Body Maintenance: This refers to the preparation and maintaining of the body for performance at optimum level.
The principals of training: progressive overload (not abrupt), specificity (stretching and strengthening for your body), adjunctive training (next to or as well as other classes eg. running, yoga pilates), reversibility (if you stop abruptly you will lose the benefits).
Conditioning of strength: The capacity to exert a muscle contraction against resistance.
Strength is essential to the dancer as it allows them to move freely, efficiently and safely. Having all-round strength reduces the risk of injury, improves flexibility, improves co-ordination and performance as well as enhances muscle mass.
Conditioning of flexibility: a person is made up of their anatomical structure, joint mobility, ligaments and muscles. Some of these characteristics are unchangeable but muscle can be developed and lengthened through stretching.
Stamina conditioning: stamina is made up of two components muscle endurance and cardiovascular endurance. The ability of the dancer to sustain muscle contractions and the efficiency of the heart and lungs correspond to the time that the dancer will be able to maintain a high quality performance.
Endurance: Stamina is endurance of either the muscles or the heart and breathing. It is the ability to withstand muscle contractions and physical exertion without fatigue.
Cardiovascular system - The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels (arteries, capillaries and veins). Blood is transported to various parts of the body by this system. Systematic exercise programs can produce changes in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, results can include increasing heart size and a lowered resting heart rate. An efficient cardiovascular system is of great importance to dancers as it can delay the onset of fatigue and improve recovery rates from vigorous exercise.
Respiratory system - The respiratory system includes the trachea, the bronchi, the bronchioles and alveoli. The primary muscles of respiration are the intercostals, the serratus and the diaphragm. Breathing occurs as a result of the changes of pressure within the ribcage.
A good muscular endurance and cardio-respiratory system delay the onset of fatigue. They allow the dancer to maintain an excellent level of performance throughout. Lacking this you will tire easily and be out of breath and strain will be put on your heart. It will also affect your performance negatively as you lose energy and fatigue. It often results in faulty technique and even injury.
Co-ordination: A dancer needs co-ordination to be able to move fluidly from one movement to the next and articulate different parts of the body simultaneously.
Having co-ordination improves the overall execution of my performance as transitioning from movement to movement easily makes the dance flow continuously. This way there are no awkward moments in the dance. It also allows complex articulations of body parts to create interesting and captivating movements and shapes.
Nutrition: It is essential that dancers have a nutritious diet to maintain their overall health and to perform to the best of their ability.
"In preparation for my core performance I focus on my nutritional intake including and the three main food groups, carbohydrates (needed for energy), fats (for vitamins the body needs) and protein (to build strong muscles and organs). Other dietary factors that are considered include an intake of fiber and of course water. I’ve also made sure that there is a wide range of vitamins and minerals included in my diet as they maintain health and strong bones, prevent diseases and transport oxygen. The GI of foods allow me to know which foods will give me a quick burst of energy from the ones that will provide a sustained energy release. This allows me to plan meals to be most effective and give me energy boosts when I need it."
For an immediate energy boost simple carbs are the most effective; this includes strawberries, dried fruit, pretzels or crackers. Eating small frequent meals is the best way to maintain energy and overall good body health as it prevents over eating.
High GI foods are digested and absorbed quickly and cause higher rises in blood glucose levels eg. Potatoes and jellybeans.
Low GI foods are digested and absorbed slowly and cause small, maintained rises in blood glucose levels eg. Fruit and pasta.
Muscle pairs: Muscles need a high level of efficiency in the antagonistic action of its pair muscle. This means that while one muscle is contracting its opposite muscle (or its pair) must extend smoothly. Muscles work in reciprocal pairs but there are also other muscles that assist the antagonist muscles in correct movement called fixators and synergists. As these muscles are working it takes away strain from the antagonist muscle allowing it to work more efficiently. This is how muscle balance and the cross-extensor reflex work in action.
Eg. "In my performance I use a range of muscle pairs to perform movements and balances correctly. When I perform a sustained layback on demi-point (hinge) I use my quadriceps and hamstrings as a muscle pair to control lowering of my body. To control my core and maintain a flat back through out the movement I engage my muscle pairs - rectus abdominals and the long muscles in my back such as my erector spine muscle. To balance on demi-point I engage my plantar fascia and my gastrocnemius. This movement also involves my achilles tendon."
Side note on quadriceps: Despite what is sometimes thought, as a dancer your quadriceps are an important muscle group. There are four muscles in this group, their main purpose is to extend the knee and flex the hip, and they are: Vastus Intermedius, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis and Vastus Medialis. It is common that one of these muscles might be weaker than the others and this causes a muscular imbalance. This can trigger the over use of the other three muscles resulting in them becoming tight. To prevent this correct alignment and awareness of how the quads are used in any particular movement will allow for amendments to be made to optimize the dancer’s performance.
The principals of training: progressive overload (not abrupt), specificity (stretching and strengthening for your body), adjunctive training (next to or as well as other classes eg. running, yoga pilates), reversibility (if you stop abruptly you will lose the benefits).
Conditioning of strength: The capacity to exert a muscle contraction against resistance.
Strength is essential to the dancer as it allows them to move freely, efficiently and safely. Having all-round strength reduces the risk of injury, improves flexibility, improves co-ordination and performance as well as enhances muscle mass.
Conditioning of flexibility: a person is made up of their anatomical structure, joint mobility, ligaments and muscles. Some of these characteristics are unchangeable but muscle can be developed and lengthened through stretching.
Stamina conditioning: stamina is made up of two components muscle endurance and cardiovascular endurance. The ability of the dancer to sustain muscle contractions and the efficiency of the heart and lungs correspond to the time that the dancer will be able to maintain a high quality performance.
Endurance: Stamina is endurance of either the muscles or the heart and breathing. It is the ability to withstand muscle contractions and physical exertion without fatigue.
Cardiovascular system - The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels (arteries, capillaries and veins). Blood is transported to various parts of the body by this system. Systematic exercise programs can produce changes in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, results can include increasing heart size and a lowered resting heart rate. An efficient cardiovascular system is of great importance to dancers as it can delay the onset of fatigue and improve recovery rates from vigorous exercise.
Respiratory system - The respiratory system includes the trachea, the bronchi, the bronchioles and alveoli. The primary muscles of respiration are the intercostals, the serratus and the diaphragm. Breathing occurs as a result of the changes of pressure within the ribcage.
A good muscular endurance and cardio-respiratory system delay the onset of fatigue. They allow the dancer to maintain an excellent level of performance throughout. Lacking this you will tire easily and be out of breath and strain will be put on your heart. It will also affect your performance negatively as you lose energy and fatigue. It often results in faulty technique and even injury.
Co-ordination: A dancer needs co-ordination to be able to move fluidly from one movement to the next and articulate different parts of the body simultaneously.
Having co-ordination improves the overall execution of my performance as transitioning from movement to movement easily makes the dance flow continuously. This way there are no awkward moments in the dance. It also allows complex articulations of body parts to create interesting and captivating movements and shapes.
Nutrition: It is essential that dancers have a nutritious diet to maintain their overall health and to perform to the best of their ability.
"In preparation for my core performance I focus on my nutritional intake including and the three main food groups, carbohydrates (needed for energy), fats (for vitamins the body needs) and protein (to build strong muscles and organs). Other dietary factors that are considered include an intake of fiber and of course water. I’ve also made sure that there is a wide range of vitamins and minerals included in my diet as they maintain health and strong bones, prevent diseases and transport oxygen. The GI of foods allow me to know which foods will give me a quick burst of energy from the ones that will provide a sustained energy release. This allows me to plan meals to be most effective and give me energy boosts when I need it."
For an immediate energy boost simple carbs are the most effective; this includes strawberries, dried fruit, pretzels or crackers. Eating small frequent meals is the best way to maintain energy and overall good body health as it prevents over eating.
High GI foods are digested and absorbed quickly and cause higher rises in blood glucose levels eg. Potatoes and jellybeans.
Low GI foods are digested and absorbed slowly and cause small, maintained rises in blood glucose levels eg. Fruit and pasta.
Muscle pairs: Muscles need a high level of efficiency in the antagonistic action of its pair muscle. This means that while one muscle is contracting its opposite muscle (or its pair) must extend smoothly. Muscles work in reciprocal pairs but there are also other muscles that assist the antagonist muscles in correct movement called fixators and synergists. As these muscles are working it takes away strain from the antagonist muscle allowing it to work more efficiently. This is how muscle balance and the cross-extensor reflex work in action.
Eg. "In my performance I use a range of muscle pairs to perform movements and balances correctly. When I perform a sustained layback on demi-point (hinge) I use my quadriceps and hamstrings as a muscle pair to control lowering of my body. To control my core and maintain a flat back through out the movement I engage my muscle pairs - rectus abdominals and the long muscles in my back such as my erector spine muscle. To balance on demi-point I engage my plantar fascia and my gastrocnemius. This movement also involves my achilles tendon."
Side note on quadriceps: Despite what is sometimes thought, as a dancer your quadriceps are an important muscle group. There are four muscles in this group, their main purpose is to extend the knee and flex the hip, and they are: Vastus Intermedius, Rectus Femoris, Vastus Lateralis and Vastus Medialis. It is common that one of these muscles might be weaker than the others and this causes a muscular imbalance. This can trigger the over use of the other three muscles resulting in them becoming tight. To prevent this correct alignment and awareness of how the quads are used in any particular movement will allow for amendments to be made to optimize the dancer’s performance.
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