If you haven't already, please read Core Strength and Me and Introduction to Isolating Movement.
This is the final installment of My Core Sequence. I will eventually post other core and dance related instructional pieces. Also, keep an eye out for other fitness articles.
Some of these upper body circles can be quite strenuous and difficult to do with good posture and technique. Focus on that so as to avoid putting undo strain on your back. Be sure to do all circles in both directions.
Chest Circles
Your head will not move for this one. You will pass through all the full extension points in the Back and Forth Rib Slide and Up and Down Chest. Push your ribs out to the side, round your chest to the front, round to the other side, to the back, and repeat. Do ten and then repeat in the other direction. There will be no twisting involved, so your chest should be pointed toward the front the whole time, albeit tilted up or down a little.
Ribcage Circles
Your head will move, but your hips will not. Make a big circle passing through all the full extension points of the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide and the Front to Back Chest.
Awesome Tip of the Day: It is extra important for these next three movements to be done from good posture. Lift your torso as if you were trying to be tall. Especially if you are finding a bad or uncomfortable portion of the movement, really check your technique. Most commonly, it is the back bend that people are not okay with. Sometimes it is a strength issue and sometimes it is technique. Don't let your body sag on the forward part either.
Tilting Ribcage Only Circles
This one is a bit difficult for some. You will use the diaphragm area articulation point. Your head will move. If you do it right, it should look odd because the belly area should not move. Review the movements of the Back and Forth Rib Tilt and Front to Back Rib Tilt as you will be making these movements into a circle.
Torso Circles
Starting from good posture, and keeping your torso more or less stiff, take your torso in a medium circle making sure that you are leaning evenly in all directions (as you should in any circular movement). Do ten and repeat in the other direction.
Big Torso Circles
These require a bit of strength, so if you feel satisfied with the regular torso circles, just get used to those for awhile before you move to these ones. They are essentially the same, only you will make a much wider range of motion. You should feel a stretch and even let your body curve downward a little in every direction you lean. Do not twist. Do not lean further to the front than you do to the back. Chose whichever direction is most difficult for you and make that your range for every other direction so that you can maintain an even motion. With time, you will get stronger and more flexible at that angle and can increase your range of motion for the entire circle.
THAT COMPLETES THE "MY CORE SEQUENCE" SERIES. CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD LUCK!!
Showing posts with label my core sequence. Show all posts
Showing posts with label my core sequence. Show all posts
Thursday, January 6, 2011
My Core Sequence, Part 5: Upper Body Figure Eights
If you haven't already, please read Core Strength and Me and Introduction to Isolating Movement.
Just like the lower body figure eights, if you haven't yet mastered Upper Body Linear Movements I suggest taking the time to get comfortable with them before you try to get into figure eights. The linear movements are the basis of figure eights. As with all upper body movements, your goal is to keep everything from your hips to your feet from moving. So if you're wearing pants, they should stay relatively still the whole time.
As always, it is really important to focus on posture and technique. It is much better to do it right than fast. A tall standing mirror is invaluable for this.
VIDEO LINK!!
Lateral Torso Figure Eights
These are athletically a bit more difficult due to the trajectory and range of motion. You should definitely feel a stretch. Starting from good posture, drop one shoulder as you start to lean to one side. Once you start to feel a stretch, begin to lift that shoulder until you reach the position you would be in if you were doing the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide. Your shoulder should have made a big, upward half circle. Now, start to drop your other shoulder as you slide your torso across your center line diagonally downward as far as you can. Start to lift your shoulder until you reach the same, fully extended position in this new direction. Point the original shoulder downward again and repeat the diagonal, downward slide. The figure eight will resemble an infinity symbol, or an eight laying on it's side.
Reverse Torso Figure Eights
These will more or less be the reverse trajectory of what you just did. Lean to one side, starting at the shoulder and letting your body bend, as far as you can (without letting your hips move) until you reach full range of flexibility. Now think about lifting your other shoulder straight up toward the ceiling and then coming to zero position. Repeat on the other side. Your figure eight will be a bit lopsided for this one.
Snake Torso
Lean forward starting from the chest until you're as far forward as you can get without losing your balance. When you reach this position, start lifting your body, starting from the chest until you're in the same position as you would be in if you were doing the Front to Back Chest. Now, lift your chest until if is facing upward and start leaning your body backward until you're at full range of motion leaning backward. Very important: Do not let your lower back sag. By keeping your chest lifted during any movement that involves a back bend, it helps keep your back muscles engaged throughout the movement. Once you reach full extension without losing balance, round your upper back the same as the Front to Back Chest movement. Now, moving chest first, lean forward to repeat the motion. Your hips will need to tilt a little front to back to make this motion work.
Reverse Snake Torso
This will pretty much be what you just did, but in the other direction. Start by pushing out your abdomen and then your chest until you are leaning forward as far as you can. Now, push in your belly (muscularly, NOT by "sucking it in") until you're more or less at the Front to Back Chest full extension toward the back. Lift your chest by arching your back muscularly until your chest is facing a bit upward (think limbo). Repeat the whole motion by pushing your belly out to the front and slowly rolling it out up through your chest until you come back to your full extension to the front. Repeat, repeat, repeat...
Twisting Torso Figure Eights
Push in your chest toward the back as in the Front to Back Chest. Start rounding out your movement to the side until you reach the side extension of the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide. Continue rounding to the front while you twist that shoulder to the front. Now, you should have one shoulder facing diagonally to the front and the other facing diagonally to the back. Slide your body along that line and repeat the rounding motion front the other side, untwisting and then following that motion until you are twisting the other shoulder to the front. Repeat, repeat. You will be twisting your torso in the same motion as the Twisting Torso and making a circular path on each side of your body, passing through the full extension points of the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide and almost through the Front to Back Chest (because you will be twisting and crossing your center line, you won't be in exactly the same place). Your shoulders should, nevertheless, stay pretty parallel to the floor the entire time and your figure either will be just like any other twisting figure eight.
Reverse Twisting Torso Figure Eights
This should be pretty self-explanatory. You will follow the same path as the previous movement only in reverse.
Twisting Chest Figure Eights
Do not move your head or your hips for this movement. Push out your upper back as in the Up and Down Chest. Round your movement to the side until you are in the same pushed-out ribcage position as in the Back and Forth Rib Slide. Start twisting until your chest on one side is pushed toward the front. Now, follow that same diagonal line as the previous movements. Bring your ribcage to the side while untwisting and then twist your other shoulder/side of your chest to the front. Follow the diagonal line backward to the other side and repeat.
Reverse Twisting Chest Figure Eights
Same path as the previous movement but in reverse. Start by pushing one side of your chest forward and untwisting toward the back.
Awesome Tip of the Day: "A thousand times slow for one time fast." Really, technique is so much more important than speed. Repetition is the only way to master these movements. However, mindless repetition will not help you. Mindful, self-critical repetition is the path to success for My Core Sequence. Film yourself periodically if you have a camera so you can make comparisons and track your progress.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 6: Upper Body Circles
Just like the lower body figure eights, if you haven't yet mastered Upper Body Linear Movements I suggest taking the time to get comfortable with them before you try to get into figure eights. The linear movements are the basis of figure eights. As with all upper body movements, your goal is to keep everything from your hips to your feet from moving. So if you're wearing pants, they should stay relatively still the whole time.
As always, it is really important to focus on posture and technique. It is much better to do it right than fast. A tall standing mirror is invaluable for this.
VIDEO LINK!!
Lateral Torso Figure Eights
These are athletically a bit more difficult due to the trajectory and range of motion. You should definitely feel a stretch. Starting from good posture, drop one shoulder as you start to lean to one side. Once you start to feel a stretch, begin to lift that shoulder until you reach the position you would be in if you were doing the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide. Your shoulder should have made a big, upward half circle. Now, start to drop your other shoulder as you slide your torso across your center line diagonally downward as far as you can. Start to lift your shoulder until you reach the same, fully extended position in this new direction. Point the original shoulder downward again and repeat the diagonal, downward slide. The figure eight will resemble an infinity symbol, or an eight laying on it's side.
Reverse Torso Figure Eights
These will more or less be the reverse trajectory of what you just did. Lean to one side, starting at the shoulder and letting your body bend, as far as you can (without letting your hips move) until you reach full range of flexibility. Now think about lifting your other shoulder straight up toward the ceiling and then coming to zero position. Repeat on the other side. Your figure eight will be a bit lopsided for this one.
Snake Torso
Lean forward starting from the chest until you're as far forward as you can get without losing your balance. When you reach this position, start lifting your body, starting from the chest until you're in the same position as you would be in if you were doing the Front to Back Chest. Now, lift your chest until if is facing upward and start leaning your body backward until you're at full range of motion leaning backward. Very important: Do not let your lower back sag. By keeping your chest lifted during any movement that involves a back bend, it helps keep your back muscles engaged throughout the movement. Once you reach full extension without losing balance, round your upper back the same as the Front to Back Chest movement. Now, moving chest first, lean forward to repeat the motion. Your hips will need to tilt a little front to back to make this motion work.
Reverse Snake Torso
This will pretty much be what you just did, but in the other direction. Start by pushing out your abdomen and then your chest until you are leaning forward as far as you can. Now, push in your belly (muscularly, NOT by "sucking it in") until you're more or less at the Front to Back Chest full extension toward the back. Lift your chest by arching your back muscularly until your chest is facing a bit upward (think limbo). Repeat the whole motion by pushing your belly out to the front and slowly rolling it out up through your chest until you come back to your full extension to the front. Repeat, repeat, repeat...
Twisting Torso Figure Eights
Push in your chest toward the back as in the Front to Back Chest. Start rounding out your movement to the side until you reach the side extension of the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide. Continue rounding to the front while you twist that shoulder to the front. Now, you should have one shoulder facing diagonally to the front and the other facing diagonally to the back. Slide your body along that line and repeat the rounding motion front the other side, untwisting and then following that motion until you are twisting the other shoulder to the front. Repeat, repeat. You will be twisting your torso in the same motion as the Twisting Torso and making a circular path on each side of your body, passing through the full extension points of the Back and Forth Shoulder Slide and almost through the Front to Back Chest (because you will be twisting and crossing your center line, you won't be in exactly the same place). Your shoulders should, nevertheless, stay pretty parallel to the floor the entire time and your figure either will be just like any other twisting figure eight.
Reverse Twisting Torso Figure Eights
This should be pretty self-explanatory. You will follow the same path as the previous movement only in reverse.
Twisting Chest Figure Eights
Do not move your head or your hips for this movement. Push out your upper back as in the Up and Down Chest. Round your movement to the side until you are in the same pushed-out ribcage position as in the Back and Forth Rib Slide. Start twisting until your chest on one side is pushed toward the front. Now, follow that same diagonal line as the previous movements. Bring your ribcage to the side while untwisting and then twist your other shoulder/side of your chest to the front. Follow the diagonal line backward to the other side and repeat.
Reverse Twisting Chest Figure Eights
Same path as the previous movement but in reverse. Start by pushing one side of your chest forward and untwisting toward the back.
Awesome Tip of the Day: "A thousand times slow for one time fast." Really, technique is so much more important than speed. Repetition is the only way to master these movements. However, mindless repetition will not help you. Mindful, self-critical repetition is the path to success for My Core Sequence. Film yourself periodically if you have a camera so you can make comparisons and track your progress.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 6: Upper Body Circles
Monday, January 3, 2011
My Core Sequence, Part 4: Upper Body Linear Movements
If you haven't already, please read Core Strength and Me and Introduction to Isolating Movement.
All of the upper body movements will be started from good posture. You may find that widening your stance just a little will help you with stability. The goal with upper body movements is to keep everything from your hips down as still as possible. For the sake of balance, it will not be possible to keep completely still, but try. You will find that the upper body movements pretty much match up with the lower body movements. If you find that you are either very uncoordinated in the hips, or just nervous about looking goofy, upper body movements may be a good place for you to start.
As always, if you're just starting off, it is wise to do just ten movements on each side, or twenty total, until you are comfortable with the new movements. Those of you who are new to core work may find yourself unusually sore if you do too much, too fast. Don't overdo it. You can add more repetitions next week if you find it is too easy. The most important thing is proper form so you're not training the wrong movement and not inadvertently causing strain or injury.
VIDEO LINK!!
Back and Forth Shoulder Slide
Start from good posture. Keeping your hips still, slide your upper body to one side, keeping your shoulders parallel to the ground, as far as you can. Repeat in the other direction. Try to keep from arching or hunching your back.
Back and Forth Rib Slide
The key to this is keeping your head and hips still. Push your ribcage out to one side as far as you can without moving your head or hips. Repeat in the other direction. Your shoulders will naturally make a pendulum motion if you do it correctly. Resist the urge to stick your hips out in the opposite direction while you do this. There should be a constant mild tension in your legs throughout the upper body sequence that helps keep this kind of thing from happening. You will notice your legs by the time you are finished.
Back and Forth Rib Tilt
Now you will go the other way. This will resemble an upside down pendulum swinging from the diaphragm area. I have a crease there in my skin, so it is easy for me to judge where that is. Starting from good posture, let your ribcage tilt to one side as far as it can hang without moving what is located below the diaphragm area. Your head will obviously move, but do not let your back sag. This is only a lateral movement. Now lift back to zero position and repeat on the other side. Do not let your hips or abdomen compensate for the movement. It should look like their is a joint located at the said articulation point and everything below that should not move.
Front to Back Chest
Starting from good posture, push your chest forward as far as you can without falling over. Do not look down. Keep your chest and head facing forward the entire time. Maintaining that same position, push your upper back as far backward as possible without falling. Let your upper back round in order to keep your chest and head facing forward only. Do not let your lower back get lazy and arch or you may put unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine, possibly causing pain. Try to keep your hips as still as possible, even though they will have to move forward a certain amount to keep you from tipping over.
Up and Down Chest
Keep your head still for this one. Start from that good posture. Push your chest (not your stomach) forward while pulling your shoulders back so that they stay in one place. This will effectively lift your chest at a wide range of motion. Now pull your chest in so that your upper back (not lower back) rounds. Your shoulders should still be in the same place, as should your head. Keep your hips tucked the whole time, do not let them go anywhere.
Front to Back Rib Tilt
Find that same articulation point at the diaphragm area that you were using for the previous rib tilt that was side to side. Viewing from the side, this movement should resemble the same upside down pendulum that the other one did. Start from good posture. Tilt your ribcage forward. Return to zero position. Tilt your ribcage backward. Repeat. Do not move anything below your articulation point. It is very important that two things happen during any of these movements that includes a back bend. The first is that your lower back stay in posture. Do not let your lower back sag. Doing this puts a lot of pressure on the lumbar spine. The second is that you lift your chest toward the ceiling. This will help keep you from letting your mid to upper back sag while tilting or leaning backward.
Twisting Torso
I'm including this one in this section because you will need it for the figure eights. Start from posture. Do not move from your center line. Rotate your upper body so that one shoulder comes forward and the other backward as far as your flexibility allows you to go. Your head should not move. Go to your fullest range of motion without allowing your hips to follow. Repeat in the other direction.
Awesome Tip of the Day: There is a tendency to start to arch or hunch your back or stick out your bum if you're not paying attention to it. Keep this in mind throughout your movements. Try not to distort yourself in the wrong direction while you are practicing. Keeping good posture will help you use the correct muscles, reduce the risk of injury, and make you appear more graceful and coordinated.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 5: Upper Body Figure Eights
All of the upper body movements will be started from good posture. You may find that widening your stance just a little will help you with stability. The goal with upper body movements is to keep everything from your hips down as still as possible. For the sake of balance, it will not be possible to keep completely still, but try. You will find that the upper body movements pretty much match up with the lower body movements. If you find that you are either very uncoordinated in the hips, or just nervous about looking goofy, upper body movements may be a good place for you to start.
As always, if you're just starting off, it is wise to do just ten movements on each side, or twenty total, until you are comfortable with the new movements. Those of you who are new to core work may find yourself unusually sore if you do too much, too fast. Don't overdo it. You can add more repetitions next week if you find it is too easy. The most important thing is proper form so you're not training the wrong movement and not inadvertently causing strain or injury.
VIDEO LINK!!
Back and Forth Shoulder Slide
Start from good posture. Keeping your hips still, slide your upper body to one side, keeping your shoulders parallel to the ground, as far as you can. Repeat in the other direction. Try to keep from arching or hunching your back.
Back and Forth Rib Slide
The key to this is keeping your head and hips still. Push your ribcage out to one side as far as you can without moving your head or hips. Repeat in the other direction. Your shoulders will naturally make a pendulum motion if you do it correctly. Resist the urge to stick your hips out in the opposite direction while you do this. There should be a constant mild tension in your legs throughout the upper body sequence that helps keep this kind of thing from happening. You will notice your legs by the time you are finished.
Back and Forth Rib Tilt
Now you will go the other way. This will resemble an upside down pendulum swinging from the diaphragm area. I have a crease there in my skin, so it is easy for me to judge where that is. Starting from good posture, let your ribcage tilt to one side as far as it can hang without moving what is located below the diaphragm area. Your head will obviously move, but do not let your back sag. This is only a lateral movement. Now lift back to zero position and repeat on the other side. Do not let your hips or abdomen compensate for the movement. It should look like their is a joint located at the said articulation point and everything below that should not move.
Front to Back Chest
Starting from good posture, push your chest forward as far as you can without falling over. Do not look down. Keep your chest and head facing forward the entire time. Maintaining that same position, push your upper back as far backward as possible without falling. Let your upper back round in order to keep your chest and head facing forward only. Do not let your lower back get lazy and arch or you may put unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine, possibly causing pain. Try to keep your hips as still as possible, even though they will have to move forward a certain amount to keep you from tipping over.
Up and Down Chest
Keep your head still for this one. Start from that good posture. Push your chest (not your stomach) forward while pulling your shoulders back so that they stay in one place. This will effectively lift your chest at a wide range of motion. Now pull your chest in so that your upper back (not lower back) rounds. Your shoulders should still be in the same place, as should your head. Keep your hips tucked the whole time, do not let them go anywhere.
Front to Back Rib Tilt
Find that same articulation point at the diaphragm area that you were using for the previous rib tilt that was side to side. Viewing from the side, this movement should resemble the same upside down pendulum that the other one did. Start from good posture. Tilt your ribcage forward. Return to zero position. Tilt your ribcage backward. Repeat. Do not move anything below your articulation point. It is very important that two things happen during any of these movements that includes a back bend. The first is that your lower back stay in posture. Do not let your lower back sag. Doing this puts a lot of pressure on the lumbar spine. The second is that you lift your chest toward the ceiling. This will help keep you from letting your mid to upper back sag while tilting or leaning backward.
Twisting Torso
I'm including this one in this section because you will need it for the figure eights. Start from posture. Do not move from your center line. Rotate your upper body so that one shoulder comes forward and the other backward as far as your flexibility allows you to go. Your head should not move. Go to your fullest range of motion without allowing your hips to follow. Repeat in the other direction.
Awesome Tip of the Day: There is a tendency to start to arch or hunch your back or stick out your bum if you're not paying attention to it. Keep this in mind throughout your movements. Try not to distort yourself in the wrong direction while you are practicing. Keeping good posture will help you use the correct muscles, reduce the risk of injury, and make you appear more graceful and coordinated.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 5: Upper Body Figure Eights
Friday, December 10, 2010
My Core Sequence, Part 3: Lower Body Figure Eights
If you haven't already, first read Core Strength and Me and Introduction to Isolating Movement.
Figure eights are probably the most complicated and difficult movements in the sequence, so make sure you have a good handle on Lower Body Linear Movements before you get yourself frustrated with this. Do not attempt to learn this without a mirror. Remember to start with ten movements on each side, or twenty total.
VIDEO LINK!
Basic Figure Eights
Remember the Pendulum? This movement comes from that. The difference is that you will not drop your hip on your way back to zero position. You will keep your hip up until you get to zero position. So essentially, you will be making a big upward circle on one side, then another on the other side. Start in the same position as you would for the Pendulum, do not forget your good posture. Bring your hip up as you let it slide out to the side as usual. Now slide your hips back to your centerline without dropping your hip. This should remind you of Up and Down. Now that you are here, come back to neutral position and repeat the movement exactly on the opposite side. When you put both sides together into one movement, you should see your hips making a sideways figure eight (or infinity symbol) in the mirror in front of you.
Inverted Figure Eights
This is to the Inverted Pendulum as the previous movement is to the regular Pendulum. You will start the movement exactly as you would the Inverted Pendulum only maintain your hip down as you return it to your center line (also like the Up and Down). You will pass through neutral position on your centerline as you repeat the movement on the other side.
Stationary Twist
This is not a figure eight, but has the same relation to the Twisting Figure Eight as the Up and Down has to the Figure Eight. Stand at neutral position in good posture. Without moving from your center line (neither side to side, nor forward or backward) facing the mirror, twist your hips such that one hip comes forward and the other goes backward. Now repeat on the other side. It can be difficult to do this in good posture if you're not used to it, so really fight for it. It will be impossible to keep your whole rib cage still with this particular movement, so just try to keep your chest and shoulders in the same place.
Twisting Figure Eight
The figure eight in this movement will be parallel to the floor, with each hip making one of the circles and the center being at neutral position. Start from neutral position. Do one side of your Stationary Twist. Now, bring your rear hip in a circle, parallel to the floor, toward the front as you twist. Now that hip should be in front, your other hip to the rear, and you should be back at your centerline. Repeat the movement on the opposite side, bringing that hip in a circle from the rear to the front as you twist and return to your centerline. Again, try and keep your chest and shoulders still.
Reverse Twisting Figure Eight
This is exactly like the previous movement only you will bring your hips in circles that travel from the front to the rear as you twist. Do not move your chest or shoulders.
Bicycle Hips
This is a tough one. There is no figure eight in this movement. Your hips will make alternating circles in a forward, downward motion just as your feet would if you were pedaling a bike. You will be using a combination of Up and Downs and Stationary Twists. This is a smaller movement, so you should be able to keep still from the diaphragm down. Start with the first half of your Up and Down motion so that one hip is high and the other low. Now, twist your high hip forward and your low hip backward while your bring both hips level with eachother (parallel to the ground). At this point, you should be half way into a Stationary Twist and your Up and Down will be neutral. Continue the downward, forward circular motion with the hip that was up, and the backward, upward circular motion with the hip that was down until the low hip is up and the high hip is down. That is one half of the movement. Repeat on the other side. Your hips should be circling forward and down to mimic two feet pedaling a bicycle. Your body should not be moving up and down or side to side. All the work will be in your legs for movement and your lower torso for keeping your upper torso still throughout the movement. It is easy to lose posture during this movement, so once you get a feel for it, really fight for that good posture.
Awesome Tip of the Day: This really is a lot of leg work. Stretch those legs, especially your quadriceps, before you do your Core Sequence. It is a good idea to also stretch out your hips and torso in any direction you can think of. Take a break and shake out your legs if they're starting to burn. As you become comfortable with the movements, you will make be able to do a greater range of motion, which should slowly increase your flexibility. Stretch.
Reverse Bicycle Hips
No explanation required. This is exactly the same as the previous movement only your hips will be pedaling backward.
Snake Hips
I know, snakes don't have hips. What you're looking for is a rolling movement that, from the side, resembles a figure eight combined with a pendulum. It definitely rolls more than a pendulum, but it is not as clear as a figure eight. It is snake-like movement. Remember the Front to Back Slide. Start with that. Bring your hips forward. As you reach the end of your motion, tilt your pelvis upward. Now, when you go backward, try to do it in a rolling motion starting from the middle of your back and ending at your sacrum. As you bring your body forward again, start by pushing out your stomach just below your diaphragm and rolling all the way out to your hips. When your put the whole thing together, you should have a nice rolling motion that is equal on the front and back sides.
Inverted Snake Hips
This is the same idea as the previous motion. Starting from neutral position, tilt your hips upward and push them forward. When you reach the extent of your range, tilt your hips downward and push them out toward the back. Tilt them forward again as you bring them forward. This should help you achieve the upward rolling motion with your body that should move from your pelvis to your middle back. Try to keep your chest and shoulders still, more if you can. Make sure that you count these like the figure eights, one count for the front and one for the back. That helps you mentally emphasize both sides of the movement instead of focusing more on one half or the other.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 4: Upper Body Linear Movements
Figure eights are probably the most complicated and difficult movements in the sequence, so make sure you have a good handle on Lower Body Linear Movements before you get yourself frustrated with this. Do not attempt to learn this without a mirror. Remember to start with ten movements on each side, or twenty total.
VIDEO LINK!
Basic Figure Eights
Remember the Pendulum? This movement comes from that. The difference is that you will not drop your hip on your way back to zero position. You will keep your hip up until you get to zero position. So essentially, you will be making a big upward circle on one side, then another on the other side. Start in the same position as you would for the Pendulum, do not forget your good posture. Bring your hip up as you let it slide out to the side as usual. Now slide your hips back to your centerline without dropping your hip. This should remind you of Up and Down. Now that you are here, come back to neutral position and repeat the movement exactly on the opposite side. When you put both sides together into one movement, you should see your hips making a sideways figure eight (or infinity symbol) in the mirror in front of you.
Inverted Figure Eights
This is to the Inverted Pendulum as the previous movement is to the regular Pendulum. You will start the movement exactly as you would the Inverted Pendulum only maintain your hip down as you return it to your center line (also like the Up and Down). You will pass through neutral position on your centerline as you repeat the movement on the other side.
Stationary Twist
This is not a figure eight, but has the same relation to the Twisting Figure Eight as the Up and Down has to the Figure Eight. Stand at neutral position in good posture. Without moving from your center line (neither side to side, nor forward or backward) facing the mirror, twist your hips such that one hip comes forward and the other goes backward. Now repeat on the other side. It can be difficult to do this in good posture if you're not used to it, so really fight for it. It will be impossible to keep your whole rib cage still with this particular movement, so just try to keep your chest and shoulders in the same place.
Twisting Figure Eight
The figure eight in this movement will be parallel to the floor, with each hip making one of the circles and the center being at neutral position. Start from neutral position. Do one side of your Stationary Twist. Now, bring your rear hip in a circle, parallel to the floor, toward the front as you twist. Now that hip should be in front, your other hip to the rear, and you should be back at your centerline. Repeat the movement on the opposite side, bringing that hip in a circle from the rear to the front as you twist and return to your centerline. Again, try and keep your chest and shoulders still.
Reverse Twisting Figure Eight
This is exactly like the previous movement only you will bring your hips in circles that travel from the front to the rear as you twist. Do not move your chest or shoulders.
Bicycle Hips
This is a tough one. There is no figure eight in this movement. Your hips will make alternating circles in a forward, downward motion just as your feet would if you were pedaling a bike. You will be using a combination of Up and Downs and Stationary Twists. This is a smaller movement, so you should be able to keep still from the diaphragm down. Start with the first half of your Up and Down motion so that one hip is high and the other low. Now, twist your high hip forward and your low hip backward while your bring both hips level with eachother (parallel to the ground). At this point, you should be half way into a Stationary Twist and your Up and Down will be neutral. Continue the downward, forward circular motion with the hip that was up, and the backward, upward circular motion with the hip that was down until the low hip is up and the high hip is down. That is one half of the movement. Repeat on the other side. Your hips should be circling forward and down to mimic two feet pedaling a bicycle. Your body should not be moving up and down or side to side. All the work will be in your legs for movement and your lower torso for keeping your upper torso still throughout the movement. It is easy to lose posture during this movement, so once you get a feel for it, really fight for that good posture.
Awesome Tip of the Day: This really is a lot of leg work. Stretch those legs, especially your quadriceps, before you do your Core Sequence. It is a good idea to also stretch out your hips and torso in any direction you can think of. Take a break and shake out your legs if they're starting to burn. As you become comfortable with the movements, you will make be able to do a greater range of motion, which should slowly increase your flexibility. Stretch.
Reverse Bicycle Hips
No explanation required. This is exactly the same as the previous movement only your hips will be pedaling backward.
Snake Hips
I know, snakes don't have hips. What you're looking for is a rolling movement that, from the side, resembles a figure eight combined with a pendulum. It definitely rolls more than a pendulum, but it is not as clear as a figure eight. It is snake-like movement. Remember the Front to Back Slide. Start with that. Bring your hips forward. As you reach the end of your motion, tilt your pelvis upward. Now, when you go backward, try to do it in a rolling motion starting from the middle of your back and ending at your sacrum. As you bring your body forward again, start by pushing out your stomach just below your diaphragm and rolling all the way out to your hips. When your put the whole thing together, you should have a nice rolling motion that is equal on the front and back sides.
Inverted Snake Hips
This is the same idea as the previous motion. Starting from neutral position, tilt your hips upward and push them forward. When you reach the extent of your range, tilt your hips downward and push them out toward the back. Tilt them forward again as you bring them forward. This should help you achieve the upward rolling motion with your body that should move from your pelvis to your middle back. Try to keep your chest and shoulders still, more if you can. Make sure that you count these like the figure eights, one count for the front and one for the back. That helps you mentally emphasize both sides of the movement instead of focusing more on one half or the other.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 4: Upper Body Linear Movements
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
My Core Sequence, Part 2: Lower Body Linear Movements
If you haven't already, first read Core Strength and Me and Introduction to Isolating Movement.
Linear movements are fairly simple and easy to do and a good way to get yourself ready for more complicated movements like figure eights and snake-like rolling movements (called "camels" in belly dancing). Lower body linear movements work exactly how they sound. They involve moving your hips back and forth or front to back in specific trajectories and articulating from varying points. The articulation point determines what area is not involved in movement, meaning from which point your body will be staying still.
Don't forget that all of these movements should be initiated with your legs. The core work will come from keeping your articulation points still. And keep your eyes on that mirror! It really makes all the difference.
VIDEO LINK!
Back and Forth Slide
The first movement is a simple back and forth. Starting from good posture (lifted chest, tucked hips), give your knees a little bend and get low in your center. You will articulate from the ribcage (at about the diaphragm) down. Slide your hips to one side as far as you can without moving the ribcage. This movement will be done with your legs. You should feel a little stretch in your side. Once this is achieved, push the other hip out to the other side. Again, nothing from your ribcage to your head should be moving. Keep a close watch in the mirror to make sure this is the case. You will notice that the muscles in the ribcage are working not to move your hips but to counter the movement in your hips. This is a result of having an articulation point above which nothing moves. This is where the core work comes from.
Up and Down
Starting from good posture and low in your center, you will be lifting one hip while lowering the other simultaneously. The articulation point in this will be a single point located in the center of your pelvis. The movement will occur by bending one knee, and then bringing it to neutral while bending the other knee. This is an important motion to get as it will be the basis of many other related movements, so give it some attention and make sure it feels comfortable. Your torso should not be moving.
Pendulum
This motion will combine the previous two. Slide your hip out to one side. As you reach your full extension, incorporate your up and down motion so that your hip lifts on the side of the extension. Because of the extension, you may need to come up on the ball of your foot a little on that side, but the other foot should be firmly grounded. Let your hip come down and you return to the neutral position and repeat on the other side. With your ribcage still, your hips should appear to swing as a pendulum would in the mirror. Check to see if your movement looks like this.
Inverted Pendulum
This movement is a little trickier than the pendulum because it feels less natural and involves a bit more of a stretch. You will do this exactly the same way as the pendulum only your hip will drop down instead of lift at the extension of the hip. Again, make your best efforts to maintain posture and not allow your ribcage to move from around the diaphragm up. At the very least, your head and chest should be still and he ribcage will follow with practice. If you were not moving side to side, your articulation point would be at your pubic bone.
Front to Back Slide
The concept here is exactly like like the back and forth slide only it is front to back. Try not to roll over your heels or toes. Do your best to keep your ribcage from moving.
Pelvic Thrust
Men love this one. Try to articulate from about your belly button down. If you were to do this sideways in front of the mirror, it would bare resemblance to the pendulum motion you were doing a moment ago. Start from the neutral position. Bring your pelvis forward and slightly up as far as you can go without moving anything just above the belly button. Now bring it back to neutral and mirror the motion for the same distance in the opposite direction. You should feel a squeeze in the lower abs when you move forward and probably a little butt squeeze as well. You should feel the same thing on the lowest part of your back as you move backward. That's it. You've got it. You're a rock star...
Pelvic Rock
This one is also really good for your lower back and is excellent for training yourself to keep your pelvis centered (not tilted backward, which is the tendency). Like the Inverted Hip Circle and Inverted Pendulum, the articulation point will be at about the pubic bone. Rock your pelvis forward from that point so that your belly button pushes forward as far as you can without losing technique. Now reverse the motion pushing your lower back out while pulling the belly button area in. Your pubic bone should not be moving forward and backward in space and the ribs up should not be moving either. This is a tricky one so give it some time and practice.
Awesome Tip of the Day: Since linear movements are done on both sides of the body, all linear movements must be done twice as many times receive equal attention as neutral movements like circles. Left and right or front and back each count as one. So, if I were doing ten each of my circles, I must do ten per side or twenty total of each linear movement (and figure eight, as you will see in the next installment of this series).
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 3: Lower Body Figure Eights
Linear movements are fairly simple and easy to do and a good way to get yourself ready for more complicated movements like figure eights and snake-like rolling movements (called "camels" in belly dancing). Lower body linear movements work exactly how they sound. They involve moving your hips back and forth or front to back in specific trajectories and articulating from varying points. The articulation point determines what area is not involved in movement, meaning from which point your body will be staying still.
Don't forget that all of these movements should be initiated with your legs. The core work will come from keeping your articulation points still. And keep your eyes on that mirror! It really makes all the difference.
VIDEO LINK!
Back and Forth Slide
The first movement is a simple back and forth. Starting from good posture (lifted chest, tucked hips), give your knees a little bend and get low in your center. You will articulate from the ribcage (at about the diaphragm) down. Slide your hips to one side as far as you can without moving the ribcage. This movement will be done with your legs. You should feel a little stretch in your side. Once this is achieved, push the other hip out to the other side. Again, nothing from your ribcage to your head should be moving. Keep a close watch in the mirror to make sure this is the case. You will notice that the muscles in the ribcage are working not to move your hips but to counter the movement in your hips. This is a result of having an articulation point above which nothing moves. This is where the core work comes from.
Up and Down
Starting from good posture and low in your center, you will be lifting one hip while lowering the other simultaneously. The articulation point in this will be a single point located in the center of your pelvis. The movement will occur by bending one knee, and then bringing it to neutral while bending the other knee. This is an important motion to get as it will be the basis of many other related movements, so give it some attention and make sure it feels comfortable. Your torso should not be moving.
Pendulum
This motion will combine the previous two. Slide your hip out to one side. As you reach your full extension, incorporate your up and down motion so that your hip lifts on the side of the extension. Because of the extension, you may need to come up on the ball of your foot a little on that side, but the other foot should be firmly grounded. Let your hip come down and you return to the neutral position and repeat on the other side. With your ribcage still, your hips should appear to swing as a pendulum would in the mirror. Check to see if your movement looks like this.
Inverted Pendulum
This movement is a little trickier than the pendulum because it feels less natural and involves a bit more of a stretch. You will do this exactly the same way as the pendulum only your hip will drop down instead of lift at the extension of the hip. Again, make your best efforts to maintain posture and not allow your ribcage to move from around the diaphragm up. At the very least, your head and chest should be still and he ribcage will follow with practice. If you were not moving side to side, your articulation point would be at your pubic bone.
Front to Back Slide
The concept here is exactly like like the back and forth slide only it is front to back. Try not to roll over your heels or toes. Do your best to keep your ribcage from moving.
Pelvic Thrust
Men love this one. Try to articulate from about your belly button down. If you were to do this sideways in front of the mirror, it would bare resemblance to the pendulum motion you were doing a moment ago. Start from the neutral position. Bring your pelvis forward and slightly up as far as you can go without moving anything just above the belly button. Now bring it back to neutral and mirror the motion for the same distance in the opposite direction. You should feel a squeeze in the lower abs when you move forward and probably a little butt squeeze as well. You should feel the same thing on the lowest part of your back as you move backward. That's it. You've got it. You're a rock star...
Pelvic Rock
This one is also really good for your lower back and is excellent for training yourself to keep your pelvis centered (not tilted backward, which is the tendency). Like the Inverted Hip Circle and Inverted Pendulum, the articulation point will be at about the pubic bone. Rock your pelvis forward from that point so that your belly button pushes forward as far as you can without losing technique. Now reverse the motion pushing your lower back out while pulling the belly button area in. Your pubic bone should not be moving forward and backward in space and the ribs up should not be moving either. This is a tricky one so give it some time and practice.
Awesome Tip of the Day: Since linear movements are done on both sides of the body, all linear movements must be done twice as many times receive equal attention as neutral movements like circles. Left and right or front and back each count as one. So, if I were doing ten each of my circles, I must do ten per side or twenty total of each linear movement (and figure eight, as you will see in the next installment of this series).
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 3: Lower Body Figure Eights
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles
If you haven't already, first read Core Strength and Me and My Core Sequence, Introduction to Isolating Movement. If you're having a hard time with circles, start with Lower Body Linear Movements. It may help you get a feel for it.
There are many ways to make lower body circles. You can articulate your circles from different points on your body, but they are all circles. That means that whatever part of your body becomes the widest part of the circle, it should stay an equal distance from the center line you would have if you were standing up straight. This is important for the circle to stay fluid and also important to ensure that you are working and stretching the muscles on all sides evenly. For example, if you push your circles more out to the front than to the back, you will be doing more work on the front than on the back and, therefore, develop unevenly.
Awesome Tip of the Day: Remember to keep good posture throughout the movements. Lift your ribs and tuck your hips. Letting your back or shoulders sag or curve unnaturally can put undo strain on specific vertebrae, which can cause you pain or exacerbate pre-existing injuries. None of these movements should hurt.
VIDEO LINK!
Big Circles
Big circles articulate all the way from your head. Your stand from good posture and lean to one side while sticking your hip out to the other side. Try to keep your head in the same place. It will be impossible to keep it in exactly the same place, but do your best. Now try it on the other side. Once you see how this feels and looks, try it to the front and to the back, making sure that when you stick your hip out in any direction, the end of your movement places your hip at the same distance from your center line as it would in any other direction. Once you have a feel for that, try taking your hip in a big circle connecting all the dots from side to front to side to back. Do maybe ten and then try it in the other direction, making sure that your head is staying in the same place as much as possible. Big circles should resemble the big hip circles one does to stretch before working out.
Upper Hip Circles
The idea of these is exactly the same as the Big Circles only instead of articulating from below the head, you will articulate below the ribs as viewed from the front (so right around your diaphragm). That means that from the ribs up, you should not be moving. Your hips will still be the outside of the circle. You may just jump into this if you feel up to it. Otherwise, try the same approach of feeling each side individually before connecting the dot. Do the movement slowly in front of the mirror. As you move in a circle, you will notice that the muscles surrounding your given articulation point will engage in attempt to keep that area still. Those muscles are countering the movement that you are doing. Keep your movements even and controlled and those muscles will build strength and control all the way around your body. Do ten in each direction.
Middle Hip Circles
When you first start, it is difficult to drive distinction between upper, middle, and lower circles. When you get used to it, you will see that they engage very different muscles. Middle Hip Circles are exactly like Upper Hip Circles only the articulate from a lower point. This point should be around where the lowest ribs are (located on the back side). On a woman, this will be around your natural waist (smallest part of the waist). On a man, this will vary. Same as before, feel it out carefully and then do your circles, ten in each direction.
Lower Hip Circles
Same thing. Your articulation point should be around where your belly button is. You will notice that the circles are getting progressively smaller. Try to keep your good posture. Do your ten in each direction.
Sexy Hip Circles
These circles are a little bit different. Some people find them easier and some people find them confusing. Imagine your pelvis is a plate, parallel to the floor. You want roll around the edge of the plate. To illustrate, drop a coin on the table. Once it falls to once face up, it will roll around its edges (staying in one place) before finally laying to rest. This is what you will be doing with your hips. If the center of that coin or plate was in the middle of your pelvis, facing up, you will be making that same motion. Everything above that area should be still. The movement will be coming from your legs, as usual. You should feel the muscles working very low on your abdomen and back. Do your ten in each direction.
Inverted Hip Circles
This is the most confusing one and the one my ladies will probably find very useful. This one articulates from below the pelvis (around the pubic bone) up. Everything until this point has been from a given point down. The widest part of your circle will not be your hips, it will be probably around the height of your belly button. At first, this is all you need to worry about as it is difficult enough to figure out what you're actually doing in this movement. Once you figure it out, try to do it keeping still from at least the chest up. For a visual, imagine that your pelvis is a bowl. Do the same rolling motion with the bottom of the bowl that you did with the plate. Do your ten in each direction.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 2: Lower Body Linear Movements
There are many ways to make lower body circles. You can articulate your circles from different points on your body, but they are all circles. That means that whatever part of your body becomes the widest part of the circle, it should stay an equal distance from the center line you would have if you were standing up straight. This is important for the circle to stay fluid and also important to ensure that you are working and stretching the muscles on all sides evenly. For example, if you push your circles more out to the front than to the back, you will be doing more work on the front than on the back and, therefore, develop unevenly.
Awesome Tip of the Day: Remember to keep good posture throughout the movements. Lift your ribs and tuck your hips. Letting your back or shoulders sag or curve unnaturally can put undo strain on specific vertebrae, which can cause you pain or exacerbate pre-existing injuries. None of these movements should hurt.
VIDEO LINK!
Big Circles
Big circles articulate all the way from your head. Your stand from good posture and lean to one side while sticking your hip out to the other side. Try to keep your head in the same place. It will be impossible to keep it in exactly the same place, but do your best. Now try it on the other side. Once you see how this feels and looks, try it to the front and to the back, making sure that when you stick your hip out in any direction, the end of your movement places your hip at the same distance from your center line as it would in any other direction. Once you have a feel for that, try taking your hip in a big circle connecting all the dots from side to front to side to back. Do maybe ten and then try it in the other direction, making sure that your head is staying in the same place as much as possible. Big circles should resemble the big hip circles one does to stretch before working out.
Upper Hip Circles
The idea of these is exactly the same as the Big Circles only instead of articulating from below the head, you will articulate below the ribs as viewed from the front (so right around your diaphragm). That means that from the ribs up, you should not be moving. Your hips will still be the outside of the circle. You may just jump into this if you feel up to it. Otherwise, try the same approach of feeling each side individually before connecting the dot. Do the movement slowly in front of the mirror. As you move in a circle, you will notice that the muscles surrounding your given articulation point will engage in attempt to keep that area still. Those muscles are countering the movement that you are doing. Keep your movements even and controlled and those muscles will build strength and control all the way around your body. Do ten in each direction.
Middle Hip Circles
When you first start, it is difficult to drive distinction between upper, middle, and lower circles. When you get used to it, you will see that they engage very different muscles. Middle Hip Circles are exactly like Upper Hip Circles only the articulate from a lower point. This point should be around where the lowest ribs are (located on the back side). On a woman, this will be around your natural waist (smallest part of the waist). On a man, this will vary. Same as before, feel it out carefully and then do your circles, ten in each direction.
Lower Hip Circles
Same thing. Your articulation point should be around where your belly button is. You will notice that the circles are getting progressively smaller. Try to keep your good posture. Do your ten in each direction.
Sexy Hip Circles
These circles are a little bit different. Some people find them easier and some people find them confusing. Imagine your pelvis is a plate, parallel to the floor. You want roll around the edge of the plate. To illustrate, drop a coin on the table. Once it falls to once face up, it will roll around its edges (staying in one place) before finally laying to rest. This is what you will be doing with your hips. If the center of that coin or plate was in the middle of your pelvis, facing up, you will be making that same motion. Everything above that area should be still. The movement will be coming from your legs, as usual. You should feel the muscles working very low on your abdomen and back. Do your ten in each direction.
Inverted Hip Circles
This is the most confusing one and the one my ladies will probably find very useful. This one articulates from below the pelvis (around the pubic bone) up. Everything until this point has been from a given point down. The widest part of your circle will not be your hips, it will be probably around the height of your belly button. At first, this is all you need to worry about as it is difficult enough to figure out what you're actually doing in this movement. Once you figure it out, try to do it keeping still from at least the chest up. For a visual, imagine that your pelvis is a bowl. Do the same rolling motion with the bottom of the bowl that you did with the plate. Do your ten in each direction.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 2: Lower Body Linear Movements
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
My Core Sequence, Introduction to Isolating Movement
There is a common misconception related to any kind of abdominal articulations (hula, bellydance, etc.). People think that you work your abdominals because you're using them to initiate movement. This is false. If you see someone trying to move their hips, for example dancing salsa, and it looks awkward and wrong, this is probably why. The lower body (hip/abdominal) movements always start with the legs. The core muscles are used to isolate the movement. That's worth repeating because it is the core concept (you like that little pun?). Your legs will initiate all lower body movements. You will use the muscles in your core to counter those movements. If you use your legs only, your whole body will move. Add the muscles of the torso to keep everything else still and only the hips will move.
Awesome Tip of the Day: You will find that the upper body movements pretty much match up with the lower body movements. If you find that you are either very uncoordinated in the hips, or just nervous about looking goofy, upper body movements may be a good place for you to start.
Don't be afraid to bend your knees and get low in your center of gravity. Take off your shoes and feel the floor if you have to. These should all be very solid, grounded, strong movements. Try not to get too high up on your toes or on straight legs. There should be no jerking or straining. Everything should be very fluid and controlled.
You will need:
1 mirror, that's it.
It is really important that you can see what you're doing. When you first start, it feels completely unnatural, so you will have to train the motions by the way it looks and as your body gets used to it, you will get a feel for when you're doing it correctly. I have been doing these kinds of movements for near twenty years and I still prefer to practice in front of a mirror. That's another thing worth mentioning. I have been doing this for a really long time. For me, most of it is pretty easy. If this is new to you, you must have patience. It will probably take you quite awhile to get it right. For some of you, it will take a long while. I will do my best to explain and demonstrate, but it's really a matter of you practicing a little each day. Do the movements every time you pass a certain mirror in your house or every time you've been sitting at the computer too long and the practice will add up without having to sit down for long sessions that can become frustrating.
I will be writing and later demonstrating related movements grouped together. These movements will be thoroughly explained, so I will have to do a series of posts, one group per post. Within each group, certain moves will be more basic and probably easier for you. Start with those and they will hopefully help you build up to the more difficult ones. Also, some movements may require more strength than you yet have. Work into these slowly so as to avoid injury. Learn one entire group, then another. It doesn't really matter which group you do first, so just choose one you think will be easiest for you and have at it.
Posture, posture, posture! Before you start. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. All movements start from one specific posture. That posture is called "good" posture. Check out the Good Posture Checklist on this page in blue. If you do not work from good posture, you are training yourself to have bad posture. If you already have poor posture, training from that position will not help you fix it. It will also have you engaging the wrong muscles and possibly hurting yourself.
As with any kind of exercise program, use good judgement. If something makes you sore, no big deal. If something causes you pain, check your technique. If that doesn't help, stop. Be mindful of any pre-existing injuries that you may have. Take your time. New movements may be using underdeveloped muscles or use muscles in new ways. Give your body a chance to adapt and develop.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles
Awesome Tip of the Day: You will find that the upper body movements pretty much match up with the lower body movements. If you find that you are either very uncoordinated in the hips, or just nervous about looking goofy, upper body movements may be a good place for you to start.
Don't be afraid to bend your knees and get low in your center of gravity. Take off your shoes and feel the floor if you have to. These should all be very solid, grounded, strong movements. Try not to get too high up on your toes or on straight legs. There should be no jerking or straining. Everything should be very fluid and controlled.
You will need:
1 mirror, that's it.
It is really important that you can see what you're doing. When you first start, it feels completely unnatural, so you will have to train the motions by the way it looks and as your body gets used to it, you will get a feel for when you're doing it correctly. I have been doing these kinds of movements for near twenty years and I still prefer to practice in front of a mirror. That's another thing worth mentioning. I have been doing this for a really long time. For me, most of it is pretty easy. If this is new to you, you must have patience. It will probably take you quite awhile to get it right. For some of you, it will take a long while. I will do my best to explain and demonstrate, but it's really a matter of you practicing a little each day. Do the movements every time you pass a certain mirror in your house or every time you've been sitting at the computer too long and the practice will add up without having to sit down for long sessions that can become frustrating.
I will be writing and later demonstrating related movements grouped together. These movements will be thoroughly explained, so I will have to do a series of posts, one group per post. Within each group, certain moves will be more basic and probably easier for you. Start with those and they will hopefully help you build up to the more difficult ones. Also, some movements may require more strength than you yet have. Work into these slowly so as to avoid injury. Learn one entire group, then another. It doesn't really matter which group you do first, so just choose one you think will be easiest for you and have at it.
Posture, posture, posture! Before you start. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. All movements start from one specific posture. That posture is called "good" posture. Check out the Good Posture Checklist on this page in blue. If you do not work from good posture, you are training yourself to have bad posture. If you already have poor posture, training from that position will not help you fix it. It will also have you engaging the wrong muscles and possibly hurting yourself.
As with any kind of exercise program, use good judgement. If something makes you sore, no big deal. If something causes you pain, check your technique. If that doesn't help, stop. Be mindful of any pre-existing injuries that you may have. Take your time. New movements may be using underdeveloped muscles or use muscles in new ways. Give your body a chance to adapt and develop.
NEXT IN THIS SERIES...
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles
Monday, November 29, 2010
Core Strength and Me
I'll just say it outright, I have a pretty strong core. I tend to do pretty well on sit-up tests and planks and bridges and other core related things, especially for one who rarely practices these things. Somewhere down the line of being a teenager, I decided that these things were boring (which I still maintain), and I didn't plan to do them unless I was told to or if I had little else to do in the way of exercise. So why am I good at them, you ask? I grew up dancing. Not ballet. Not jazz. Not modern. I grew up with homegrown salsa dancing from the womb. My mom is awesome. By the age of eight I started bellydancing, thanks to the talented mother of my childhood friend. In retrospect, this was such a wonderful start to my life for so many reasons.
Awesome Tip of the Day: Not so much a problem for my female readers, but many of the men will get scared when they read "dance" or "hips". Bare with me. I also mention "striking" and "grappling" if it makes you feel better. No one ever has to see you do my core sequence if you don't want them to. I typically do it in front of the mirror before I get in the shower either in my room or in the bathroom. Few people have ever seen it. Just keep it discreet and only impress the people you want to impress, like your wife or girlfriend. You will thank me later when you discover new things you are capable of...
Over time, I developed a changeable sequence of core articulations to make it easy for me to practice. It's a nice way to get warm in the morning or get a little physical activity in before a shower. It keeps me strong in some really important places, which does wonders for my back and posture, while making me feel like I'm actually digesting my food. I have a balanced muscle tone in the torso, which creates a natural-looking waist line. I feel that doing a lot of (boring) exercises tends to give people a square look or just a funny, overdeveloped "six pack" area and a really weak back with big "love handles".
I realize that there are special workouts like pilates and certain yoga sequences that are meant to deal with this, but I think mine is better. The reason I think this is that, in addition to making the muscles strong and evenly developed, my sequence also encourages flexibility, full range of motion, and the kind of coordination that helps you on the dance floor and in the bedroom (be you a man or woman). Also, instead of holding poses or doing small articulations, you are really moving the torso in all different directions, which according to me just feels really good. Plus, this kind of functional core strength helped me a lot in martial arts, both striking and grappling. I'm not a big girl and my arms and legs are not super strong, but I can pull my own weight because of my core strength and flexibility. I may gain or lose fat, but the muscle and strength are always there. By the way, if you have a weak core, increasing strength in that area will likely cause you to gain weight (muscle weight) with little to no change in size, so don't be alarmed if you put on a couple pounds and don't know where they are.
So what is this, "Core Sequence"? Essentially, I took all the basic bellydance/latin hip and torso movements and strung them together in a way that incorporates various articulation points, ranges of motion, and types of motion including some movements that are not as practical for this type of dancing but very practical for training for this type of dancing. That said, you can do them to music if you want, but I tend to just pop out the sequence in sets. I like to do the whole thing together in sets of 30 reps per movement. If I haven't done them for awhile, I will do 20. If I am doing them frequently and have the time, I will do 40 of each. I would recommend 10 for anyone just starting. It is important to keep the same number all the way through so that the body stays balanced. No fair doing more of the ones that are easier or the ones that you think will tone one specific area the prettiest. That would be ridiculous. This takes me anywhere between 30-45 minutes, depending on how quickly I do it, so it's a pretty good core workout.
I will be posting videos to demonstrate the movements via my YouTube channel. These will accompany written explanations (see below) and be grouped by movement area and type. Eventually, I may put together some more dance related combinations to practice (once you adventurous types master the movements) so you can dance like Shakira and impress your friends.
Disclaimer: I am in the process of getting back into shape myself, which is very difficult during the good food season, so just ignore the little belly you will most likely see in my videos. I have recently dropped 25lbs of fat, so please don't think that that little belly means my methods don't work. They do. It's really just a matter of time before I have my old body back. And before you all ask, no, I wasn't pregnant. I put on weight largely due to stress and a couple of other factors that made me unresponsive to things like good food and exercise for quite awhile. I've sorted that out.
FOLLOW THIS SERIES!
My Core Sequence, Introduction to Isolating Movement
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles
My Core Sequence, Part 2: Lower Body Linear Movements
Awesome Tip of the Day: Not so much a problem for my female readers, but many of the men will get scared when they read "dance" or "hips". Bare with me. I also mention "striking" and "grappling" if it makes you feel better. No one ever has to see you do my core sequence if you don't want them to. I typically do it in front of the mirror before I get in the shower either in my room or in the bathroom. Few people have ever seen it. Just keep it discreet and only impress the people you want to impress, like your wife or girlfriend. You will thank me later when you discover new things you are capable of...
Over time, I developed a changeable sequence of core articulations to make it easy for me to practice. It's a nice way to get warm in the morning or get a little physical activity in before a shower. It keeps me strong in some really important places, which does wonders for my back and posture, while making me feel like I'm actually digesting my food. I have a balanced muscle tone in the torso, which creates a natural-looking waist line. I feel that doing a lot of (boring) exercises tends to give people a square look or just a funny, overdeveloped "six pack" area and a really weak back with big "love handles".
I realize that there are special workouts like pilates and certain yoga sequences that are meant to deal with this, but I think mine is better. The reason I think this is that, in addition to making the muscles strong and evenly developed, my sequence also encourages flexibility, full range of motion, and the kind of coordination that helps you on the dance floor and in the bedroom (be you a man or woman). Also, instead of holding poses or doing small articulations, you are really moving the torso in all different directions, which according to me just feels really good. Plus, this kind of functional core strength helped me a lot in martial arts, both striking and grappling. I'm not a big girl and my arms and legs are not super strong, but I can pull my own weight because of my core strength and flexibility. I may gain or lose fat, but the muscle and strength are always there. By the way, if you have a weak core, increasing strength in that area will likely cause you to gain weight (muscle weight) with little to no change in size, so don't be alarmed if you put on a couple pounds and don't know where they are.
So what is this, "Core Sequence"? Essentially, I took all the basic bellydance/latin hip and torso movements and strung them together in a way that incorporates various articulation points, ranges of motion, and types of motion including some movements that are not as practical for this type of dancing but very practical for training for this type of dancing. That said, you can do them to music if you want, but I tend to just pop out the sequence in sets. I like to do the whole thing together in sets of 30 reps per movement. If I haven't done them for awhile, I will do 20. If I am doing them frequently and have the time, I will do 40 of each. I would recommend 10 for anyone just starting. It is important to keep the same number all the way through so that the body stays balanced. No fair doing more of the ones that are easier or the ones that you think will tone one specific area the prettiest. That would be ridiculous. This takes me anywhere between 30-45 minutes, depending on how quickly I do it, so it's a pretty good core workout.
I will be posting videos to demonstrate the movements via my YouTube channel. These will accompany written explanations (see below) and be grouped by movement area and type. Eventually, I may put together some more dance related combinations to practice (once you adventurous types master the movements) so you can dance like Shakira and impress your friends.
Disclaimer: I am in the process of getting back into shape myself, which is very difficult during the good food season, so just ignore the little belly you will most likely see in my videos. I have recently dropped 25lbs of fat, so please don't think that that little belly means my methods don't work. They do. It's really just a matter of time before I have my old body back. And before you all ask, no, I wasn't pregnant. I put on weight largely due to stress and a couple of other factors that made me unresponsive to things like good food and exercise for quite awhile. I've sorted that out.
FOLLOW THIS SERIES!
My Core Sequence, Introduction to Isolating Movement
My Core Sequence, Part 1: Lower Body Circles
My Core Sequence, Part 2: Lower Body Linear Movements
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