Intensive Training Reminders

Our Summer Intensive Program is starting tomorrow, and everyone taking part in this program is significantly increasing the intensity of their training to work toward specific personal goals during the six weeks.

As people who spend a lot of time physically training toward specific goals ourselves (whether it be an upcoming performance, trying to achieve new skills, or just working to get stronger or more flexible), we want everyone to know the following tips and tricks that we use to keep ourselves in tip top shape.

1. Take care of yourself

Your body needs plenty of sleep, and plenty of good nutrition, to meet the increased demands you will be placing on it. With proper nutrition and sleep, your body will be able to repair and rebuild from the demands placed on it. Make these two things a top priority as you increase your training, and when your body tells you it needs rest listen to it.

2. Prehab, prehab, prehab

Pre-hab refers to simple daily exercises we do to help avoid injuries in the first place, and to prevent a small tweak from becoming a bigger problem.  Injuries can definitely put a halt to your training, and be incredibly frustrating. Injuries always require rehabilitation at some point along the healing process, in order to get the muscles working efficiently again. So we use pre-hab in order to avoid injuries in the first place! During the Intensives you will be given pre-hab exercises to keep your body ready for the demands an aerial practice places on it. Any time you feel a tweak coming on, it’s time to take a short break from whatever is aggravating your body, and focus on your pre-hab.

3. Flexibility and strength

Of course aerial skills are the most fun to train, but it can be counterproductive to only train skills over and over. You must prepare your body by constantly working to increase your active flexibility (which we also call mobility), and functional strength. During your Intensive we will focus on building your flexibility and strength, and you may be given homework that you can do on your own to make greater gains as well.

4. Enjoy the process

The process is everything! We enjoy the process so much that achieving our goals actually becomes secondary. And the goals we wish to achieve are constantly growing and changing. Dive fully into the process and you may be surprised at what comes out on the other side.