Ballroom Strength

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Ballroom Strength Athletic Development specifically for Ballroom & Latin Dancers
Download your FREE Guide via the link below! Transform your dancing. Perform without limits.

Ballroom Strength is a strength training programme specifically for Ballroom dancers. The programme provides a systematic approach to developing the strength, which you need to be great at Ballroom dancing. Ballroom Strength is a way to complement and enhance your dancing, so that you can make the most of your time on the dance floor. It is not a substitute for dance practice! The programme is des

igned for all levels of dancers, from complete beginners to advanced competitors. If you want to transform your dancing and to perform without limits, start with a strong body. Start with Ballroom Strength.

Dancers loooove talking about the importance of core strength. But how important is this core strength?For example, do y...
04/09/2024

Dancers loooove talking about the importance of core strength. But how important is this core strength?
For example, do you need to have the core strength of a gymnast, so that you can perform a Dragon Flag, Side Flag, or Full Planche? For Ballroom & Latin such capabilities are definitely not necessary.
Do you need the visible abdominal muscles of a bodybuilder? Also, no. Ballroom judges will never give you marks for having a six-pack. (Besides, visible abdominal muscles are a sign of low body fat, not strength.)
So, what kind of core strength do Ballroom & Latin dancers need? We need to maintain a long, projected body shape. For this requirement, exercises which build strength in length, like planks, can be great. Leg raises are also useful, such as for kicks. (For your info, crunches are a bit useless.)
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Question) How many bicep curls does it take to improve your dancing?Answer) None!I'm often critical about bicep curls fo...
28/08/2024

Question) How many bicep curls does it take to improve your dancing?
Answer) None!
I'm often critical about bicep curls for Ballroom & Latin dancers. In Ballroom dancing, you don't really need strong biceps. If you are doing Strength & Conditioning training to improve your dancing, there a lots of other exercises which are more useful.
But but but... there is one good reason for Ballroom & Latin dancers to do bicep curls: feeling good. If some well defined biceps increase your confidence, go for it. That confidence can help your dancing.
If your training time is limited, I don't recommend bicep curls. There are more helpful exercises. However, if you have plenty of time in your workouts, then feel free to add bicep curls. Just be aware that they do not have a physical effect on your dancing.
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Which full body exercise strengthens your back, legs, and core, and improves your ankle, knee and hip mobility?The squat...
21/08/2024

Which full body exercise strengthens your back, legs, and core, and improves your ankle, knee and hip mobility?
The squat!
Squats help to develop and maintain mobility in the ankles, knees, and hips, as well as using a range of muscles.
To be a good dancer, and a healthy human, be good at squats. They are the foundation of so much leg strength and hip, knee, and ankle mobility.
If you never do squats, start with shallow squats, where the hips are always higher than the knees. As you strengthen, aim for deep squats, where the hips move lower than the knees. Then aim to perform weighted squats.
You can use the Ballroom Strength Programmes to improve your squats, as well as other important movements. Download the Free Intermediate Workout to get a flavour of the programmes and check out the Ballroom Strength website for more information. Link in the bio!
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Your results tell the truth. At a competition, or in practice, what were your strengths and what were your weaknesses? Y...
14/08/2024

Your results tell the truth. At a competition, or in practice, what were your strengths and what were your weaknesses? You can learn from victory, and even more from defeat.
Fully acknowledge your weaknesses and work on them. This will help you to improve more, even to gain an advantage over your competition. Acknowleding our weaknesses can be a painful process. Try to do this without judgement. You are a great person and perfectly valid as you are. To achieve your dance goals, maybe you just need to work more on your Ballroom skills, strength, or stamina.
Our weaknesses can be physical, such as our Ballroom technique, strength and stamina. Our weaknesses can also be psychological, such as feeling stressed at a competition. Everybody has something to work on. Be brave, acknowledge your weaknesses, and take the steps to strengthen. You can do it.
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Skill, strength, and stamina development take time. The small improvements in each of these qualities accumulate into gr...
07/08/2024

Skill, strength, and stamina development take time. The small improvements in each of these qualities accumulate into great progress. Often, we need to be tenacious and to follow the process. We need to trust our teachers and our coaches to know that the hard work will pay off.
Keep going. Remember why you started. Dance with joy and celebrate your efforts.
Let’s get strong and let’s get dancing!

There are several principles, which govern your athletic development. One of those is the principle of Progressive Overl...
31/07/2024

There are several principles, which govern your athletic development. One of those is the principle of Progressive Overload.
In previous posts I have written about the principles of SAID and Stress-Recovery-Adaptation cycles. Following these principles, you need to understand that, to become a better dancer, you must progressively increase the difficulty of your training. This includes technical practice, strength training, and stamina training.
For strength training, you can increase the difficulty of your training by adding or increasing weight, changing leverage, adding asymmetry, and adding instability.
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Muscle isolation is a very popular training method in gyms around the world. Muscle isolation is often achieved using a ...
24/07/2024

Muscle isolation is a very popular training method in gyms around the world. Muscle isolation is often achieved using a machine, such as a leg press. There is one primary problem with this approach for Ballroom & Latin Dancers and Athletes:
Muscle isolation does not train stability.
Let's compare a leg-press machine with a weighted squat. In a leg-press machine you would be seated. You then push against the foot plate and move the weights along a slider. However, through this exercise, you do not need to stabilise the movement. As long as you push into the plate somehow, the plate should move.
In a weighted squat you need to engage your control muscles. If you push into the ground at an angle and you do not align your body, you will fall over. By training your control muscles, you become stronger and more capable. For Ballroom dancing, it doesn't matter if you can push 100kg on a leg-press. What's more important is, can you control your movement?
The key point here is, work on difficut exercises, which require stability. This will help you more in the long term.
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One of the best ways to reduce the probability of injury is.....to get stronger.Injuries happen when the load on muscles...
17/07/2024

One of the best ways to reduce the probability of injury is.....to get stronger.
Injuries happen when the load on muscles, connective tissues, or bones exceeds the ability to resist the load. Injuries can occur through single events with high loading or a series of events with lower loading.
Through strength training, your muscles, connective tissues and bones all become stronger. That means that for the same loading conditions, a stronger person is less likely to be injured.
Want to get stronger? Start with the Free Guide (linked in bio) and the Free Preview exercises in the Complete Ballroom Strength Programme (see the Ballroom Strength website).
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I've noticed that some Ballroom & Latin Dancers are doing boxing as part of their training programmes. Boxing can be a u...
10/07/2024

I've noticed that some Ballroom & Latin Dancers are doing boxing as part of their training programmes. Boxing can be a useful addition to your training, but it might also be a bad idea. If boxing is already part of your routine, or you’re thinking about adding it, consider these points…
1) Do you want to be good at boxing? If your answer to this is "yes", then you should do boxing. Be aware that the training load and high risk of injury in boxing may negatively impact your Ballroom & Latin dancing.
2) What are your training goals? If your primary goal is to be a better Ballroom & Latin Dancer, for stamina training I recommend running, skipping, and cycling… which don’t involve being punched in the head.
3) What kind of boxing exercises will you do? This could be heavy bag work, pad work with a partner, full sparing, and even competitive boxing. As with point 1, be aware that the more boxing you do, the more intense it becomes and the higher the risk of injury.
4) Do you just want to add variety to your training? Some boxing exercises might be great, just be aware of the risk of injury. If you want variety, you can consider other sports, such as badminton or ice skating, which you can easily do recreationally.
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Ballroom & Latin Dancing is an art form, which is expressed through controlled movement of the body. Developing appropri...
03/07/2024

Ballroom & Latin Dancing is an art form, which is expressed through controlled movement of the body. Developing appropriate athletic abilities can help you to better control the movement of your body and that means better dancing.
Of course, skill practice is essential. By doing some appropriate athletic training, you can enhance and transform your ability to apply your dancing skills. That can transform your dancing.
Doing athletic training is an investment in yourself. That investment includes learning how to structure your training around your dancing, how to structure your workouts, and how to progress.
Start investing in your athletic development today with my Free Guide (link in bio). There is also a Free Preview of exercises in the Complete Ballroom Strength Programme (available on the website). If you’re interested in private coaching, DM me for details.
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Each training type brings about a specific physiological adaptation. By focusing each training session on a specific ada...
26/06/2024

Each training type brings about a specific physiological adaptation. By focusing each training session on a specific adaptation, you can efficiently make athletic progress and transform your dancing.
You can think of your dancing as a hierarchy of needs. To be great at Ballroom dancing, you should have appropriate athletic abilities. To be a great athlete, you need to take care of your physical and mental health.
As a reminder, there are 3 kinds of physiological adaptations, which you should develop for Ballroom dancing:
1) Neurological adapations for improved technique - this happens through dance practice
2) Neuro-muscular adaptations for improved strength, control, stability, speed, power, and range of motion - this happens through appropriate strength training
3) Energy system and cardio-vascular adaptations for improved stamina - this happens through appropriate stamina training
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Very often people confuse "strength training" with "bodybuilding". It is important to understand that bodybuilding makes...
19/06/2024

Very often people confuse "strength training" with "bodybuilding". It is important to understand that bodybuilding makes use of strength training, but it is not the definition of strength training.
Unfortunately, this misunderstanding means that many people spend a long time in the gym doing split routines (such as leg day, chest day, back day), sometimes 5 or 6 times a week! That is not a compatible training structure for Ballroom dancers, because Ballroom dancers need to spend a lot of time on skill development. Too much time in the gym takes time and energy away from skill practice.
However, if you perform appropriate strength exercises, you can improve your strength and your dancing with just 1-2 hours of strength work per week. Just 1-2 hours over a whole week!
The emphasis here is on being efficient in your strength training. You should focus on compound exercises, like squat and deadlift variations.
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If you don't know what the focus of your training is, that's ok. Many people don't know. The fitness industry is full of...
12/06/2024

If you don't know what the focus of your training is, that's ok. Many people don't know. The fitness industry is full of confusing messages and it's easy to be mislead. Here's a way to gain some focus.
Firstly, what is your goal? When you know your goal, then you can determine the kind of adaptations, which you need to develop. For Ballroom & Latin dancing you need to work on technique (skill practice) and on appropriate strength and stamina training.
Your training should then be deconstructed into sessions, which focus on each factor: skill, strength, stamina. The focus of your training may change with time. For example, you may need to focus on skill development, or maybe you want to become stronger so that you can better apply your technique.
Be aware of your goals and the physiological adaptations, which you need to achieve them. Then give structure to your training. Then do the work.
If you want guidance on developing your training programme, private coaching may help. DM me for enquiries.
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This is just a reminder for you.Your mind controls your muscles. Your muscles exert forces around joints of the skeleton...
05/06/2024

This is just a reminder for you.
Your mind controls your muscles. Your muscles exert forces around joints of the skeleton. These forces enable controlled movement. Stronger muscles and a better conditioned neuro-musclar system help you to have better body control and, therefore, to be a better Ballroom dancer. You improve your neuro-muscular system with Strength Training. Let's get strong and let's get dancing.
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Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to Portuguese Champions,  and , helping them to be even better ...
30/05/2024

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to Portuguese Champions, and , helping them to be even better on the dance floor.
Are you ready to transform your dancing? DM me for more info.
Let's get strong and let's get dancing!

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to multiple times Ukrainian Champions and GOC Finalists,  and ,...
28/05/2024

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to multiple times Ukrainian Champions and GOC Finalists, and , helping them to be even better on the dance floor.
Are you ready to transform your dancing? DM me for more info.
Let's get strong and let's get dancing!

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to multiple times Swiss Champions,  and .kas (), helping them t...
26/05/2024

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to multiple times Swiss Champions, and .kas (), helping them to be even better on the dance floor.
Are you ready to transform your dancing? DM me for more info.
Let's get strong and let's get dancing!

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to Ukrainian Champions,  and , helping them to be even better o...
24/05/2024

Ballroom Strength provides Athletic Development Coaching to Ukrainian Champions, and , helping them to be even better on the dance floor.
Are you ready to transform your dancing? DM me for more info.
Let's get strong and let's get dancing!

There are several principles, which govern your athletic development. One of those is the principle of the Stress-Recove...
22/05/2024

There are several principles, which govern your athletic development. One of those is the principle of the Stress-Recovery-Adaptation cycle.
When you stress your body through a training session, your body becomes fatigued and weaker. Your body must then recover from this stress. Eventually, the body will have fully recovered and after that the body may adapt to become stronger or condition the energy pathways. By repeating this cycle in an appropriate way, you can improve your technique, strength, and stamina.
There are two key points here:
1) You need to apply a sufficient stress to the body to generate an adaptation. If your workout is too easy, you will not improve in any way.
2) You need to rest!!! Your body becomes stronger only when you induce a stress on the body and then rest.
If you want to be a better Ballroom & Latin dancer and athlete, you need to structure your training appropriately. Your training sessions must have the appropriate purpose and intensity and you need to rest well between sessions.
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Is your goal to be a better Ballroom & Latin dancer?If this is the case, you already know that you need to work on your ...
15/05/2024

Is your goal to be a better Ballroom & Latin dancer?
If this is the case, you already know that you need to work on your technique in all your dances (which might be up to 10 dances). You should also complement your technical practice with appropriate athletic development (strength and stamina training).
Your training can take one of two approaches: random or structured.
Random workouts will not help you to make efficient athletic progress. If you (or your personal trainer) are changing your training in every session, you will not induce the specific adaptations for your goals.
Structured and goal-oriented training is the most effective way to develop Ballroom technique, strength and stamina. For structured training you need a plan. Your plan should acknowledge your starting condition, your constraints, and your goals.
Be a better dancer. Be a better athlete. Make a training plan.
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Being light on your feet is a way of describing your ability to move with control, stability, and speed. Clearly, your b...
09/05/2024

Being light on your feet is a way of describing your ability to move with control, stability, and speed. Clearly, your body must be capable of creating the forces to enable light movement.
Being light on your feet depends on your strength-to-weight ratio. Some people think that they can become lighter on their feet by losing weight. The problem with losing weight is that it normally combines with a loss in strength. (Of course, this all depens on the starting weight, body fat percentage, and muscle mass.)
A better approach to being lighter on your feet is to become stronger. More strength increases the strength-to-weight ratio and improves your ability to control and move your body and, therefore, to dance well.
As a side note, increasing muscle mass raises your metabolism, which can help in losing excess fat. And remember, some body fat is healthly.
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There are 4 factors in running:- Speed- Duration- Number of intervals- Rest times (if any)If you go jogging, the speed i...
01/05/2024

There are 4 factors in running:
- Speed
- Duration
- Number of intervals
- Rest times (if any)
If you go jogging, the speed is slow, the duration might be 30 minutes, there may be only 1 interval, and no rest. Depending on your current condition, jogging could be useful for conditioning your cardio-vascular system. (If you have not done sport for a long time, jogging might also be too demanding.) A well conditioned cardio-vascular system most certainly enhances your dancing.
However, a lot of people "go for a run". This means that they run quickly for a duration of 20-30 minutes, and with no rest. That can be exhausting! If you are exhausted, then your dancing will suffer.
What most Ballroom dancers should do is interval runs. For Ballroom dancing this an excellent way to improve stamina. For more details on intervals runs, check out the 5 Dance Stamina Programme, or DM me about private coaching.
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There are 3 kinds of physiological adaptations, which you should develop for Ballroom dancing:1) Neurological adapations...
24/04/2024

There are 3 kinds of physiological adaptations, which you should develop for Ballroom dancing:
1) Neurological adapations for improved technique.
2) Neuro-muscular adaptations for improved strength, control, stability, speed, power, and range of motion.
3) Energy system and cardio-vascular adaptations for improved stamina.
When you do a training session, which adaptation are you working on?
If you want guidance in creating a focussed training plan, which enhances your Ballroom & Latin dancing, check out the Ballroom Strength training programmes, or contact me to enquire into private coaching.
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Probably, this statement is intuitive for you.Your peak performance may occur during a dance competition. However, you c...
17/04/2024

Probably, this statement is intuitive for you.
Your peak performance may occur during a dance competition. However, you can only achieve your peak performance by practicing your technique regularly, doing Strength & Stamina work regularly, and taking care of your health everyday. Those habits lead you to excellence.
Small improvements accumulate into great achievements. Keep going!
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If you want to get stronger, you need to understand this…Your training must progress in difficulty for you to become str...
10/04/2024

If you want to get stronger, you need to understand this…
Your training must progress in difficulty for you to become stronger. If you always do the same exercises with the same level of difficultly, your body adapts only to that level.
However, you can easilly increase the difficult of your exercises and, thereby, become stronger. Here are 4 ways to increase the difficulty of your training!
1) Add/increase weight - This is an excellent way to improve strength and it is also really easy to control. For example, you can start doing bodyweight squats, then add a little bit of weight. Slowly, as you become stronger, you can add a little bit more weight. Just remember, your technique should be correct. If you add so much weight that your technique fails, then you are using too much weight.
2) Change the leverage - This is a useful method for exercises such as planks. If you are new to strength training, you can perform inclined planks, which are easier than horizontal planks. This principle can also be used for arm exercises, where straight-arm exercises are more difficult than bent-arm exercises.
3) Add asymmetry - A squat is a symmetrical movement and a lunge is asymmetric. When you perform asymmetric movements, your body must compensate by resisting twists. Ultimately, this is a great way to improve your control and stability for the asymmetric movement patterns of Ballroom dancing.
4) Add instability - An unstable platform, such as a Bosu ball, can be useful for leg exercises. The addition of instability requires the increased recruitment of muscles to stabilise the leg. The same principle is used by gymnasts, whereby pull-ups on gymnastics rings is more difficult that pull-ups on a bar.
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There are several principles, which govern your athletic development. One of those is the principle of S.A.I.D:S = Speci...
01/04/2024

There are several principles, which govern your athletic development. One of those is the principle of S.A.I.D:
S = Specific
A = Adaptations to
I = Imposed
D = Demands
This is a technical way of saying that you become better at what you do. When you do some physical activity, your body adapts: your dance technique might improve, you might become stronger, or you might develops better stamina.
The adaptation, which occurs, depends on the Imposed Demand, which is what you do to the body. If you practice your Ballroom technique, you are exercising the neural pathways in your mind, so you will strengthen those pathways. If you do strength training, you are exercising the neuro-muscular connections and strengthening the muscles and connective tissues.
The key point here is this...
If you want to be a better ballroom dancer and ballroom athlete, you must train specifically for what you need in dancing. There are some things, which you need to be a better dancer, and some which you don't.
YOU NEED control of your body on your feet, stability, and big ranges of motion.
YOU DON'T NEED the upper body strength of a gymnast or the ability to sprint 100m in under 10 seconds.
If you are serious about being a better Ballroom Athlete, make a training plan, which supports this goal. I offer private coaching and online programmes, which can help you to achieve this. DM for more information.
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