Physical Conditioning

[123N]

How do you improve your stamina for competition? Any work outs like weight training that would improve one’s physical endurance?

I was exhausted during and after four rounds in a comp recently.

[Sagitta]

1. Building aerobic capacity.

2. Strengthening the muscles that are used in dancing - weight traning,pilates etc..

[mamboqueen]

I'd include yoga because it really helps with your breathing/lung capacity.

[dTas]

if you simply want to increase stamina then do more aerobic activity; aerobics in its various forms (obviously), or running, cycling, swimming.

if you want to improve your balance and natural abilities then yoga, pilates are really good core development exercises.

if you want strength then hit the weights.

[Ithink]

Dancing is not really a cardio activity (except maybe the viennese waltz). While doing really intensive cardio really helps, you might want to do interval training to simulate rounds... Like get on a machine run hard for 1.5 minutes, rest for 15 seconds, run again for 1.5min, rest and so on. It's really more like dancing rounds than doing 30 minutes of straight cardio or something.

Weights do help but don't overdo it by building bulk. Strength is good but bulk is not. Yoga/Pilates in some forms also build strength but not bulk. They also build core strength, which helps with balance, and flexibility. I don't do yoga now because I still need to lose some weight but once I do that through cardio, I plan to take up more yoga to maintain and tone more...

[smoozer]

Rounds with 2.5 or 3 min dances. Several rounds back to back. It will amaze you how easy 90 seconds is if you do more on a regular basis. This will also show you what breaks down first when you become fatiged.

[alemana]

ditto the interval training comment.

my regimen for off-the-dancefloor training includes:

1. weight training (with a trainer but easy to learn yourself) 2 times a week (hard), plus weight-bearing calisthenics 2 more times/week (pushups, dips, crunches, pull/chinups)

2. pilates 1-2 times/week

3. cardio training 3-4 times/week (i use the elliptical machine because my knees are shot)

[123N]

ditto the interval training comment.

my regimen for off-the-dancefloor training includes:

1. weight training (with a trainer but easy to learn yourself) 2 times a week (hard), plus weight-bearing calisthenics 2 more times/week (pushups, dips, crunches, pull/chinups)

2. pilates 1-2 times/week

3. cardio training 3-4 times/week (i use the elliptical machine because my knees are shot)

Do you use light weights when doing the weight training? And how long in each session do you exercise on the elliptical machine?

[fascination]

having formerly lifted significant weight....let me emphatically encourage lighter weights...as bulk really diminishes flexibility...not to mention being a bad look if you happen to be female as in my case....as for the elliptical....I do 30 minutes five times a week with arm movement and moderate resistance....

[sunderi]

I do the following:
Pilates: 3 days/week, 30 minutes each time
running: 3 days/week, 33 minutes each time (in the process of working up to 45 min)
weight training: 2 days/week, approx 20-30 minutes each time
yoga: 2 days/week, 45 minutes each time
aerobics/calisthenics class: 2 days/week, 45 minutes each time

It helps. :)

[lynn]

I do the following:
Pilates: 3 days/week, 30 minutes each time
running: 3 days/week, 33 minutes each time (in the process of working up to 45 min)
weight training: 2 days/week, approx 20-30 minutes each time
yoga: 2 days/week, 45 minutes each time
aerobics/calisthenics class: 2 days/week, 45 minutes each time

It helps. :)

Eh...that's 11 days/week!! Wow, tons of exercise....

O.K., i admit, i should definately try to fit in some exercise to my routine....

[Katarzyna]

I do the following:
Pilates: 3 days/week, 30 minutes each time
running: 3 days/week, 33 minutes each time (in the process of working up to 45 min)
weight training: 2 days/week, approx 20-30 minutes each time
yoga: 2 days/week, 45 minutes each time
aerobics/calisthenics class: 2 days/week, 45 minutes each time

It helps. :)

wow :notworth:

[lynn]

wait, what's calisthenics?? maybe i should just :google: it??

[fascination]

just echoing what others say....I don't get tired at comps b/c they are not beyond my usual workouts which, as posted elsewhere, include:

mon:1 hr tae bo
tues a.m. 30 minutes abs and buns...1 hour cardio w/interval weights
tues p.m. 1 hour step aerobics
wed: 1 hour step aerobics
thurs: repeat of tues

plus three 1 hour private lessons and three groups...and practice

I also get 8 hrs of sleep, take a multivitamin and carb load before comp

[alemana]

About weight training - as a woman, you don't have to worry about "bulking up" unless you

- get really serious about it
- have the body type/genetics/hormonal makeup that causes quick bulk with minimal effort.

Don't worry about keeping your weights low and reps high unless you have previous experience with "getting too big."

Most women vastly undertrain with weights because of unfounded fears that heavy weights will produce unwanted mass. As a result, many of us waste our time in the gym with puny 5-lb dumbbells, doing dozens of ultimately worthless reps.

The best way to keep your flexibility is to stretch religiously and seriously and studiously - not to limit the other physical activities you do. Weight training is one of the most beneficial things you can do for your body over the span of your life (not just during your dancing career . Note that very many pro's do weight train, if that makes you feel better.)

Conversely, the best way not to "bulk up" is to cut your body fat percentage, and weight training is one of the very best ways to do that. In combination with serious cardio training, stretching and of course dancing, it should be a pillar of your physical conditioning regimen.

My own cardio routine - I manage 30 minutes of hard *interval* training on the elliptical machine 4-5 times/week. Interval meaning: start at medium intensity, then go up a notch in intensity every minute until you max out, then drop back down to medium for a brief "rest" and start over.

Interval training keeps your interest level up (in my case because I have to pay attention to the machine settings), improves cardiovascular fitness, increases speed, improves overall aerobic power, burns more calories, helps you break-through a plateau, increases workout duration, enables you to reach new exercise levels, expands your workout options and increases your workout threshold.

[fascination]

for me personally...because I bulk easily for whatever reason....anything over 8-10 lbs is a no-no....and even though I was doing yoga pilates 2x a week....my flexibility in upper body is impaired to this day from previously heavier exploits...just a heads up....

[Egoist]

About weight training - as a woman, you don't have to worry about "bulking up" unless you

- get really serious about it
- have the body type/genetics/hormonal makeup that causes quick bulk with minimal effort.

Don't worry about keeping your weights low and reps high unless you have previous experience with "getting too big."


Bingo! The bulking up and the diminishing of flexibility are both old wive's tales.

As to the interval training, make sure that you work on the recovery. You may want to emulate what boxers do in that they train so that in between rounds they regain as much "wind" as possible (you can do it scientifically with a heart monitor; get your heartate to ~80% of your max for 1.5 min then rest for 20 sec and see that at the end of the 20 sec. your heartrate has come down).

Finally, I suspect that something that would help you not loose as much stamina and something I know I have to practice more is breathe while you are dancing. One of the easier dances for us, believe it or not, is VWaltz because we don't have to think about breathing (inhale for a bar, exhale for a bar and repeat)..

[fascination]

well..this old wife...did bulk up and did lose flexibility....admittedly, I lifted very heavy weight and too often...and perhaps there is a hormone thing going on...but it has been true for me...and not for lack of exercise and healthy diet :? so perhpas it is rare but it has been my experience....and it didn't happen until I started heavy lifting

[Adwiz]

Bingo! The bulking up and the diminishing of flexibility are both old wive's tales.

Very true, unless you take it to extremes and push for huge muscle bulk, like Olympic weight lifters do, with no cardio work. In actual practice, doing cardio (I assume it would include serious dancing) keeps muscles from growing very large, even if you do pretty serious weightlifting. That's because of issues like oxygen demands on muscle tissue that affect its ability to grow thicker.

My wife and I work out weekly with a personal trainer. We treat it like a dance lesson. He knows that we dance and optimizes each session to provide the right kind of flexibility, core strength and stamina. There is of course work on upper body strength to keep our muscles toned looking, and lots of ab work to keep the center strong and looking flat.

What always surprises me is how much aerobic effort is involved in some of the sets. I've had numerous moments where I've been on the edge of aerobic limits, seeing stars and feeling faint. And I'm pretty fit, with a heavy schedule of hard road bike cycling (especially in the summer). I'll cycle up to 120 miles in a day AND put in 2-4 hours of dancing the same day on occasion, so I'm probably more aerobically strong than most people. Yet a tough workout *still* pushes me to the limits aerobically.

The difference really shows up when I dance with my Standard partner, who doesn't share my exercise regimen. At the end of a long competitor session, especially in the Quickstep, she is fading badly while I'm still fresh and full of energy. It does make a difference to work on your physical condition as a dancer.

[Joe]

Bingo! The bulking up and the diminishing of flexibility are both old wive's tales.
Having flexibility doesn't mean that you are moving your body the right way for dancing, though.

[Egoist]

Bingo! The bulking up and the diminishing of flexibility are both old wive's tales.
Having flexibility doesn't mean that you are moving your body the right way for dancing, though.

No one made that claim. The claim is that heavy weight lifting does not diminish your flexibility. We all know it takes much more than flexibility to move your body the right way.

[Angelo]

Very true, unless you take it to extremes and push for huge muscle bulk, like Olympic weight lifters do,

Since most Olympic weight lifters are not in the Super heavyweight (unlimited class) they try to minimize bulk so as not to be forced into higher weight classes. They do train for strength and power, but training for bulk is probably pretty rare.

[123N]

How long, 30 to 60 days or longer?, do you feel improvement after starting cardial and/or other fitness programs?

[sunderi]

Eh...that's 11 days/week!! Wow, tons of exercise....

O.K., i admit, i should definately try to fit in some exercise to my routine....

Hee -- yeah, it breaks down like this:
Sunday: running
Monday: Pilates, aerobics/calisthenics class
Tuesday: running, yoga, weight training (not in that order)
Wednesday: Pilates, aerobics/calisthenics class
Thursday: running, yoga
Friday: weight training
Saturday: Pilates

[Laura]

Me:

5 or 6 days a week: cardio where I burn at least 360 calories on the treadmill, elliptical, recumbant bike, mountain climber, or rowing machine

2 days a week: private Pilates session

2 days a month: private Feldenkrais session

At some point I'd like to start taking ballet class again, but I don't really have time because I have to fit a dance lesson and 4 or 5 practice sessions per week with my dance partner in somewhere.....

[alemana]

in response to the question about how long it takes to feel some improvement after starting a fitness program -

it really depends on a million things. my Eternal Optimist answer, however, is that i *feel* better in a generalized way *immediately.* the same day, when i'm still in the gym, i feel stronger, lighter, more *******ed, more focused, everything. when i look in the mirror after a workout, i perceive myself differently than when i looked in it beforehand.

and honestly, that is the thing that keeps me going back to the gym - not how much less i weigh, how cut my legs are, how many pushups i can do, or how much admiration/harassment i get on the street (and that's a lot.)

how quickly you respond *empirically* to workouts depends largely on your current fitness level and what your goals are. if you don't regularly do cardio, and you start twice or three times a week, you could see improvement (endurance and intensity gains) within just a few sessions. i was able to increase my intensity and length of workout after two weeks of working out.

with weights, it only took a few sessions for me to be able to increase weights and reps.

if weight loss is your goal, speed of improvement will depend not just on workout data but dietary changes as well.

[Sabor]

i dont fancy physical conditioning i'm afraid.. much prefer air conditioning tho

[standardgirl]

Me:

5 or 6 days a week: cardio where I burn at least 360 calories on the treadmill, elliptical, recumbant bike, mountain climber, or rowing machine

2 days a week: private Pilates session

2 days a month: private Feldenkrais session

At some point I'd like to start taking ballet class again, but I don't really have time because I have to fit a dance lesson and 4 or 5 practice sessions per week with my dance partner in somewhere.....

How do you find so much time?
I can't even fit all those in my schedule...... :roll:

[alemana]

you didn't ask me specifically, but i'll respond by saying that i really don't do anything outside of work except

a) dance
b) work on my body to make my dancing better.

that means 3-4 hours after i leave the office pretty much every day are spent narcissistically working out, stretching, doing Pilates, etc. after that, i go home, go to bed, get up and do it all over again.

[standardgirl]

well, that's pretty much what i do now.....

work 7 to 4, and then I go home to change and pack my dinner, and take the train down to the city or drive to NJ for either practices or lessons. Then I ususally get home at about 10:40/11:00ish, and I just shower and go right to bed.

the thing is that the pilates classes at my gym are at 8:00 at nights during the week and there is no way for me to make it, unless I cut lesson or practice......or unless I am willing to pay extra money to take pilates somewhere else......

the other problem is that my times are cut out.....like I get off work at 4 but don't take the train till 5:38pm, so a good hour and half is wasted (well, I go home, change and pack a dinner, or sometimes I do my grocery shopping). Can't take the train earlier since my partner can't practice any earlier.


Oh well, everything is going to be completely different in about 2 weeks anyways. :wink:

[alemana]

i retract my previous whining about my schedule - since you have to travel to the city to dance, you really have it worse. at least i can do some errand-running as i dash from office to studio to gym and home - pick up a roll of toilet paper or a nice eel-and-avocado roll for dinner.


my apartment looks like a war zone, however. no time to clean.

[standardgirl]

I suppose I can do some cardio while in the train? :lol:

[alemana]

good idea.

[Laura]

Me:

5 or 6 days a week: cardio where I burn at least 360 calories on the treadmill, elliptical, recumbant bike, mountain climber, or rowing machine

2 days a week: private Pilates session

2 days a month: private Feldenkrais session

At some point I'd like to start taking ballet class again, but I don't really have time because I have to fit a dance lesson and 4 or 5 practice sessions per week with my dance partner in somewhere.....

How do you find so much time?
I can't even fit all those in my schedule...... :roll:

I'm self-employed so I set my own schedule.

So anyway, with all of that you can see why I got so upset on that weight loss thread a couple of weeks ago when Ithink opined that I was unhealthy for being overweight and just needed to go running a few miles every day. My resting pulse rate is 52 beats per minute (so that's already well within the range of "fit athlete") and I'm already in the gym five or six days a week, what more can I do????? And I'm still carrying too much fat. But heck, at the rate I'm going, I'll have Lance Armstrong's resting pulse of 40 some day!!!! That's got to be worth something!!! :-)

[Medira]

I've seen pictures of you Laura, and you look fabulous! Dress and pant sizes aren't a real indicator of physical health. I'm sure you know that too.

Like you, I'd be considered overweight and out of shape by that earlier thread as well. The thing is, I don't care. I've worked hard to get to the shape I'm in now and I'm happy with it. I know I'm not the ideal size for some things, but so be it. That's just the way it is.

From the sound of it, you're in great shape...the fact you can pull of such an exercise schedule proves it. If you can be comfortable with that, then that's really all that matters. :) Love yourself, you're worth it!

[Laura]

Well, the pix are from about 30 pounds ago when I was thinner, but thanks for the kind words. I just got back from the gym (I'm at a hotel with my hubby and so just went downstairs) and feel pretty good. Yay! My point was, as you so much more aptly put it, that there are lots of indicators of health and fitness and it's frustrating when people look at you and assume one thing when pretty much the opposite is true.

I've been getting into doing interval training lately where I push my heart rate up high and then drop it back down again. One of the treadmills at the gym my hubby & I go to has some nice interval settings that I actually kind of enjoy. Somone else here mentioned doing interval work as a way to train for dance competitions, because that's what they basically are. The most interesting part of all to me is watching how my recovery rate changes over time.

My favorite piece of equipment is the rowing machine, but I can't do too much of it or my shoulder starts to hurt a bit. I love it, though, because it's so smooth and rhythmical and because frankly most of the people who use it have awful jerky unbalanced form. I like looking better on the rowing machine technqiue-wise than most of the other people who use it. I guess that's my competitive nature coming out :-)

[alemana]

my trainer has been recommending jumping rope to me for some time. i've resisted for various reasons but i think i'm going to give in soon.

also, a couple of books i read had advice about type of cardio based on your (variously defined) body type. interestingly, rope jumping was recommended for mine in nearly all instances (lanky but with a thick middle.) i will really flip out if it turns out to be true that not all cardio was created equal!

[Laura]

Interesting...if you can remember either the name of the book or the author I'll be interested in taking a look at it.

[Medira]

I've been getting into doing interval training lately where I push my heart rate up high and then drop it back down again. One of the treadmills at the gym my hubby & I go to has some nice interval settings that I actually kind of enjoy. Somone else here mentioned doing interval work as a way to train for dance competitions, because that's what they basically are. The most interesting part of all to me is watching how my recovery rate changes over time.
I love and hate interval training. Love it because it's great exercise and has some wonderful benefits in the long run and hate it because I consider it a form of cruel and unusual punishment. I've never been a runner though, so that's probably got something to do with it. ;) I know I suggested it to Vince in the form of "suicide sprints" on the swing boards, but I don't know if that's the thread you're thinking of.

My favorite piece of equipment is the rowing machine, but I can't do too much of it or my shoulder starts to hurt a bit. I love it, though, because it's so smooth and rhythmical and because frankly most of the people who use it have awful jerky unbalanced form. I like looking better on the rowing machine technqiue-wise than most of the other people who use it. I guess that's my competitive nature coming out :-)
Hehehe! There's defintiely something to be said for showing up the big muscle men at the gym. ;)

[Medira]

Speaking of books, one that I found really useful, with a lot of good information is The Body Sculpting Bible for Women (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0009VAJIS/qid=1123187617/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xglna/103-0002442-3048679?v=glance&s=hpc&n=507846). It's got some great tips and advice for workouts and diet to help you reach your fitness goals. I also found it was great as a motivator. I picked up some good hints and suggestions and I've found that I've come back to it quite a few times now to re-read and adjust my workout schedule to something that will optimize the results I'm getting.

[Laura]

There's defintiely something to be said for showing up the big muscle men at the gym. ;)

One of the reasons why we joined the gym we did (24 Hour Fitness "Sport") is because it's about a 5-minute walk from our house. The people who belong are just people from the neighborhood, so they're really normal and laid back and average looking. No hyper-buff "gym rats" there -- just people going about their business and getting fit. The ages range from high school to grandmothers. It's the first full-service gym I've been to where I didn't feel like an idiot for being there.

[Medira]

Ooh, that sounds like a great environment! The gym I used to train at was mostly "gym rats", but then again, I was training at that time too. The gym I used to work at was about half rats and half average, everyday people. I prefered the one I worked at. :)

[Ithink]

Me:

5 or 6 days a week: cardio where I burn at least 360 calories on the treadmill, elliptical, recumbant bike, mountain climber, or rowing machine

2 days a week: private Pilates session

2 days a month: private Feldenkrais session

At some point I'd like to start taking ballet class again, but I don't really have time because I have to fit a dance lesson and 4 or 5 practice sessions per week with my dance partner in somewhere.....

How do you find so much time?
I can't even fit all those in my schedule...... :roll:

I'm self-employed so I set my own schedule.

So anyway, with all of that you can see why I got so upset on that weight loss thread a couple of weeks ago when Ithink opined that I was unhealthy for being overweight and just needed to go running a few miles every day. My resting pulse rate is 52 beats per minute (so that's already well within the range of "fit athlete") and I'm already in the gym five or six days a week, what more can I do????? And I'm still carrying too much fat. But heck, at the rate I'm going, I'll have Lance Armstrong's resting pulse of 40 some day!!!! That's got to be worth something!!! :-)

Hate to go back to that thread (when everything I said was turned around and distorted), but I never said YOU were unhealthy, Laura, and that you should run a few miles a day. I did say that that is how *I* lost a lot of the weight that I lost. I also said that according to weight charts in doctors' offices there is an optimal weight for your height - it's usually a range of weight and is also based on your bone structure... There are also similar weight charts online. I never said you were unhealthy. In fact someone else said that size 12-14, which is what most women in US are, is unhealthy and I replied to them and said it might not be the healthiest but using weight and size as a measurement of health is not always correct. You can go back and read it for yourself. Please don't misstate what I said - it was done enough in that thread :(

Also, I suggested doing interval training as simulation of dancing - my dance partner told me about it and the few times I did it, it was pretty hard. However, he does it on a stairmaster which I don't ordinarily like. I sometimes do it on an elliptical which is much better. Stairmasters are all about legs and glutes whereas ellipticals are more of a whole body training which I find simulates dancing better.

[Sagitta]

There's defintiely something to be said for showing up the big muscle men at the gym. ;)

One of the reasons why we joined the gym we did (24 Hour Fitness "Sport") is because it's about a 5-minute walk from our house. The people who belong are just people from the neighborhood, so they're really normal and laid back and average looking. No hyper-buff "gym rats" there -- just people going about their business and getting fit. The ages range from high school to grandmothers. It's the first full-service gym I've been to where I didn't feel like an idiot for being there.

That's one thing I really would like - a 24 hour gym...

[alemana]

having access to a 24-hr gym changed my LIFE. i'm a night owl and workout at 11 PM is my definition of *heaven.*

[Katarzyna]

My gym is open till 11:00 :( It's really nice though..

[Laura]

Did you say once you work out at Equinox? On the upper west side? I started my dance life at the Fred Astaire's around the corner from there, on Broadway. Now that was a fun time, and for some reason I was blessed with a parking angel and rarely had a difficult time parking, even though I drove in after work from my job in New Jersey.

Ooops, sorry, excuse me while an old lady waxes nostalgic. :-)

[Katarzyna]

Did you say once you work out at Equinox? On the upper west side? I started my dance life at the Fred Astaire's around the corner from there, on Broadway. Now that was a fun time, and for some reason I was blessed with a parking angel and rarely had a difficult time parking, even though I drove in after work from my job in New Jersey.

Ooops, sorry, excuse me while an old lady waxes nostalgic. :-)Yes, the Equinox on 59th :)

See, you should have stayed in NY in stead of abandoning east cost for the west coast.. So many nice memories from here :)

[Medira]

having access to a 24-hr gym changed my LIFE. i'm a night owl and workout at 11 PM is my definition of *heaven.*I agree completely! It's also perfect for those nights when you can't sleep. On those nights, I tend to go and invade the empty aerobics studio at 2 or 3am and dance myself into the ground. It's just a 3 minute drive to get home and crash after that.

[123N]

There is a gym in the club house which is only 5 mintues walking distance from me but I have not used once. Just can't stand work out in a gym. I would rather do ten laps of QS to build up my cardio then running in a treadmill. But now I am running out of breath while doing only a 4 rounder, I am considring making the dreadful journey to the treadmill. Only if there is a stamina pill, like Centrum, all you need is to take one a day..... :P

[Laura]

The treadmill I've been using has so many different workout profiles that it's not just running in place. It helps to break up the boredom that it's not the same every time.

[setsuna713]

I found that sometimes I get really board with running/walking/biking so I picked up bellydancing and you can really burn a sweat doing that. So now I do that once a week to take out one of the running days. I also lift weights and to minimize bulk i start at 40% of my max lift and only increase the weight when I can do 3 sets of 15 reps at that weight.

[Sagitta]

I found that sometimes I get really board with running/walking/biking so I picked up bellydancing and you can really burn a sweat doing that. So now I do that once a week to take out one of the running days. I also lift weights and to minimize bulk i start at 40% of my max lift and only increase the weight when I can do 3 sets of 15 reps at that weight. So you don't pyramid?

[setsuna713]

I found that sometimes I get really board with running/walking/biking so I picked up bellydancing and you can really burn a sweat doing that. So now I do that once a week to take out one of the running days. I also lift weights and to minimize bulk i start at 40% of my max lift and only increase the weight when I can do 3 sets of 15 reps at that weight. So you don't pyramid?

No. I took a weight lifting class specifically for women last semester and our coach didn't have us pyramid.

[alemana]

since someone mentioned bellydancing - i'm getting a little obsessed with trying it, although i totally have no room in my life for a new dance style (and i never ever do anything casually.)

those who've done it - what kind of fitness and dance benefits did you experience?

[setsuna713]

since someone mentioned bellydancing - i'm getting a little obsessed with trying it, although i totally have no room in my life for a new dance style (and i never ever do anything casually.)

those who've done it - what kind of fitness and dance benefits did you experience?

Now I've never belldanced in public but there are a lot of belly dance exercise videos/DVDs that use belly dance principals (that I guess could be used in public :oops: ) as an aerobib exercise routine. I'm sure you could :google: and find it.

[alemana]

i am the queen of google. what i'm looking for here is personal stories from people i 'know.' more interested in actual bellydancing than fitness-video-stuff.

[setsuna713]

i am the queen of google. what i'm looking for here is personal stories from people i 'know.' more interested in actual bellydancing than fitness-video-stuff.

sorry :oops:

[Purr]

since someone mentioned bellydancing - i'm getting a little obsessed with trying it, although i totally have no room in my life for a new dance style (and i never ever do anything casually.)

those who've done it - what kind of fitness and dance benefits did you experience?

I'm 4 weeks into my first class. It's one hour long, and includes a warm-up and cool-down period. It's great for improving core stregnth and muscle isolation. The class seems to compliment nicely the rhythm/Latin drills I practice.

[chandra]

Im planning on adding belly dance to my shedule this year. I am excited!

[Sagitta]

Im planning on adding belly dance to my shedule this year. I am excited!
Cool. I'm not adding to my schedule right now, personally. I think I overdid it with all the performance groups I joined etc. I'm not even planning to rejoin any of my performance groups until the end of this month. I just started weight lifting again..Monday too..will try some elliptical today when I go to the gym...perhaps...

[Another Elizabeth]

I also have been thinking about trying a belly dancing class. How do you go about finding one? I haven't had a ton of luck poking around on the web (although I haven't spent much time on it). Mostly I've found things at midmorning on weekdays - not really an option for someone who works.

[cl5814]

Great to see you again, Another Elizabeth.

[Medira]

I also have been thinking about trying a belly dancing class. How do you go about finding one?I've found that a lot of my local recreation centres offer various dance classes - different styles of dance at different facilities, based on the instructors they can find. I also found some evening and weekend classes offered to the public through the local university. If there's something like that in your area, it might be worth checking into!

[mamboqueen]

Hey AE - too cute! Couldn't you have started her with just a little less weight, though??!! :P

[Sagitta]

Hey AE - too cute! Couldn't you have started her with just a little less weight, though??!! :P Yeah..that!

[Another Elizabeth]

Hey AE - too cute! Couldn't you have started her with just a little less weight, though??!! :P

:D She doesn't like the little pink weights (http://www.stumptuous.com/crap.html#exercise) - she goes straight for the serious iron!

[Purr]

I also have been thinking about trying a belly dancing class. How do you go about finding one? I haven't had a ton of luck poking around on the web (although I haven't spent much time on it). Mostly I've found things at midmorning on weekdays - not really an option for someone who works.

A few possibilities...

Checking with local gyms

Checking class listings offered through the local parks & recreation department

Checking class listings offered through other dance studios

Checking advertisements in various newspapers, including entertainment or alternative newspapers (sorry, can't think of a way to wordsmith what I want to say)

Checking under dancing in the yellow pages

Asking someone who is taking or has taken a class

[Sagitta]

hmmm... Still working on getting regular. Worked out two Mondays in a row, and now lets see if I can make it through and do Friday as well per my Monday and Friday summer workout schedule. Am doing soem exercising every morning, but must try and do a little moer as I am not spending enough time stretching.