Strength Training for Dancers, Aerial Artists, and Yogis
We, as dancers, aerial artists, and yogis, share a commitment to grace, fluidity, and precision in our movements. These disciplines demand significant physical effort, and relying solely on practice often leaves gaps in strength, stability, and injury prevention—areas where strength training becomes essential. Incorporating cross-training—particularly strength training—is a key component in improving performance and sustaining long-term physical health.
Why Strength Training Matters for Dancers, Aerial Artists, and Yogis
Supplemental training enhances the foundational skills of a primary discipline, refining and deepening movement-specific abilities. Cross-training, by contrast, introduces complementary practices, such as strength training, cardiovascular exercises, and recovery-focused techniques, to fill gaps in conditioning, stability, and stamina. Together, they create a balanced and holistic training regimen for well-rounded physical development.
Why Cross-Training Matters
Cross-training involves engaging in complementary activities beyond one’s primary discipline to improve overall fitness. For instance, bodyweight exercises, neuro drills, and breathing techniques can be integrated into studio classes to improve alignment, coordination, and mental focus. Meanwhile, methods like swimming, rowing, running, or weight training may require access to specialized facilities or guidance from qualified professionals. Both in-studio and external practices address conditioning gaps, fostering a comprehensive approach to physical and mental fitness.
Dancers: Enhance power for jumps, stability in balances, and neuromuscular coordination.
Aerial Artists and Pole Dancers: Develop grip strength and shoulder stability to support upper-body demands while building endurance.
Yogis: Build core stability for arm balances and inversions while mitigating repetitive strain.
Backbend and Contortion Practitioners: Strengthen the core, hip flexors, and posterior chain for deeper, controlled backbends and reduced injury risks.
Handstand Enthusiasts: Improve shoulder stability, wrist strength, and core engagement for sustained inverted positions.
AcroDance Floorwork Practitioners: Gain dynamic strength, joint stability, and explosive power for transitions and tricks.
Strength training tailored to movers offers key benefits:
Injury Prevention: Strengthens muscles around joints to reduce overuse injuries common in repetitive or high-impact movements.
Improved Performance: Builds strength and endurance for greater power and control in challenging poses and movements.
Enhanced Body Awareness: Develops neuromuscular coordination, supporting precision and alignment.
Increased Longevity: Supports sustained physical capability through a balanced training regimen.
Addressing Common Myths
Some movers hesitate to incorporate strength training due to misconceptions, such as:
“My discipline alone is enough.” While dance, aerial, or yoga provide artistry and flexibility, they often lack targeted resistance training needed to support long-term strength and joint stability (Koutedakis & Sharp, 2004).
“Strength training will decrease flexibility.” Many movers fear that adding strength training will limit their range of motion. In reality, when combined with dynamic stretches and proper mobility work, strength training can actually enhance flexibility by improving muscle control and joint stability.
“I don’t have time.” Even 20-30 minutes of structured strength work integrated into warm-ups or cool-downs can deliver significant benefits.
How to Incorporate Strength Training
Collaborating with diverse professionals, such as strength trainers, physical therapists, and movement specialists, can elevate your approach to cross-training. Each professional brings unique expertise, helping you address specific needs. For instance, strength trainers focus on building functional strength through progressive overload, while physical therapists can guide recovery strategies and injury prevention tailored to your discipline. By working with these experts, movers can create a comprehensive and safe training plan that balances strength, mobility, and artistry.
Strength training involves exercises designed to improve muscle strength, endurance, and stability by working against resistance. This resistance can come from bodyweight, resistance bands, free weights, or machines. Foundational movements like squats, lunges, and push-ups and pull-ups, along with dynamic drills such as planks or scapular stabilization exercises, are common examples. For movers, these exercises can be tailored to focus on functional strength and control.
Start Small: Begin with bodyweight exercises such as planks, bridges, and squats to establish a foundation of strength and alignment.
Embrace Progressive Overload: Gradually increase intensity by modifying speed, repetitions, or range of motion. Start with resistance bands as an intermediate step before progressing to weights to ensure steady and safe gains.
Work with Professionals: Collaborate with certified trainers who understand the unique demands of movement disciplines. They can tailor exercises to align with your goals and ensure safe progression.
Integrate Exercises Into Practice: Blend strength exercises into your regular routine by adding them to warm-ups or cool-downs. For instance, include scapular stabilization drills or dynamic core exercises to complement your practice.
My Approach to Supplemental Training
I offer both technique and artistry within the disciplines of Yoga, Dance, and Acro Floorwork. These aligned but diverse movement styles naturally provide supplementary training by emphasizing movement-specific skills while fostering creativity and self-expression. Recognizing that not all participants practice every discipline, I offer classes like Conditioning, Stretch & Strength, and Flex & Flow to provide targeted support across practices. These include bodyweight exercises, active mobility drills, and foundational movements like lunges, hinges, squats, scapular stabilization exercises, planks, hollow body holds, and dynamic core drills. This targeted approach enhances alignment and control, creating a foundation for advancing safely into weighted or more complex training under professional guidance outside of my virtual studio.
Yoga, dance, and acro floorwork may seem distinct, yet they converge on foundational shapes such as bridges, handstands, shoulderstands, and splits. To support progress in these shared shapes, I offer training that meets in the middle of these disciplines. These multi-disciplinary classes provide targeted supplemental and cross-training to enhance the strength, control, and mobility necessary for excelling in these positions.
By integrating supplemental training with cross-training, movers can address physical gaps, enhance their capabilities, and build a well-rounded foundation for their art.
Final Thoughts
Cross-training is essential for any mover seeking to enhance their artistry and physical resilience. By incorporating strength training alongside supplemental practices, movers can address gaps, prevent injuries, and achieve their fullest potential. Embracing a diverse approach unlocks new levels of performance and long-term physical capability.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or therapeutic advice and should not replace personalized guidance from a certified professional.
References
Angioi, M., Metsios, G. S., Koutedakis, Y., & Wyon, M. A. (2009). Fitness in contemporary dance: A systematic review. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 30(7), 475–484.
Schoenfeld, B. J. (2020). The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 34(10), 2857–2872.
Koutedakis, Y., & Sharp, N. C. (2004). The Fit and Healthy Dancer.
Long, C. R. (2019). The Role of Resistance Training in Yoga Practice. International Journal of Yoga Therapy.
Wyon, M. A., & Ede, R. J. (2021). Musculoskeletal screening and injury prevention in professional dancers. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 25(4), 171–180. C. (2004). The Fit and Healthy Dancer.
Clippinger, K. (2015). Dance Anatomy and Kinesiology.
Schmitt, J. (2020). Strength Training for Aerialists and Pole Dancers. Aerial Physique.
Long, C. R. (2019). The Role of Resistance Training in Yoga Practice. International Journal of Yoga Therapy.
