Strength For Dancing

[Swing Kitten]

I just came back from my first swing dance in about a month... my legs are like Jell-O. Even before my involuntary hiatus I wanted to impove lindy stamina.

I would like to strengthen my quads to improve my dancing. I've started doing lunges (and yes, high school PE taught me how to do them correctly) but I was wondering if anyone has a favorite leg strength building exercises for dancing.

Please share!

[SDsalsaguy]

Aside from extended bouts of floortime I really like compound, weight baring movements such as leg presses. I know that afrter I finish my sets of these my legs are just shot.

[Spitfire]

Leg curls using a weight machine are excellent for this.

[pygmalion]

If you're not into lifting weights (and have access to the equipment) you might try using an elliptical trainer machine. With eliptical trainers, you can adjust the muscle groups you're focusing on by adjusting the incline, and adjust the amount of resistance. And you get a good aerobic workout at the same time.

I like the elliptical trainers because they're so low impact on your knees and ankles, but you get a good workout for the whole leg -- glutes, quads, hamstrings and calves.

I also do the leg presses and lifts, though. I think the machine that I use for quads is labelled something like leg extension -- a bar goes over your ankles, and you do front leg raises. Another whole- leg exercise is the seated leg press. You push a weighted plate away from you. That one can use your whole leg and your glutes, depending on how you position your feet.

[borikensalsero]

You might want to look into plyometrics, you can do weights for overall strength increase, but working with body weight maximizes the body's overall performance. Plyometric exercises are used to outmost enhance the performance of muscles.

Now, this is the real world so we don't have time for all of that fancy stuff. So, Your legs are like jell-O because they are out of shape. Try a 30 minute jog twice a week to begin, then increase it to 3 and so on until around 6 days. If you can't jog the full time, walk some and jog some until you can run the entire time. Do squats or leg presses, or an entire leg workout no more than 2X a week, go light and do more repetitions. By more I mean, push to do 15, if you are doing less than 10, decrease the weight and go high in reps. Heavy or light is dependant on you, so do the weight which best suits your 15 reps.

Doing less reps decreases stamina and increases muscle gain. You want to do reps to almost positivie failure or failure, you want your legs to be like jell-O at the gym, if you leave the gym and feel like you didn't workout, you just wasted your time. The object is to push your legs beyond their current limits, hence increasing their limits each time you work out. If you are a beginner to working-out go for the machines to get used to workouts. If you are intermidiate or advance skip the machines and go for the free weights. Free weights help the, so called secondary muscles, and over all balance. For each single muscle group working-out there is a bunch of secondary muscles that help it move. Machines are designed to isolate, therefore, put too mcuh stress on muscles and add unatural movement to the body.

Soon you'll be able to dance the entire weekend, workout, jog and feel like a champ instead of Jell-O.

[pygmalion]

That's good advice, boriken. All the way around.

First, you have to start somewhere. I've been working out regularly for about three years, and now I'm running at a pretty good speed five miles no problem, with my heart rate where I want it. But when I started, I cuoldn't make it through a twenty-minute at-home exercise video. It takes time to build up strength and stamina.

Also, about the weights (and cardio, while we're at it), it is always good to mix it up. Even though I have my favorites, I like to mix things up sometime. (e.g. use free weights instead of weight machines, or the rowing machine instead of the elliptical trainer) This keeps my body guessing and improves overall performance.

[SwinginBoo]

I've definitely gained strength in my legs since I started running. I don't run that much, maybe 15 miles a week, but that incorporated with 5 nights of dancing really has done the trick.

So jogging/running/walking a few days a week if you can find the time will def. help.

[Sagitta]

http://www.netfit.co.uk/quadmen.htm is a site one that gives a variety of weight-lifting exercises to work the quads.

I wouldn't concentrate solely on the quads at the expense of the other accompanying leg muscles. That sort of imbalance can cause serious problems.

I find doing different dances helps. For instance, Lindy, Zyedeco, salsa, and jump swing all require different body postures that I feel working different leg muscle combinations.

[SDsalsaguy]

I wouldn't concentrate solely on the quads at the expense of the other accompanying leg muscles. That sort of imbalance can cause serious problems.
Excellent point Sagitta...and exactly why I advocated compound movements (such as presses) instead of isolationary ones (such as extensions). Imbalances are a fairly good way to set one's self up for future injuries. :(

[pygmalion]

I would like to strengthen my quads to improve my dancing. I've started doing lunges (and yes, high school PE taught me how to do them correctly) but I was wondering if anyone has a favorite leg strength building exercises for dancing.

Please share!

And you know another good throwback to junior high PE? Squats. Only if you know how to do them correctly -- otherwise you can really hurt your knees. But done correctly, they work your glutes, hamstrings and quads. Regular squats (with feet facing forward) followed by plie squats are good, because they work different muscle groups, with the same basic movement.

[SDsalsaguy]

Exactly Jenn... squats, lunges, presses. All are compound movements -- the basis of a good weight training regimen.

[Swing Kitten]

Thank you all so very much! Of course I'd be interested to hear what even more people have to say but I've gotten some great advice here and I'll try to put it to good use ;)

[SwinginBoo]

You know what else? If you can get someone to practice with, practicing grinds will definitely help strengthen your quads.

[Swing Kitten]

Tonight my quads did pretty well. I was fatigued when I sterted dancing but only once during the evening did my legs let me know (part of the second to last dance).

It feels good -- I will continue

[dancersdreamland]

Great job, Swing Kitten! Keep up the FANTASTIC work!!! :wink:

[Adwiz]

Don't forget that vital aspect of dancing: the core muscles.

There are many ab routines but make sure you do them regularly. A strong core makes men and women alike look great on the dance floor. My favorites are reverse crunches but there are lots to choose from and you should vary them to keep your stomach muscles from getting lazy.

Along with the upper and lower abs, make sure you do isometric (twisting) exercises. Balance boards are good for this, or just holding a medicine ball in your hands and twisting hard from side to side while keeping your arms fully extended.

[msc]

I agree with adwiz, although strangely enough, it was my ballroom dancing that improved my "core strength." I will say that yoga classes have vastly improved both my flexibility and my balance over a lone supporting foot (good for turns.)

[Swing Kitten]

Yes very true! The entire body is needed to dance well... I was just noticing a deficiency in the leg area. Once I can keep that up to par I will surely notice where I can work on other areas.

Isometric exercises? Like swivels? I probably do a couple hundred during a good night of dancing. I don't exactly have access to a medicine ball... although I could probably visit the local bowling alley ;) and steal the shoes on my way out :lol: SWIVELS!!

[pygmalion]

I agree with adwiz, although strangely enough, it was my ballroom dancing that improved my "core strength." I will say that yoga classes have vastly improved both my flexibility and my balance over a lone supporting foot (good for turns.)

I hadn't thought about this -- perhaps why I keep getting feedback about not using my supporting foot. :oops: :roll: Back to yoga class I go. Thanks for the suggestion. :D