Just dropped in to tell you that the new CD i ordered "Get Bent" by Fit & Bendy just got to my studio, can't wait to try it and tell you all about it!!
When I started learning aerial acrobatics I got very frustrated because I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't lift my body or my legs because my abs (Abdominal muscles) weren't strong enough and my biceps / triceps weren't strong enough and... I kept getting blisters on my hands. IT HURT!
I felt like I would never be strong enough, but I kept fighting. I kept trying to do what I could over and over again, and I won't lie - it took some time, but I got stronger. I did it on my own, and it worked.
As I got stronger, I started to understand what the main exercises are that made me stronger:
* First of all the warm-up - a good warm-up makes you more flexible and stronger. I added some strength exercises to the warm-up, and it made a lot of difference.
* Than there was the straddle, or trying to do the straddle.
My first teacher told me to try to do the straddle 10 times every time I practice, and this made my abs stronger, so even if I couldn't manage to do it perfectly, or even do it at all at the beginning, I still had a good practice and got stronger.
* Than there was the exercise that I've posted on this video at the end of this blog - it looks very simple, but try to do it 10 times, and you will feel your arm and your abs muscles. This is a very good practice for beginners.
So, in conclusion, if you are a beginner, most chances are that you need to get stronger. Don't be frustrated, this can be achieved through hard work and persistence, but I promise you that you'll get there!
Today I would like to write about The Bridge. This movement probably has many names, but we call it here in my studio - The Bridge.
The bridge is a movement that looks very easy but it is a bit misleading. When you see it you think to yourself that you need to pull yourself up using your hands but no, you are suppose to PUSH yourself up using your abs and your back muscles. Your hands should help of course, but this is what holds you in this position, not what brings you there. This is why I wouldn't recommend a beginner to do this movement, but to someone that already has some strength, especially abs and back.
I would recommend first to try to do this movement just standing on the floor with straight legs, hold on to a banister at your waist height and do the whole movement. First sticking your bum out and than push your way up to curving your back as you hold the banister. When you want to come out of this, your bum leads the way. First you let your bum down, and than the rest of the body.
It is very important to keep your legs straight the whole time, because this is what keeps your stability.
Here is the tutorial for this movement, please write me and let me know how you call this in your country :)
Today we are talking about the Semi Side Split - The Gazelle.
A lot of the moves we do in aerial have the beginners way of doing it and the advanced one. The advanced move is learned after you master the beginners move, and after you get stronger and feel comfortable in the beginners move.
The Gazelle is what comes before the full Side Split, or as some call it, The American Split, and it is also a very beautiful move by itself.
It is very important to master it before you move on to the full split, as it can be a bit weird to be upside down for the first time in this position, and it takes time until you feel comfortable in it.
It is also very important NOT to let go of the hoop before you did it a few times and before you feel really comfortable just being there.
If you don't have a full split, don't worry about it, you will still be able to do it, AS LONG AS YOU KEEP THE LEG THAT NEEDS TO BE STRAIGHT - STRAIGHT.
This is also the most important thing I have to say about this move, KEEP YOU LEG STRAIGHT.
Please do not try to do this on your own, get somebody to watch over you.
The Bird is one of the positions I love best, because it is relatively easy and it looks so good when it's done in the right way.
Although this position is taught to beginners, it is actually hard to do and looks better when you get stronger and in more control of your body and the hoop, but it is very good to practice on it when you're a beginner, because getting into it and getting out of it makes good practice for your muscles.
**This position can be hard on your shoulders, so when you try to do it for the first time, don't put your arms too close to each other.
I'm sorry for my absent in the last week, I was working very hard, trying to set my things for my great trip that I'm planning, so this week I will treat you with 2 posts!
I was asked about getting on the hoop for the very first time, so i made a video for beginners that have never been on anything that is aerial, or for people that doesn't have the strength to hold themselves up with their arms.
In this video you need to put the hoop very low, as low as your hips or waist.
Please be sure to always practice with mattress. Take your time and do everything very slowly.
I know that things look very easy when you see them on videos, but it takes an effort when you do it for the first 2,3,4 times, and this is the way it suppose to be.
Please let me know what you think of it, and how was it.
If you can't see the embedded video, you can CLICK HERE.
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