Weight Training and Ballet – The Right Way To Tone Your Body
A busy professional season requires dancers to emphasise on building endurance and control to execute soaring jumps, exquisite balances, and endless lifts. Ballerinas can gain lower body strength, muscular endurance, flexibility as well as an enhanced technique through progressive weight training. There has been a long-standing myth that weights lead to a bulky body structure. This pervasive misconception prevents ballet dancers from using weights for conditioning their bodies. However, strong research has shown that weight training can be incredibly beneficial for dancers as it helps to improve functional leg strength, core strength, and anaerobic power without interference in the artistic execution of the performance nor bulking muscles. Supplementary weight training is also crucial to prevent injuries. It can prevent biomechanical imbalances, including poor core strength and weak leg muscles, as well as poor alignment and faulty techniques, which are the primary factors that result in injuries.
Some dancers use weights on their legs when strengthening their hips because it helps them to build up strength in distinct muscles needed for specific movement and performing the technique without the weight makes the movement feel more organic and effortless. The added weights assist dancers to know precisely how to articulate the hip in the socket and understand the coordination of the hip movement with the pelvis. This allows dancers to excel in techniques and build better muscle control. Ankle weights are beneficial for relearning techniques for lunges and leg lifts. These weights build stronger hamstring, quadriceps, and glutes. When performing with ankle weights, it improves the height of leaps and leg extensions of the dancer.
A typical understanding of human anatomy can help dancers to assess and adopt the right strengthening exercises while avoiding overworking of compromised muscles. Incorporating light hand weights is a great incentive to strengthen shoulders for sharper port de bras and more balanced partnering skills. Any training that includes weights must be approached with caution. Excessive use of heavyweights can lead to muscle fatigue which in turn can lead to injury. Dancers must have a high focus on progressively building up their strength and aligning their strength training with their goals, strengths, weaknesses and individual body types.
Not sure where to start strength training?
Here are some key beginner strengthening exercises that can be used to build lean, sculpted muscles.
- Overhead press
Overhead press conditions your entire shoulder region. It shapes the front deltoid muscles and the triceps. If you’ve ever practiced swan lake arms, you’ll quickly see just how much strength a dancer requires in their shoulders, back and arms. Use two lightweight dumbbells of 3 or 5 lbs (2-4kgs) for the exercise. It can be done in either a sitting position or standing position. The dumbbells should be held horizontally at the shoulders or rotated in a hammer grip. A sitting position helps stabilise the back, while a standing position can offer a workout for a wider range of muscles.
Benefits for ballerinas:
- Arms can be held easier and for longer periods of time without in all arm positions.
- Less straining in the neck and upper body.
- Pas de deux improvements ( and not just in men!).
- Increased ease in all floor work both in ballet and contemporary
How to do it:
- Stand upright while keeping your back straight.
- Hold dumbbells in each hand at shoulder length with the thumbs facing inward and the knuckles facing upward.
- Raise weights above the head slowly while exhaling. Hold the position for a few seconds.
- Bring the dumbbells back to the shoulder while inhaling.
- Start with 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
2. Ankle weights
Adding ankle weights while doing barre or jumping can enhance cardiovascular activity while strengthening inner and outer thigh muscles as well as the buttocks. Small ankle weights when performing warm-up exercises like tendus and dégagés can drastically improve technique because it creates more awareness about imbalances in a dancer’s form. When the ankle weights are removed, ballet dancers experience better mobility and improved extension in their jumps.
Benefits for ballerinas:
- Increased strength in inner thighs, glutes, hamstrings and core.
- Increased leg height in extensions.
- Ease of all leg movements once movements are executed after weights are taken off.
How to do it:
- Use very light-weight ankle weights when engaging in Dégagé.
- Move the leg off the floor in the first position with a pointed foot.
- Keep the leg straight without any bend to the front, side, or back. Hold the position for a few seconds while exhaling.
- Bring the foot down on the floor while inhaling.
- Repeat the steps for the other leg.
- Start with 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
3. Core strengthening
Since ballet dancers regularly practice an extensive range of movements, core strength is critical to their endurance. Holding positions for long periods of time can be strenuous for muscles that are not well-conditioned. Supplementing core strength with weight training can boost a dancer’s energy and stability.
Benefits for ballerinas:
- Increased strength in inner thighs, glutes, hamstrings and core.
- Increased leg height in extensions.
- Ease of all leg movements once movements are executed after weights are taken off.
How to do it:
- Start in a plank position with shoulders over wrists and feet wider than shoulders.
- Hold a dumbbell of 3 or 5 lbs in both hands.
- Pull the right elbow toward the ceiling until the right wrist is near the ribs, then lower it down.
- Repeat the same for the left side.
- Start with 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
In conclusion, weight training for ballerinas can be incredibly beneficial for dancers as it helps to improve functional leg strength, core strength, and anaerobic power without interference in the artistic execution of the performance nor bulking muscles.
Train Like a Ballerina provides hundreds of carefully curated exercises, workout and programs all designed to sculpt a lean, defined body of a ballerina, for all aged, levels and fitness levels.
Our 4 weeks introduction to weight training LIFT by TLB master trainer and ex-professional ballerina Louisa Paterson progressively builds up your strength and flexibility whilst introducing you to weight training.
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