Lifestyle, Dancers Who Lift

Probiotics and Fiber: Your Gut’s Best Friends

As dancers who cross train by lifting weights, we take nutrition very seriously. That’s why, today, we are talking bout the importance of probiotics and fiber.

There are a few bases to cover here, so let’s just dive right in, shall we?

What are Probiotics?

Probiotics are microorganisms that have health benefits when consumed or applied to the body. These microorganisms are what we call “good bacteria” and they aide in food digestion, attacking disease-causing cells, and producing vitamins.

The most common sources of probiotics are yogurt, cultured buttermilk, and cheese.

However, there are a lot of foods that have probiotics due to fermentation like, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, miso, pickles, and raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar.

Probiotics are particularly helpful in solving tummy troubles like IBS or digestion struggles due to travel. (Looking at you all my tour bugs!)

What is Fiber?

Fiber is the roughage of plant foods that our body isn’t able to digest or absorb. Because fiber isn’t digested, it passes (pretty much intact) through your small intestine and colon. That’s why it’s so important to chew our food thoroughly!

There are two kinds of fiber, soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

Soluble fiber is dissolves in water and makes a kind of gel. This kind of fiber helps with cholesterol and glucose levels. It’s found in oats, peas, beans, aple, citrus fruits, and barley.

Insoluble fiber does not dissolve in water and therefore promotes the movement of “stuff” through your digestive system. This kind of fiber is beneficial if you’re experiencing constipation or irregular bowel movements. Insoluble fiber is found in whole-wheat flour, bran, nuts, beans, and veggies!

The recommended daily intake of fiber is between 20-30 grams of fiber per day. Reaching this goal definitely takes practice, but by adding an extra scoop of veggies to your plate, opting for whole wheat, or using fruit as a snack can easily boost your fiber intake!

What Are The benefits of Probiotics and Fiber?

As mentioned earlier, probiotics and fiber work together to regulate our digestive system, and promote healthy bacteria growth that boosts our immune system protecting us from infectious diseases.

In fact, the combination of dietary fiber and probiotics increases the health of the gut microbiome so much that it’s used a means of cancer prevention and treatment!

The really fun bonus is that this study found that the combination of probiotics and dietary fiber induced significant weight loss!

I’m Sold. How Do I Add Probiotics and Fiber into My Diet?

As mentioned before, you can do this by being intentional about including the amounts fibrous and probiotic foods.

Now, increasing your fiber intake is fairly simple. It just requires a bit of intentionality, such as swapping out your white bread for whole grain or adding extra fruits and veggies to each of your meals.

Because probiotic foods are bit more specific, some people prefer to take a supplement in the morning in addition to adding probiotic foods into their diets.

But if supplements aren’t for you, try adding in more yogurts, use apple cider vinegar in your salad dressings, or enjoy a lovely cheese plate!

At the end of the day, getting plenty of probiotics and fiber only requires a tiny bit on intentionality when you’re planning your meals.

Want some tips on intentional meal planning? Our Body Mechanics program actually comes with monthly meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists to ensure you’re getting everything you need!

Not ready to join the family on that level? That’s okay! Here are a few other blog posts we think you might love: Should dancers drink daily greens?, Lucky Number Seven: A Full-Body Workout Routine, Honor Your Limites: 7 Types of Boundaries and How to Set Them

Are You In Tune With Your Body?: A Guide to Menstrual Cycle Energy Levels

Cycle syncing has become a hot topic lately, and for good reason. Understanding your cycle is beneficial for anyone. The ebb and flow of menstrual cycle energy levels can effect much more than your sunny disposition.

Understanding your cycle as an elite athlete (which dancers are btw) is even more important.

That’s why, we are kicking off this cycle syncing series by walking you through the rise and fall of menstrual cycle energy levels.

That’s right, where you are in your cycle will likely have an effect not only on your mood, but your energy levels. This is due to the rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone as your body prepares for pregnancy and then sheds it’s preparation if you don’t become pregnant.

Understanding that your cycle will influence your energy levels can help you be strategic about when you go up in weight during certain exercises.

It can help you determine when your body is up for adding in that extra dance class.

And it can help you be more gracious with yourself on those days when you just can’t seem to wake up.

Let’s Talk Through Your Cycle

Your menstrual cycle is simply divided into two phases:

The Follicular Phase:

The follicular phase starts on day one of your period and ends once you begin ovulating.

The Luteal Phase:

The luteal phase occurs post ovulation and ends when your cycle starts over again and you get your period.

However, within your cycle there are four hormonal shifts:

The early-follicular phase

The late-follicular phase

The ovulatory phase

The luteal phase

Now that we know each phase, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of what happens during each of them.

Menstrual Cycle Energy Levels and their Phases

Now, obviously the degree to which these hormonal fluctuations affect us will vary person to person. However, there are some constants worth noting.

The early-follicular phase: (week one)

I don’t know about you, but the first day of my period is always the worst.

You see, day one of your menstrual cycle (otherwise known as day one of your period) is marked by both low levels of estrogen and progesterone. This dip in hormones will likely have you feeling a bit sluggish.

However, as the week goes on, these hormone levels will start to rise and you might actually find yourself feeling more energized than the week before.

The late-follicular phase: (week two)

Week two of your cycle your estrogen levels will rise, while progesterone stays fairly low.

This rise in estrogen often leads to increased mood and productivity.

This time in your cycle is the perfect time to increase the weights in your workouts. It’s a great time to pad your schedule if needed.

Some women even plan important dates like vacations or travel to sync up with this portion of their cycle!

The Ovulatory Phase, and its drop into the Luteal: (week three)

When discussing menstrual cycle energy levels, it’s important to note that week three can be pretty wild.

Week three of a 28 day menstrual cycle is when *most* women experience ovulation.

Estrogen levels peak on the day of ovulation yielding high energy and (generally) more outgoing and social moods!

However, as soon as ovulation ends, estrogen levels will begin to drop.

This drop in estrogen is followed by a rise in progesterone and is often accompanied by a dip in energy levels. (The beginning of your luteal phase).

Exercise can help moderate this menstrual cycle energy level swing.

However, this week it’s important to be especially mindful when you exercise for two reasons:

First, you will likely be pushing yourself due to higher energy at the top of the week and increasing workout intensity the week prior.

Second, studies have shown that women are more likely to sustain an injury during ovulation due to the swift hormonal fluctuations. Don’t push it if you’re feeling like you’ve hit your max- even if that means you aren’t lifting what you did last week.

The Luteal Phase: (week 3.5 and four)

Between ovulation and your next period is your luteal phase. For each woman this “week” varies in length.

In the first portion of the luteal phase estrogen levels lower after reaching their peak at ovulation. As they drop progesterone levels rise.

Studies have shown that many women experience feeling a bit lower energy during this phase of their cycle.

The final portion of the luteal phase has estrogen levels remaining low and progesterone leves (if not pregnant) also dropping to an all time low. This drop leads to a period and thus the cycle starts all over again

This dip in both progesterone and estrogen yields low energy and mood for many women.

During your luteal phase it can be helpful to increase the activities in your life that refill you.

Take relaxing walks, increase your self-care and recovery methods, give yourself the space you need to recharge.

Recapping the Science and What it Means for You

Learning about your cycle and its varying energy levels can seem a bit overwhelming.

After all, everyone’s body is different and you might not feel like you experience the menstrual cycle energey levels outlined above. (And that’s totally OKAY!)

What I can say is that tracking your own cycle and taking note of your moods, energy levels, headaches, anxieties, etc can help you optimize your workouts and training.

If you know that you have a ton of energy after your period and leading up to ovulation, what a gift!

You can take advantage of that energy and use to push you to the next level in your workouts, dance training, and social life.

If you know you’re headed into your luteal phase and might feel a bit more sluggish and unmotivated you can plan your week around that.

For example:

Maybe you have a week full of auditions but you know you usually feel a bit down right before your period. Care for yourself by planning relaxing evenings at home to refresh and recharge.

When you’re armed with information about your own menstrual cycle energy levels, you can tailor your life to fit you like a custom built costume piece!

Want to learn more about your cycle and how to use it to your advantage? Follow along on the Dancers Who Lift blog for our monthly cycle syncing series!

Don’t want to wait that long? Here are some blogs we think you’ll love that are ready to read right now: Overcoming Plateaus and Setbacks, 7 Epic At Home Core Exercises (That Aren’t Crunches!), In and Out Fully Body Workout For Dancers

Common dance injuries of the foot and ankle

Putting Your Best Foot Forward?: A Deep Dive Into Common Dance Injuries in the Foot and Ankle

If you’re a dancer, odds are you’re well aware of the many common dance injuries that may befall you during your career.

Maybe you experienced them first hand or maybe you witnessed a peer struggle through recovery from one.

Either way, you know about them because….well, because common dance injuries are exactly that, common.

There is a a long standing stigma in the dance world about injuries that seems to imply fault, weakness, or replaceability if you sustain an injury.

But most common dance injuries arise due to overuse and overtraining. In an industry that applauds “toughness” and a “push-through-it” mentality, it seems downright silly that injuries would be viewed this way.

Nevertheless, they are.

My friend once performed so long and so hard that she bled through her pointe shoes. There was actual blood stainds seeping through her toe box. When she finished everyone cheered, remarking how strong she was to finish the number despite her pain!

When my other friend sprained her ankle by landing a jump incorrectly in petite allegro, we were given a lecture on the importance of good technique, attention to detail, and ankle strengthening exercises. As if this injury was the fault of the dancer rather than a result of exhaustion from a 6 hour rehearsal day after a 5 class week.

The point is, we are here to de-stigmatize common dance injuries and offer some insight into the prevention and treatment of each. However, seeing a trusted physical therapist is recommended for aide in diagnosis and recovery from any common dance injury.

Plantar Fasciitis:

Plantar fasciitis is one of the most common dance injuries. Planter Fasciitis is an overuse injury that causes intense pain in the heel.

We have talked a lot about plantar fasciits recently because it plagues so many dancers that Dance Magazine wrote about it and Coach Amber was featured giving advice for P.F. sufferers!

The main way to prevent plantar fasciitis is to practice regular foot stretches, strengthening exercises, and rolling out/massaging the feet. Some of the best preventative exercises are also the treatment for plantar fasciitis! You can check them out here: 9 Need to Know Plantar Fasciitis Exercises for Dancers

If you are currently suffering from plantar fasciitis there are a number of things you should avoid doing to prevent your injury from worsening.

Avoid wearing high heels, yes, even in class. I promise, your instructors and choreographers will gladly let you take a heels break for a week or two if it means getting you back in them long term!

Another important thing is to not push through the pain. I know as dancers there’s this mindset that, if we sit out someone will replace us. But that’s not always true. And even if it is, pushing through pain and causing your injury to worsen is not worth this one class, audition, or gig.

Don’t limit your future because you’re afraid of losing what you have now.

Achilles Tendonitis:

Achilles tendonitis is another common dance injury caused by overuse! This overuse injury affects the achilles tendon which attaches your calf muscle to your heel.

This is most often caused by overtraining during a focused amount of time. This can look like returning to dance after a long rest period, tight or inflexible caves, or dancing on a non-sprung floor.

Usually you can identify achilles tendonitis from other common dance injuries by a tenderness in the morning about half an inch above the heel bone, stiffness that fades after warm up, or mild-moderate pain after dancing.

If left unchecked achilles tendonitis can worsen and eventually lead to an achilles rupture.

So, the sooner you can start an at home regimen to relieve you of your A.T. pain, the better.

If your tendonitis has progressed to the point that you don’t have any pain free activities, rest and ice the tendon/lower calf immediately.

Active stretching of the achilles tendon should be integrated into your routine, but be careful! Don’t stretch your achilles beyond the point of comfort as this can make the tendonitis worse. Keep the stretch within the 2-3 range on the pain/discomfort scale.

Stress Fractures:

The human foot is comprised of 33 joints and 26 bones. These joints and bones work together to not only move your foot but help your feet and ankles absorb impact from jumps and leaps!

If the intrinsic muscles in between those joints and bones are overworked or not strong enough, the repetitive force of jumping can cause stress fractures.

Stress fracture pain might start out mildly and increase in pain as time goes on. You might also see some swelling around the area, even if rest brings relief from the pain.

See a doctor if you suspect a stress fracture because if a fracture heals improperly it can cause more permanent problems.

Otherwise, eating a well balanced, nutrient dense diet is one of the best ways to prevent a stress fracture. Not sure what that looks like? Give this article a read.

Also, pairing your high impact sport (dance) with low impact cross-training like weightlifting or reformer pilates reduces your risk of stress fractures.

Bunions:

Many people think that bunions are among the common dance injuries because of pointe shoes. But in actuality, bunions in dancers are often a result of turning out farther than your muscles can maintain.

Turning out too far causes your knee to roll inward, rather than staying in alignment with your ankle. Such a position causes the foot to over-pronate (roll in) putting pressure on that toe joint.

To prevent bunions, make sure you are only working within the turnout you can maintain. I promise, your turnout will improve over time. Cheating will only cause problems, and bunions only cause pain.

Treatment for bunions are orthotics, nighttime splints, and physical therapy exercises. But, if bunions go too far without attention, they can require surgery!

Ankle Sprains:

Ankle accidents constitute 20 to 25% of all accidents sustained by dancers.

And that makes sense because spraining your ankle as a dancer *almost* seems like a right of passage. Lack of focus, loss of balance, and working too closely to the limits of your strength are the major causes of sprained ankles.

Knowing dancers, I would be willing to bet that most ankle sprains are not because dancers are being careless, but rather because they are pushing themselves a bit farther than they are ready to go.

Now, I’m not telling you not to take big swings. But I am telling you to pay close attention to your body when learning new skills or running choreo over and over again.

If you’re starting to feel dangerously fatigued, maybe mark the jumps.

If marking is not an option, dial in your focus. When we are fatigued it’s very easy to cut corners mentally and physically, this is when injury occurs.

If you are too tired to focus, you are too tired to do the trick. Period.

Ankle Impingement:

Posterior ankle impingement is a pain that occurs in the heel and achilles tendon. This pain is most acutely felt when on rélévé or pointing your foot. It occurs when boney build-up on the heel bone (formed from thousands of hours in this position) compresses the soft tissue in the back of the ankle.

Anterior ankle impingement occurs where the shinbone meets the ankle (talus). Years of pliés, jump landings, and more cause a similar boney build-up in the front of the ankle causing compression in the tissues there.

Both of these issues can cause swelling as well as pain.

Anti-inflammatory medications and ice can help relieve the inflammation. In extreme cases podiatrists may recommend surgery- though physical therapy and anti-inflammatory regimens can usually prevent this!

Moral of the Story?

If you’re a dancer, having a physical therapist or doctor who understands what you do and how you move is vital. (For more information about how to choose a PT, be sure to tune into the blog next month!)

Knowing that the amount of hours we spend training can lead to overuse injuries is also important. According to this study, injury prevention tactics should start much younger in dancers than it does currently.

That way, we are not only protecting the next generation of dancers from injury, but we’re teaching them how to care for their bodies well.

Injury prevention exercises often don’t take a lot of work, but can have massive benefits for the lives of dancers.

And don’t worry, even if you didn’t start young, you aren’t disqualified from starting today!

If you’re thinking, “I don’t know how to cross-train” or “I don’t know what fueling my body as a professional dancer looks like.”

We’ve got you covered. From Body Mechanics to The Embodied Artist, the free resources on social media, our email newsletter, and this blog, chances are we can help you.

So, want to reach out? Shoot us an email at dancerswholift@gmail.com, or DM us @dancerswholift on instagram. We’d love to help you in your injury prevention journey!

Want more info from Dancers Who Lift? Give these blogs a read: Dancers Who Lift: More Than Just Resistance Training for Dancers, Injury Recovery 101: The Do’s and Don’ts for Getting Back on the Stage Faster, The Stair Down: An Adjustable Stair Workout

listening to your body, what your body wants you to know

What Your Body Wants You to Know: The Do’s and Don’ts of Listening to Your Body

Do you ever wonder what your body wants you to know? Like, if it could speak to you what would it say? What if I told you your body is speaking to you all day every day, we just have to learn to listen?

We all had that one modern or contemporary dance teacher who touted the importance of listening to your body.

You know, the one who was very grounded and spiritual, but also would torture you weekly by weaponizing deep pliés and silent screams?

The one whose instruction to eat a large, hot, meal after class and soak in a an epsom bath you ignored, and suffered from D.O.M.S. the next day as a result.

Well, it turns out, that dance teacher knew something that maybe you didn’t.

They knew how to listen to their body. They knew what your body wants you to know

That’s why they recommended a full meal. That’s why they recommended the bath. Those are techniques they used to quell the cues of muscle exhaustion their body was sending them.

But here’s where our dance teachers steered us wrong. They told us the prescription, but they didn’t teach us how to diagnose.

Learning how to listen to your body is immensely important. Not just as a dancer, but as a human being.

Re-Learn What Listening to Your Body Means

When we are babies the only skillset we have is listening to our bodies and responding; it’s instinctual.

You don’t have to teach a baby to identify when it’s hungry or full. It knows to ask (cry) for food and then stops when it’s had enough.

Unfortunately, as we age, the pressures of fitting into the expectations of family, friends, or social culture can cause us to tune out certain cues from our bodies. Tuning out these cues consistently overtime makes it more challenging to listen to them.

Listening to your body requires you to unlearn certain socially imposed expectations such as what productivity looks like, perfectionism, control, self-image, body-image, and the list goes on.

But if we take a moment to ignore those pressures momentarily and check in with our bodies we can recognize that every signal our body is sending us means something.

For example, I suffer from chronic headaches. For a long time I chalked it up to exhaustion, stress, or dehydration and would pop a Tylenol and go on with my day. However, when I started to get more curious about the why, I discovered something pretty incredible.

Whenever I felt a headache coming on, I’d first stretch my neck and thoracic spine. If that didn’t work, I’d up my water intake. If hydrating myself didn’t work I’d think about what I’d eaten that day.

Over the course of a few months, I realized that my worst headaches occurred on days in which my protein intake was low. These headaches were a way of my body telling me to eat! So simple!

Once I started honoring that cue, my headaches decreased exponentially!

That’s what your body wants you to know; that it has your best interest at heart.

Now, this is a pretty extreme example. But seeing how something like this changed my life inspired me to take a look at something that we all have experienced, stress.

Balancing Stress and Listening to Your Body

Stress is one of the loudest ways our body speaks to us. But, unfortunately, culturally we are taught to push through. We do this in the name of productivity, performance, success, and more.

And while we do need to push through fatigue or stress to get to our goals, regularly pushing past the cues our bodies give us to slow down can lead to physical, mental, and emotional problems.

Let’s talk about babies one more time. Have you ever been with a baby who is over-tired?

It’s a challenging experience that leaves you wondering,

“If they are so exhausted, why don’t they just fall asleep?”

The short answer? Stress.

You see, when a baby isn’t getting enough sleep, their tiny bodies go into stress mode – dumping stress hormones like cortisol and adrenalin into their system.

Have you ever tried to take a nap during an adrenaline rush? Yeah, not happening.

Now, imagine how limited and exhausted you are when your body has been living in stress mode.

Not good.

That’s what your body wants you to know: “I’m exhausted to the point to stress.”

How do we listen to our bodies to prevent a stress or exhaustion overdose?

This is a fantastic question! I am so glad you asked!

The first thing you have to to do is learn to slow down and check in with your body throughout the day.

Take two or three minutes to close your eyes and simply notice things.

Start by taking a deep breath and do an emotional scan: “How am I feeling?”

Do you feel fatigued? Do you feel energized? Do you feel sad? Content? Numb?

Then take a scan of your body. Just sit quietly and notice things.

What is your breath like? Do any specific aches and pains jump out at you? Are you hungry? Thirsty?

Finally, take a stock of what you feel like your body wants.

Do you feel like you need to sit down? Are you in the mood to move? Do you feel like you’re one deep breath away from a nap?

Once you’ve checked in you have the power to decide what you need most.

But I encourage you to practice listening to what your body is asking for.

So much of being a dancer is focused on pushing through pain signals, hunger cues, and controlling your emotions. But that’s often when we see injuries, eating disorders, and mental struggles arise.

But when you practice listening to your body for awhile, you might find that your performances are better, your workouts are progressing faster, and you feel more in line with yourself.

And yes, that might mean that you skip a workout to foam roll, stretch, and take a mental health walk. It might mean that instead of staying home and isolating you call a friend and have dinner out. It might mean going to bed early instead of signing up on that audition list at 12:01 AM.

But in the long run the choices that you make to honor your bodies needs will always pay off in dividends.

Don’t believe me?

Give it a try for yourself. Find out what your body wants you to know.

We were born with all of the instincts to not only survive but to thrive as living beings. Stop silencing those instincts.

Your body wants you to win. That’s what your body wants you to know.

Trust it.

Did you like this blog? Check out: 7 Helpful Journal Prompts for Dancers, Are Foods Good And Bad? Building a Healthy Relationship with Food, Gym Myths and Misconceptions: The Dancer Editio

resistance training results, conditioning workouts for dancers

Hear From DWL’s Body Mechanics: Real Resistance Training Results from Dancers Just Like You

Resistance training for dancers has been a misunderstood topic for decades. And, finally, it seems that dancers are learning that resistance training results in more control, higher extensions, higher jumps, safer landings, and endless turns.

Dancers Who Lift has been here for dancers since day one. But, like the industry, we’ve grown and evolved. The Body Mechanics program not only trains strong dancers, but empowers them with invaluable knowledge about their bodies.

In previous blogs we talked about who Body Mechanics is for and what Body Mechanics entails.

But today we thought we’d let you hear it straight from the dancers’ mouths!

We know the Body Mechanics resistance training results speak for themselves, so we thought we’d let them!

So, without further ado, lets hear what they have to say.

Amelia Foreman has been part of the Dancer’s Who Lift crew since 2019 and she says that DWL had a huge impact on her working professionally post COVID:

“Thankfully, through the 2020 shut down, DWL was there with workouts to keep me strong through the lockdown. After that I danced in a ballet company for a year and did DWL workouts four days a week and it was the strongest I ever felt in my dancing. Now I am currently dancing with a modern dance company that does a lot of Pilobolus like non-traditional partnering. And I have finally gotten back in the gym more consistently. Thankfully DWL has always been there to cheer me on, to keep me strong and feel great in my body!”

Claire Peoples loves how effortless it is to incorporate the program into her fitness routine:

“Being a professional dancer with another full time job, it can be very hard to figure out how to cross train! I had been taking a lot of group fitness classes at my gym but I didn’t feel like they were helping me. Those classes can help the average person with strength, but it doesn’t mean they will help a dancer’s technique! DWL has really helped me since I started a few months ago. I love how the workouts are laid out for me and I can follow the exercises on my fitness watch. Amber and the trainer’s technique videos also really help me to know that I am doing the exercises correctly.”

personal training for dancers,online personal training, resistance training for dancers

Out of all the resistance training results seen from Body Mechanics, feeling strong and secure in your dancing is one of our favorite .

We attribute it to our highly specialized trainers who focus on the why behind the exercises they program.

Jessica Townshend spoke to this a bit when we asked her about her resistance training results.

“I joined DWL because I’m a dancer (my main hobby and my self care release from my job as a therapist). I’d been looking for real cross-training for dancers because I was frustrated by my limitations and knew there had to be ways to improve that weren’t just running routines and practicing turns over and over and over and over again. DWL is where I found what I’d been craving! A way to truly develop the muscles I needed to develop and a mindset about weightlifting that I’d never had before. Body Mechanics explains the exercises in ways that make sense to my dancer brain. Since I started, I’ve noticed so many improvements. Last June, I had to do a double on stage with no real prep or way to build momentum. It was on what I’ve called my “bad side”/”bad leg” and I freaking NAILED IT! While I was on stage, I had a moment of worry, but then I executed that jazz double pirouette and kept right on dancing! Not even a moment of hesitation…My kicks are getting higher! My turns are more solid. I can finally feel all the muscles I need to feel to truly pull my shoulder blades down and back. Things that PT told me to do but I couldn’t, I’ve finally learned through DWL and Body Mechanics.”

Sara Edwards listed how different her dancing felt as one of the resistance training results she’s seen since joining Body Mechanics:

“Recently, I went back to ballet classes after two years off; I was so surprised at how strong I was, and how powerful my movements were! I definitely feel stronger, both mentally and physically, and I’m eager to tackle my next dance class!”

Something all of our Body Mechanics had in common was their appreciation for the flexibility within the Body Mechanics program.

“I have absolutely nothing but praise for this program! I was unsure of how to spend my time off between [cruise] contracts so decided to give Body Mechanics a try. It allowed me the flexibility to rest, but to also build for my upcoming contract. I got back into my shows onboard with ease and felt even better than the contract before! I find now, I have better stamina and more power behind my dancing which has been the absolute most exciting feeling.” – Annie Dauzat

“Mel’s encouragement has helped me face those challenges! Now I can lift enough weight that my parents are impressed when we go to the gym together! I’m starting to get biceps I can flex! And what’s even better is that if life is kicking my butt it my body isn’t in the right place to do certain exercises, Body Mechanics gives me options for body weight exercises and Mel is super encouraging about listening to my body and taking a break when needed. The program is always there for me to come back to and skate brings new challenges. I’m honestly SO glad I discovered DWL. Now I can hold my own on stage with fellow dancers who are in performing companies and am even getting encouraged to try out for one of those performing companies. DWL and Body Mechanics make working out and cross training make sense! And they make it easy because I don’t have to guess at the exercises I should do. I highly recommend Body Mechanics for anyone and everyone considering trying DWL!!” – Jessica Townshend

“I’ve been a Body Mechanics member for a while now and I can say it’s one of the best choices I’ve made for myself as dancer, and as a human being! I love the programming and how flexible and varied it is. My life is very busy, so I don’t always have time to get to the gym, but the programs organized perfectly for both the gym and home, so I never miss out!” – Sarah Edwards

What’s the most surprising of all the resistance training results seen by our Body Mechanics?

Community.

Each of our Body Mechanics interviewed about this resistance training program for dancers spoke about how impactful having a community of dancers working toward the same goal was.

“It’s also so nice to be a part of a community of dancers who are in all different parts of life, but committed to the same goals. The workouts are great, their knowledge is unmatched and the support is so refreshing.” – Annie Dauzat

“I love how I get to chat with other people about milestones and get guidance from all the coaches.” – Jessica Townshend

“I love how I get to chat with other people about milestones and get guidance from all the coaches.” – Sarah Edwards

Let’s Wrap it Up

There are so many resistance training results dancers will benefit from, whether they lift weights with DWL or not.

But what sets Dancers Who Lift and Body Mechanics apart (aside from coaches, CEOs, and Administrators who are professional dancers themselves) is the unbreakable, unshakable encouragement found in the Dancers Who Lift community.

The access to the private chat thread and Facebook group of fellow dancers in the Body Mechanics program is invaluable. This thread has been known to help non-cooks hack meal prepping, support chronic over-trainers learn to rest, and even help people find sublets or doctors in their area!

If you’re thinking about joining Body Mechanics, or one of the other DWL programs, but you’re still not sure, just shoot us a DM on instagram @dancerswholift, or send us an email at dancerswholift@gmail.com. We are always happy to answer questions, concerns, and point you in a direction that we think will be benefit you.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Want to do some more research first?

Check out these free workouts, training tips and more from the Dancers Who Lift Blog: 10 Exercises For Dancers That Will Transform Your Technque, Leg Day: Perform At Your Own Risk, The Secret to Warming Up for Dance Auditions… The Right Way!

group personal training, personal training for dancers, resistance training for dancers

What Is Body Mechanics?: What You Can Expect from This Group Personal Training Program

Okay, you’ve heard us talk a lot about Body Mechanics, but what exactly is Body Mechanics? What exactly is a group personal training program? What if you have some specific needs? Will you still be able to speak with a trainer one on one?

We’ll answer all of those questions and more in this complete breakdown of the Body Mechanics, Dancers Who Lift’s group personal training program

How the Training Works

Body Mechanics uses a unique “Strength for Skills Method” that focuses on strengthening your body with specific stage skills in mind.

And no, this doesn’t mean you’ll be doing weighted développés while balancing on a Bosu ball.

This means, that you’ll learn how strengthening your end range of motion (the bottoms of your squats and lunges) will help your extensions gain new heights.

You’ll learn that building stability and strength in your adductors and abductors (hips) will support endless balances.

There will be entire weeks dedicated to strengthening and stabilizing you so multiple turns aren’t even a question anymore.

Each of these six-week resistance training units are followed by a three-week conditioning and stamina unit designed to sky rocket your endurance and performance capabilities.

As for this being a “group personal training program” it won’t necessarily feel that way.

Yes, you will be doing the same workouts as DWL’s other Body Mechanics. But you’ll have access to one-on-one communication with DWL’s certified personal trainers (who just so happen to also be professional dancers!).

In one-on-one DM’s with your coaches you can ask specific questions about nutrition, exercise adjustments, or whatever else might be needing attention.

But the real bonus to group personal training is the fact that, with our app, you have access to the Body Mechanics private thread. Ask a question to the group and get answers or encouragement from other dancers going through the same process.

For example, learn how other busy dancers are hitting their protein goals (even if they’re vegan!)

Ask about how people are working through a particularly challenging workout.

Or even ask location specific questions like recommendations for a nearby gym, or restaurant!

Dancers Who Lift has dancers all over the globe that are eager to encourage and cheer one another on so, odds are, someone has an answer!

What if I Don’t Have a Gym Membership?

Totally fine!

As many of the Dancers Who Lift community is on tour or working at theatres away from their homes, this program is designed to be scalable.

That means if you’re unable to get to a gym, we have home workouts readily available with the same goals in mind.

It’s important to us that no matter your situation you have access to top tier training because, as a dancer, you are a top tier athlete.

What Does Body Mechanics look like week to week?

This resistance training program features 3 workouts a week and comes with two auxiliary workouts should you want to get extra gym time in.

It also includes warm-ups for your workouts and cardio workouts incase dance class isn’t on the forefront of your schedule.

The best part? Every single one of these workouts comes with detailed “how-to” videos for the exercises in your workouts so you’ll never feel lost. Not only that, you get an entire library of exercises at you finger tips in case you need or want to make an adjustment.

And if you are lost, send a form video to your coach in the DMs! There they can give you a break down of how to optimize your form or suggest alternative exercises.

Want to understand why you’re doing something? Your coaches can help explain that too.

See what I mean?

Despite being “group” personal training, Dancers Who Lift does not forget the fact that it is personal training.

We care about each individual dancer that works through our program. Because we believe their success is our success.

Yummy, Quick, Budget-Friendly Nutrition

Every month, you’ll receive a recipe guide complete with daily breakdowns of what meals to eat when and a shopping list for the month. This makes sticking to your healthy eating goals a breeze!

Not into pre-planned meals? No problem. You’ll also learn about macros and how to track them to ensure you’re fueling your body for success.

No matter what and how you like to eat, you’ll still be able to work with and learn from the nutritional guidance of the Body Mechanics program.

The Real Win of Body Mechanics

You see, the thing about the Body Mechanics group personal training program at Dancers Who Lift is that it can teach anyone something new.

Whether you’ve been lifting weights for 10 years or 10 minutes this program is designed to educate and empower dancers and athletes to train their bodies for the rigorous demands of their lifestyle.

The other big win of Body Mechanics? It’s priced realistically.

No, scratch that, it’s priced with the budget of performers in mind.

You see, this group personal training program complete with 5 workouts per week, cardio blasts, warm-ups, recipe guides, shopping lists, and daily direct messaging access to a certified personal trainer, only costs $2.19 per day!

I don’t know about you, but that is literally cheaper than my daily coffee.

And here’s the thing, this program isn’t about changing your life an insane amount.

As a dancer you’re likely already working out daily.

You’re likely already conscious of what you eat. (maybe too conscious)

You’re already taking steps to build the dancer life of your dreams.

We just want to take what you’re already doing and optimize it so it’s sustainable and effective.

So what do you think?

Might you decide to stop dieting?

Might you decide to stop relying on your apple watch to track your burnt calories?

And, maybe, you’ll decide to start training like the professional athlete that you are.

Join the latest session of Body Mechanics today, we’d love to have you join our team.

Not sure if it’s a good fit? Give “Who Is Body Mechanics For? A Resistance Training Program for Dancers (and Beyond!)” a read.