorksForShoes, amusingly enough, I also see rhythm influence in my belly dancing! I think that the cuban hips are just too alluring to leave out, and some of my transition steps have become noticeably blurred. I suppose since I don't teach belly dance anymore, it's better that ballroom is slipping into my belly dance rather than the other way around, hee. (I can force myself to dance proper tribal, but when I'm freestyling my toes will turnout and it all gets crazy from there.)

I don't have any issues with muscle memory, but that's a really good tip in case anything like that starts cropping up, thanks!

I am pondering a personal trainer once a week to give me a routine of some sort outside of ballroom, but I tried that back in college and it really didn't seem to help. Does anyone have any ideas of gym work that helped them with their ballroom?

[Wolfgang]

If you get a personal trainer, I'd suggest a private one.
The ones you find at gyms tend to be basically glorified membership sales people.

Keep in mind that things like weight lifting do not burn calories very effectively, they're more for toning and strengthening your muscles, not for fat loss.

Only cardio (lots and lots of cardio) can do that, combined with a good diet.
Check your portion sizes - the average American eats about double or triple the amount of food they actually need.
Focus on veggies (raw if possible), whole grain carbs (bread, rice, pasta), try to eliminate things like sauces, toppings (you can supercharge a salad with dressings,nuts, bacon bits, etc. until it blows any triple cheeseburger out of the water...), quit drinking sodas if you do, read the labels on juices.
Most 'juices' you find at the grocery store are basically corn syrup drinks in disguise.
Your default drink is water.
You don't need any kind of Gatorade, Powerade or other -ade unless maybe if you're an actual endurance athlete performing longer than 90 minutes in extreme conditions.
Return things like candy bars, brownies, cakes, donuts etc. to their rightful place: special treats on special occasions (birthday, Halloween, Christmas and such).
Americans have a strong tendency to eat every single day of the year as though it was Thanksgiving.

[Artemia]

Those are good tips, thanks!

Most of them I already follow, yay! Water is my staple, though I do drink a lot of tea at work because I sit at a desk all day and it's my substitute for caffeinated sodas.

My treat is a glass of apple juice with lunch some days. Somewhat sugary but when mixed with water a little goes a long way. Yum. :)

I don't snack, but in contrast I don't eat as many veggies as I should so I will get back into that. We used to be part of this farm program where we would get the fresh veggies from their farm that week, but it was about a 45 minute drive to pick them up once a week so we stopped. I will have to start my own program, just drive the 25 to the grocery store instead.

I also like the idea of whole grains... it's easy to do with bread but it requires conscious effort to make it into the pasta, etc, when lazy buying steers you to the normal stuff. I take this as a challenge!!

As for portion sizes, I can barely ever finish a meal. I think my stomach is too small. It has led me to be the source of ridicule with my friends on the rare occasions I go out, but that's alright... the portions served at restaurants are too big anyway.

Ok, apparently I felt the need to redeem myself, but I MEANT to use this reply to thank you for the tips that I need to shape up on, and will be doing so in order to help achieve my goal.

So, thanks much, I appreciate it!

[3wishes]

uhhhh, try, for 30 days, a clean organic way of eating. NO processed foods. You may be really surprised at how much energy and how much weight change you actually have.

[samina]

uhhhh, try, for 30 days, a clean organic way of eating. NO processed foods. You may be really surprised at how much energy and how much weight change you actually have.
absolutely! getting rid of processed foods, including white sugar and white salt, is huge. affects not just your energy, but can help stabilize moods, sleep, and mental power.

you might get some ideas to help you jack up the veggies and raw stuff by checking out my live green smoothie site...that's a handy thing to be able to throw into your bag when you're on-the-go.

[MultiFaceted Dancer]

Those are good tips, thanks!

Most of them I already follow, yay! Water is my staple, though I do drink a lot of tea at work because I sit at a desk all day and it's my substitute for caffeinated sodas.

My treat is a glass of apple juice with lunch some days. Somewhat sugary but when mixed with water a little goes a long way. Yum. :)

I don't snack, but in contrast I don't eat as many veggies as I should so I will get back into that. We used to be part of this farm program where we would get the fresh veggies from their farm that week, but it was about a 45 minute drive to pick them up once a week so we stopped. I will have to start my own program, just drive the 25 to the grocery store instead.

I also like the idea of whole grains... it's easy to do with bread but it requires conscious effort to make it into the pasta, etc, when lazy buying steers you to the normal stuff. I take this as a challenge!!

As for portion sizes, I can barely ever finish a meal. I think my stomach is too small. It has led me to be the source of ridicule with my friends on the rare occasions I go out, but that's alright... the portions served at restaurants are too big anyway.

Ok, apparently I felt the need to redeem myself, but I MEANT to use this reply to thank you for the tips that I need to shape up on, and will be doing so in order to help achieve my goal.

So, thanks much, I appreciate it!

I have been been dancing a little over 7 yrs and in the last 1 1/2 yrs, I have added Ice Skating to my activities once a week for 2 hours (yes. here in S.W. Fla -they have 2 Iceskating rinks open year round) Besides giving my legs nice shape and tone it also helped to tighten and raise up my bottom area. On another note it has dramatically changed and truely helped my dancing -ie- being on balance -weight on or over my spine. I practice lowering into my knees, push off from my standing leg,skating on one foot, Develop A's and so forth. No Trainer per say but at my own pace with a fellow girlfriend we supplement our dancing with Iceskating.She is more the Iceskater and I am more the Dancer. Maybe, If you had a rink near-by, this type of exercise might help you as well.