Push It
Push-ups. Ugh. Does anyone actually enjoy this notoriously difficult move? Maybe not, but push-ups are a crucial upper-body–building exercise. We promise push-ups won’t bulk you up—but they will seriously tone your core, shoulders, back and arms. And they don’t have to be impossible! Here are four variations on the basic push-up. Start with the first, easiest level and do as many reps as you can, whether it’s two or 12. Each day aim to do one or two more than the day before. Click here to get started!
Plank-A-Palooza
Looking for a mat exercise that will strengthen and tone you all over? Add a plank (or seven!) to your workout routine. This move—a favorite among yoga and fitness instructors—fortifies your abs and upper body while stabilizing your spine. According to certified personal trainer Jamie Dowd, the weight-bearing aspect of a plank means that it also builds bone density, which helps prevent fractures. Here, Dowd tells you how to execute a standard plank and shares ways to modify the exercise to target different body parts. Click here to get started!
Dance Team Body Blast (Nov 2011)
The Knicks City Dancers aren’t just pretty girls with great physiques—they’re dancer-athletes who have to perform multiple high-energy routines back-to-back. Their custom boot-camp workout featuring a combination of calisthenics, plyometrics and strength-training exercises builds stamina and roots out physical weaknesses. Tyler Woodman, a personal trainer from Club-H in Hoboken, NJ, who created the KCD boot camp, crafted a mini version of the program for DS. He suggests starting with a 10-15 minute warmup filled with basic dynamic movements to get your heart rate up. Then perform the exercises here as fast as you can while maintaining your form. As soon as you finish, turn on some music and perform a couple of your favorite dance routines. In time, you’ll build up enough strength and endurance to do multiple sets of exercises and dances with minimal resting periods in between. Click here to get started!
Core Power (Oct 2011)
Want more from your core? Last month, former dancer and fitness instructor Bethany Lyons shared Power Yoga moves designed to help improve your balance. Now, she’s back with three Power Yoga-based core-strengthening exercises. Lyons says they’re an effective ab workout because they require you to work multiple muscles at once, unlike crunches, which only work your rectus abdominus. She suggests doing these exercises four or five times per week for the best results. Click here to get started!
Power Balance (Sep 2011)
Looking for a way to improve your balance while simultaneously strengthening and stretching? Power Yoga—a hybrid technique that draws from various traditional yoga forms, including Vinyasa and Hatha—may be for you. According to Power Yoga instructor Bethany Lyons, the method focuses on improving alignment and building strength but also has a therapeutic element. Lyons, a former dancer, says Power Yoga is great cross-training for dancers because it forces you to work in parallel (we’re so used to being turned out!), and it helps you better coordinate breath and movement. Here, Lyons shares two moves that will improve your balance. Click here to get started!
Have A Ball (May/June 2011)
Pilates on its own is a great way to build strength, but adding a stability ball into the mix can make your workout even more challenging—and fun. Here, Erica Essner, a dancer and Pilates method instructor who teaches a stability ball class at Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, NY, shares two of her favorite moves. Each one works a variety of muscles simultaneously and helps build strength and flexibility. Click here to get started!
Pump Up Your Jumps (April 2011)
Wish you could leap higher, farther and with more control? Try incorporating plyometrics into your workout. This method, favored by athletes of all kinds, teaches your muscles to recoil and contract faster and with more force. Here are three moves to get you started. Click here to get started!
Working Out With The Stars (Mar 2011)
Have you ever wondered how contemporary ballet queen Drew Jacoby got her lithe legs or commercial diva Comfort Fedoke chiseled her arms? DS asked a few pros with particularly toned physiques for their fitness secrets and go-to moves. Read on—and then get moving! Click here to get started!
360 Degree Strength (Feb 2011)
Dancers have to move their bodies in all directions, but most strength training exercises only require you to move along one plane at a time. For a more dance-friendly workout, try using proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), a technique favored by athletic and dance instructors because it improves your range of motion by simultaneously strengthening muscles and improving their flexibility. According to Leigh Heflin, MSc, the PNF Diagonal (shown here with different versions for guys and girls) targets your obliques and shoulders and teaches you how to maintain torso alignment while working your port de bras or lifting a partner overhead. Click here to get started!
Kettlebell 101 (Jan 2011)
Want to tone your entire body? Try working out with a kettlebell. Unlike a conventional free-weight, the kettlebell’s center of gravity, and the bulk of its weight, is outside your hand. To get it moving and absorb its impact, more muscles need to fire. This increases the calories you burn as you tone. Here are a few exercises to get you started. Click here to get started!
Ready To Roll (Dec 2010)
A foam roller is a versatile, inexpensive tool that can be used for more than just rehab and stretching—it’s great for strength training as well. Dance Spirit asked certified personal trainer Jamie Dowd to come up with a few moves to help you roll your way to a stronger body. Click here to get started!
Back Builders (Oct 2010)
Many dancers don’t realize that there’s much more to your core than just your abs. Your back and side muscles play an equally important role in giving you the strength and posture you need to support your entire body as you dance. Here, body conditioning specialist Clarice Marshall shares a collection of back exercises designed to round out your core work. These moves wake up your deep stabilizing muscles first and then gradually incorporate the ones closer to the surface. Click here to get started!
Amazing Abs (Sep 2010)
These exercises from body conditioning specialist Clarice Marshall challenge your abs from the inside out. Marshall says the first two moves stimulate your “deep stabilizing muscles,” which include your transversus abdominis, while the other moves incorporate muscle layers closer to the surface, like your obliques and rectus abdominus. Click here to get started!
Upper Body Builders (May/June 2010)
Want to improve your port de bras? Building up your upper body will make it easier for you to hold your arms in position while you dance. These exercises will lengthen and strengthen the muscles in your chest, shoulders and arms. Click here to get started!
LB Kass’ Dance-Team-Inspired Program (Apr 2010)
This high-energy routine is great for dancers who want to tone their entire bodies and get a cardio workout at the same time. Danzenergy combines yoga and ballet and adds a dance team twist to build all-over strength and control. Click here to get started!
Toe Pointers (Mar 2011)
Every dancer needs strong, flexible and articulate feet, so Dance Spirit reached out to body-conditioning specialist Clarice Marshall to get the scoop on a few moves that will help you put your best feet forward. According to Marshall, these exercises are great for dancers who want to increase foot strength and alignment with the lower leg. She says they’ll moves will also help dancers recover from having their feet constrained by shoes and will help get feet in better shape for landing jumps and leaps. Click here to get started!
His & Hers Exercises (Feb 2010)
Want to work muscles all over your body? Try an airplane with a single-leg squat. This exercise will help both guys and girls improve balance while toning outer thigh, hip, arm and chest muscles. Slight modifications will yield gender-specific benefits. If you’re a girl, use hand weights to strengthen your port de bras and to build up muscle endurance. If you’re a guy, use a weighted medicine ball to mimic how you’ll be moving when you’re lifting a partner. Click here to get started!
Hip and Shoulder Openers (Jan 2010)
Tight hips and shoulders can hinder a dancer’s range of motion and cause injuries. Here, yoga instructor Megan Walsh shares a routine designed to help you open up the muscles in these important joints. Hold each pose for three seconds before transitioning to the next. Click here to get started!
