Abdominal Strength

Abdominal Strength

Abdominal Strength

I have a query about abdominal strength. The studio I train at recently had a number of students from one other studio transfer to our studio. It's very obvious that the coaching they have been receiving at this different studio is sorely lacking. One of the major problems I've run into with them is abdominal strength or lack of it. In ballet, I will inform them to pull up the front of their abdominals, but after I place my hand on their stomachs, I really feel nothing. I don't think they even know the place or the right way to engage the abdominal muscles. Besides them doing abdominal strengthening workout routines, are you able to suggest any particular ideas for ballet class?

Thank you, Sarah

Wonderful query, Sarah! I wish to first say that even when dancers do sit ups or crunches every day it doesn't essentially imply they will use them efficiently throughout the dance class.

I'd prefer to first remind everybody that the one factor a muscle can do is contract. It can do a shortening contraction (concentric), lengthening contraction (eccentric) or isometric contraction, which stays the same length. When you're doing a crunch or sit-up, the abdominals are doing a shortening contraction - in other words - the two ends of the muscle tissues are coming closer together.

If you're lying in your back knees bent and lifted in the direction of your chest, and then slowly drop your toes to touch the bottom, doing a leg lowering, you are doing an eccentric contraction.

If you're standing still, or sitting in a car, and interacting your abdominals, you might be doing an isometric contraction because the distance between the two ends of the muscle isn't changing.

I educate my students that if they learn how to engage their abdominals correctly in standing and in movement, they won't have to do umpteen sit-ups as part of their training. Have your dancers stand simply in first or parallel position. Have them imagine they are lacing up their abdominals as they do their shoes. Have them place one hand below the belly button to allow them to feel the abdominal wall drawing up and inwards - while their other hand is just under the sternum, which is the area where the ribs come together in front. The area just below the sternum should be comparatively delicate as they need to proceed to breath easily and effortless while they're using their abdominals.

Too many students engage their abdominals so fiercely it is as if they've put an invisible belt round their waists and have cinched it closed. The first time they should take a deep breath in they lose their abdominal support.

I'm not opposed to doing extra strengthening for that area - it might assist them become conscious of the state of their abdominals. Half sit-ups or sit backs, leg lowering, and any of the Pilates exercises are excellent for getting them in contact with their abdominals. Slouching alignment and poor sitting habits outside of class promote weak abdominals.

The challenge is that good abdominal usage in dance means good coordination between their breath and their core strength. Once they perceive that utilizing your abdominals doesn't mean the whole area is rock-hard will assist them interact them more appropriately.

On with the dance!

Deborah

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