The Best Beginner Weight-Lifting Moves For Dancers

December 18, 2018

There’s a common misconception among dancers that lifting weights makes you bulky and should be avoided at all costs. But that couldn’t be further from the truth, especially if you’re trying to build strength in specific areas. Dance Spirit turned to Chelsey Wilkens, a personal trainer at SoHo Strength Lab in NYC, for her top muscle-makin’ moves.

Photos by Jayme Thornton. Modeled by Gabrielle Kerr.

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Exercise #1: The Kettlebell Clean to Squat

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, your hips back, your knees bent, holding the kettlebell between the arches of your feet.

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Exercise #2: The Pyramid Press

1. Start standing with your feet a few inches past shoulder width and your right arm overhead, with the weight in your right hand. Turn your left foot out slightly.

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Exercise #3: The Single-Leg Deadlift

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and the weight in your left hand.

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A version of this story appeared in the January 2019 issue of
Dance Spirit with the title “Keep Calm and Weight-Lift On.”