Hey guys, it is unpopular opinion time…

specifically about this stuff

I have seen spray rosin becoming more prevalent in aerial class rooms. I notice students slathering up in the sticky substance before even trying to climb the silks. Rather than gliding up the silks it sounds like you are rolling up Velcro curtains. And let’s not even discuss the residue that is left of the fabric.

Spray rosin definitely has a time and purpose but every class should not be one of them. I know you all think that the rosin is improving your grip but the truth is the spray is not doing you any favors. It is a temporary and artificial solution at best.

If you are a habitual user of grip aid you are not training your grip to the maximum potential. I see students who are progressed to the more advanced levels but do not trust their inversions without sticky assistance. Their training session is crippled if they forget the rosin bottle or if it starts to wear off after a few minutes in the air.

I don’t want to offend or shame anyone but please consider if you would benefit from focusing on grip and see if there are changes you want to make in your training. If we put the same effort into training our grip that is often reserved for the core we would all be much safe and confident aerialists. As aerialist our hands are one of our greatest tools so make them one you can rely on!

Here are some suggestions for improving your grip strength.

• Take your first set of climbs without rosin and then shoot for longer and longer sessions without it. We don’t start with killer grip but you can work up to it.

• Tap into your inner sloth and try just hanging from the silks. Challenge yourself and see how long you can go.

• Be cognizant of your grip and make every finger contribute. Start with your pinky and roll up through your index when grabbing the silk

• Tiny finger exercises such as repeatedly pretending to flick water from your fingers or grabbing and releasing something imaginary can help warm up and work those muscles associated with grip.

Photo by Dan Funkhouser

The One About The Dreaded Plank

Pretty sure Phillip Light's illustration is a accurate depiction my inner silks spirit guide 

I loath plank and yet this is one of my favorite exercises when I do not have a lot of time. It will help you quickly develop some arm and core strength so you can climb and hang from the different apparatuses like the beautiful aerial sloth princess you were meant to be.

I highly recommend doing planks with a mirror or someplace you can see your reflection. Personally I use my arcadia door because I don't have large mirrors in the living room. Seeing your position will ensure that you are holding your body flat and not giving into the temptation to slouch or pike. I have been doing these for a while now and I still have to remain vigilant about form.

Planks are really tough so do not get discouraged. When I first started I had to really force myself to complete the plank sets and simply refuse to give up even when my arms felt like noodles. Distraction is a great ally so try to think of a mantra that you can concentrate on while doing these. I would like to pretend that my mantras are all motivational and inspired but sometimes they were nothing but a string of swear words. As long as you make it through the exercise let your heart be your guide even if your heart is a salty sailor.

All the planks and variations are intended to be completed as a set and then reversed and done on the other side.  If you reach a point where you can hold comfortably for 10 counts try increasing your duration to 20.

Basic Plank

1. Position your hands about shoulder width apart directly under your chest.
2. Spread your legs slightly and come up on the balls of your feet.
3. Make your body as flat as possible and you should be making a triangle is everything is correct. You will be tempted to raise your hip or let your back slouch but if you do then the benefit recieved from the exercise will be greatly reduced. 
4. Hold for 10 counts. If you cannot hold the correct position for the full 10 counts hold it as long as you can and then move on the next plank variation. It is better to hold the correct position for fewer seconds than a sloppy plank for the full time. 

Plank with arm extended to side

1. From the basic plank reposition your anchor hand to be more squarely under your chest.
2. Lift your other hand up and out to your side.
3. Make sure your hips are still facing down
4. Your extend arm should be a flat extension from your shoulders.
5. Hold for 10 counts

 

Plank with arm extended overhead 

1. From the side extension bring your elevated arm over your head
2. Your arm should create an extension of your plank slope
3. Hold for 10 counts

Side Plank 

1. From the position with your arm over your head turn to your side
2. Your arms should form a straight line with your body as an intersecting slope
3. Feel free to widen your feet to add stability. The closer your feet are together the harder this position is to maintain 
4. In this position it is easy to let you mid portion sag to keep an eye on you form
5. Hold for 10 counts

Plank Push Ups

Bonus round

1. From the basic plank position come down to your elbows one at a time.
2. Extend your arms one at a time back into basic plank
3. Remember to maintain your flat back when transitioning from elbows to straight arms
4. Repeat until you are fussing and cussing and then one more time

 And of course my favorite...

 Plank on easy mode

No joke, give yourself a break after you complete a series of planks. Come back to child's pose and take a few deep breaths and let your muscles relax before moving on.

The One With A Different Perspective

I think I have said it before but I really dislike exercise that feels like I am doing it for the sole purpose of fitness. Running on a treadmill or lifting weights does not engage my mind and I struggle to commit to the same routine every day. When I decided I wanted to take up silks and lyra because it seemed like the next logical progression from hula hooping I realized I was probably going to need to start some kind of fitness routine. After my first class I knew that I was completely in love with the feeling of being in the air but also that I was going to have a lot of work to do if I ever wanted to advance.  I was concerned that I would not be able to force myself to do the conditioning required because of my aforementioned aversion to exercise. Luckily for me there are some fun option I have learned that are engaging and can help target the areas that need to improve for different acrobatic skills.

No lie, I am a master couch potato

In order to climb, invert or do just about anything on the silk you are going to need upper body strength. You are constantly supporting yourself with your hands and arms as you lock your feet to position for another trick. Planks are a great way to build strength but ultimately kind of painful and frustrating. I totally feel like a boss when I complete a series of planks in class but unless the torture is instructor led, chances are I am not going to inflict it upon myself in my free time. This is why I have come to love the handstand. Handstands not only develop your arm and core strength but also engage your mind as you concentrate on keeping your feet in the air rather than thinking about how much your arms are hurting.

Sadly, not everyone has as much love for the handstand as I do. Most people I talk to are nervous of being upside down, losing their balance or do not even know where to begin. The handstand does not need to be some impossible acrobatic feet if we break it down into simple parts, slowly increase our skill level and reward ourselves for small victories along the way. When learning the handstand there are several approaches depending on your comfort level. I am going to cover the 2 most common I have used.

Wall is your friend!

Before we start getting inverted lets get aquainted with some tools we have to help.This is Wall. For those of us who have not spent much time looking at the world upside-down Wall is a friend as we find our balance. Wall is a great spotter who will never let you down and doesn’t care how hard you kick him in the face.

Some of us are a little uncomfortable with hurling ourselves at the ground or do not have confidence in our ability to support our fully body weight on just our hands. In cases like this a progressive approach might be a good option. Personally I feel like this process takes more strength but there are also more exist points before becoming inverted should you lose confidence at any point.



It helps if you sing about Spiderman while you do this

1. Start by facing away and with your heels against the wall. From this position bend over and place your hands on the ground. You will now transition your weight into your hands and while supporting yourself start walking your feet up the wall. You will probably reach a position where your body the wall and the floor are creating a triangle.

2. Now for, in my opinion, the hardest part. Start walking your hands back towards the wall. As your hands get closer to the wall you should be able to walk your feet up. Personally I find it very difficult to get to a completely vertical position using this process and I dislike not having the wall at my back when trying to find my balance.

Remember to breath

Now that you are feeling more confident you can practice kicking up directly into a hand stand.

1. Facing the wall place your hands on the ground about 6 inches from the base. From this position you should look like an inverted V with your hands and feet on the floor

2. Keeping your arms straight kick your feet up and against the wall. When you first start do not worry about making it pretty. Smash your feet into the wall, bend your knees or whatever you need to do to get up there. Once you do hold that position and appreciate your accomplishment

3. Straighten your legs and point your toes. Now most importanly tighten your core, legs and butt while pushing through your hands. Handstand doen't just come from your ability to pile all the weight of your  body on your arms. The more support you supply from your abs the more controlled your handstand will be

4. Slowly with one foot push away from the wall. Tentitively find your balance and then push the other foot off to. If you have to let your feet drop or lean back against the wall that is okay.

5. Once you feel comfortable try going into a handstand in one fluid motion from a standing postition and not touching the wall before finding your balance.

Remember handstands require you to support from the arms and core. Both are neccessary to maintain control. Your balance will come with practice and time. Even if you are only able to hold an unsupported handstand for just a second  it still counts as a win. Celebrate all your milestones and love the process.