So I've been going to trapeze class twice a week (once for the class and once for an open aerial session). This has really sped up the progress regarding strengthening my tricks and my endurance. At the last open aerial session (this past Sunday), I did my entire routine to my music 3 full times! And, then I did most of the routine for a 4th time.
My last class was really good, too. I was able to do my entire routine twice and then I got feedback on the end of my routine and the beginning of my routine. There was a scary part during the class, though. A girl was doing the end of her routine and she somehow got her feet in the wrong position trying to do an ankle hang (which I also have at the end of my routine). She had her feet like for a toe hang (where you hang upside down on the bar with the bar on the top part of your foot). Needless to say, she fell! It was quite scary. I was super impressed, though. She was able to tuck enough so that she landed on her back rather than her head, and she was ok (although I'm sure she was hurting the next day). But, it was a caution to me that this is real. There is danger, and I really have to remain cautious.
So, in the time I've been doing the trapeze, I've dropped 5 lbs (yay!). I'm also so much stronger than I was before I started. The bruising has gotten really bad, though. The back of my right leg especially (the 1 knee hang is really killing me) is just all black and blue. And, I have bruises on my left leg, my arms, the right side of my neck, etc. I'm going to have to stop going to the open aerial sessions. My body is just wrecked. I'm very comfortable with my progress, though. My routine should be in excellent shape by mid-December. Instead of doing the open aerial sessions on Sundays, I'm going to take 30 minutes and will hit the weights really hard. I also need to do some kind of weights on Tuesday nights, too. It's hard to fit it in, though. Extra strength will really help me with the Flag, Seahorse, and Iron Cross tricks. I think I've nixed the Shoulder Stand. I'm not sure there's enough time in the routine to fit it in even if I were able to do it comfortably.
But, I'm very happy with my progress, and I think this is going to be a routine worthy to be dedicated to Ariella!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Open Aerial Session
At my trapeze lesson place, they offer open aerial sessions where you can come and practice for an hour and a half at various times during the week for $10. It's drop in, so no need to register or anything. You can just show up at as many or as few as you want. I realize that I have a LOT of work to do in order to get this routine to a performable state by December.
The open session was awesome! I did about 10-15 minutes of stretching and warming up. Then, I went right into my routine. I actually did all of the tricks (minus the shoulder stand) in sequence. Granted, it looked quite rough, but it's getting better. I've decided to take the amazon trick out. I don't feel comfortable enough to practice it on my own, and honestly, I don't think it adds all that much to the performance.
Then, the instructor on duty (who is the pilates instructor) was doing a pilates warm up with one of the people there. Another girl joined in, so I joined in, too. So, I got about 15 minutes worth of a pilates workout, which was very cool. Then, I did my entire routine (minus the shoulder stand) again. It wasn't as good as the first time. I struggled more on the Thread the Needle, and especially on the seahorse (the pulling up part, which requires strength). But, still, I was able to get through the whole thing.
After a brief rest (which I spent stretching a bit more), I went for a 3rd round. I did not get through the whole thing. I got all the way to the seahorse and was unable to pull up and over. I also skipped the standing tricks and skipped to the Straddle back balance. All in all, though, not bad. After that, I did 20 v-crunches, a little extra stretching, and then I left. I stayed a bit over an hour.
I have a strategy for getting the confidence to do the shoulder stand. I'm going to do the egg trick (which involved standing on the bar, then pulling up into a tuck so that you're holding your entire body weight in your hands on the rope). Hopefully this will give me the confidence to work up to the shoulder stand. Otherwise I'll need to come up with some other transition. I think I can do it, though. I'll just have to see. I feel quite a bit stronger already than when I started.
So, here's my routine:
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Layback Style (both sides)
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Flag
Air Split
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Shoulder Stand (or some transition from stand to sit)
Straddle Back Balance
Birds Nest
Angel Sequence
Oh, and there's one part of the trapeze that I didn't miss at all that has returned - the bruises! My poor legs look so bad, especially this one near my right knee. Amazingly enough my hands haven't torn up like they did at the City Museum. I think it's a difference in the trapezes that she has here.
The open session was awesome! I did about 10-15 minutes of stretching and warming up. Then, I went right into my routine. I actually did all of the tricks (minus the shoulder stand) in sequence. Granted, it looked quite rough, but it's getting better. I've decided to take the amazon trick out. I don't feel comfortable enough to practice it on my own, and honestly, I don't think it adds all that much to the performance.
Then, the instructor on duty (who is the pilates instructor) was doing a pilates warm up with one of the people there. Another girl joined in, so I joined in, too. So, I got about 15 minutes worth of a pilates workout, which was very cool. Then, I did my entire routine (minus the shoulder stand) again. It wasn't as good as the first time. I struggled more on the Thread the Needle, and especially on the seahorse (the pulling up part, which requires strength). But, still, I was able to get through the whole thing.
After a brief rest (which I spent stretching a bit more), I went for a 3rd round. I did not get through the whole thing. I got all the way to the seahorse and was unable to pull up and over. I also skipped the standing tricks and skipped to the Straddle back balance. All in all, though, not bad. After that, I did 20 v-crunches, a little extra stretching, and then I left. I stayed a bit over an hour.
I have a strategy for getting the confidence to do the shoulder stand. I'm going to do the egg trick (which involved standing on the bar, then pulling up into a tuck so that you're holding your entire body weight in your hands on the rope). Hopefully this will give me the confidence to work up to the shoulder stand. Otherwise I'll need to come up with some other transition. I think I can do it, though. I'll just have to see. I feel quite a bit stronger already than when I started.
So, here's my routine:
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Layback Style (both sides)
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Flag
Air Split
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Shoulder Stand (or some transition from stand to sit)
Straddle Back Balance
Birds Nest
Angel Sequence
Oh, and there's one part of the trapeze that I didn't miss at all that has returned - the bruises! My poor legs look so bad, especially this one near my right knee. Amazingly enough my hands haven't torn up like they did at the City Museum. I think it's a difference in the trapezes that she has here.
Friday, October 22, 2010
First Aerial Choreography Class
I had my first aerial choreography class yesterday. It was good, but I have a lot of work to do. This was very different from my previous trapeze classes. For one thing, we didn't receive any spot the entire class. That limited the tricks we could practice to ones that we felt we wouldn't fall while doing. I was still able to practice quite a lot, though.
We started with introductions - there were about 6 ladies in the class total. 4 were going to be doing trapeze, 1 the rope, and 1 silks. We talked about what we hoped to get from the class, and then Joelle talked about different aspects of choreography, and posed numerous questions for us to think about regarding our routines. I realized that I'm ahead of the game in terms of my mental preparation regarding my routine. I know my character, theme, a basic order of tricks, music, and even costume. My physical preparation, though, I'm behind the rest of the students. They all have a lot more strength than I do. And, they seem more confident on their apparatus. I felt so thankful that I had done the private lesson last weekend. Otherwise, I would have been very uncomfortable.
After about 30 minutes of discussion, we did a brief warm-up and stretching. I was the only one who had the full split on both sides (and Joelle noticed and complimented me - yay). Not bad for a week or 2 of stretching. I still have a bit more to go with that, but I'm confident my flexibility will be more than sufficient by December. My strength/endurance... Not so sure about that. I was pleased that I didn't visibly look out of place. I think I appeared to be in the same fitness league as the other women. But, they did have a lot more strength.
After that, we each chose a trapeze/rope/silk, and Joelle played some music while we improvised. We were supposed to "play" and try to do something that fit the music. I did that a little bit, but I focused on practicing some of my tricks in sequence. I did some feet movements that seemed to fit (and Joelle even noticed and complimented some of that - yay me). But, mainly I was just trying not to look scared up there.
So, I started with this sequence:
Split Under the Bar
Mermaid
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Lay back style (both sides)
Then, my sequence should have been fetal balance and free handed hammock, but I had no spot. I figured it was better not to chance it, so I did Double Arm Flag and then Flag and Air Split.
We did this kind of thing a couple of times. I also practiced my ending sequence - Straddle Back Balance, Bird's Nest, Angel Sequence. I practiced Flag and Double Arm Flag several times.
Then, at the end, we each had to choose 3 tricks and perform individually with everyone watching. The goal was to perform to some random music, and intersperse choreography. I originally chose Seahorse, Amazon, and Thread the Needle. But, when I got up there, I didn't feel confident about Amazon, so I did Iron Cross after Thread the Needle instead. I made a lot of progress with the Thread the Needle. I got it on my first attempt this time (although it was still quite cludgy). But, that was much better than last weekend. With the Iron Cross, I was able to do some feet things to the music, which Joelle liked. And, I was impressed that I was able to get the Seahorse on my own (although I have some work to do with it, too). I volunteered to go first, which I think was a good call. By going first, it seemed like everyone thought I did well. But, I think I was either the weakest or the 2nd to weakest. So, going first was definitely to my advantage. After each performance, everyone offered comments as to what they liked about it. I made sure to comment about something for everyone. I got a lot of good comments, too, so that was good.
We ran a bit late, so I had to rush out to get home. But, other than it being a rush to get there and a rush to leave, the actual class was pretty good. I was able to practice almost all of my tricks. I didn't do Amazon, Shoulder Stand, or Fetal Balance/Free Handed Hammock. But, not bad overall.
I'm going to need to go to some of the open aerial sessions, at least one per week in addition to my class if I'm going to want to be able to not look like a fool. The performance is tentatively Sat Dec 18th at 6pm.
We started with introductions - there were about 6 ladies in the class total. 4 were going to be doing trapeze, 1 the rope, and 1 silks. We talked about what we hoped to get from the class, and then Joelle talked about different aspects of choreography, and posed numerous questions for us to think about regarding our routines. I realized that I'm ahead of the game in terms of my mental preparation regarding my routine. I know my character, theme, a basic order of tricks, music, and even costume. My physical preparation, though, I'm behind the rest of the students. They all have a lot more strength than I do. And, they seem more confident on their apparatus. I felt so thankful that I had done the private lesson last weekend. Otherwise, I would have been very uncomfortable.
After about 30 minutes of discussion, we did a brief warm-up and stretching. I was the only one who had the full split on both sides (and Joelle noticed and complimented me - yay). Not bad for a week or 2 of stretching. I still have a bit more to go with that, but I'm confident my flexibility will be more than sufficient by December. My strength/endurance... Not so sure about that. I was pleased that I didn't visibly look out of place. I think I appeared to be in the same fitness league as the other women. But, they did have a lot more strength.
After that, we each chose a trapeze/rope/silk, and Joelle played some music while we improvised. We were supposed to "play" and try to do something that fit the music. I did that a little bit, but I focused on practicing some of my tricks in sequence. I did some feet movements that seemed to fit (and Joelle even noticed and complimented some of that - yay me). But, mainly I was just trying not to look scared up there.
So, I started with this sequence:
Split Under the Bar
Mermaid
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Lay back style (both sides)
Then, my sequence should have been fetal balance and free handed hammock, but I had no spot. I figured it was better not to chance it, so I did Double Arm Flag and then Flag and Air Split.
We did this kind of thing a couple of times. I also practiced my ending sequence - Straddle Back Balance, Bird's Nest, Angel Sequence. I practiced Flag and Double Arm Flag several times.
Then, at the end, we each had to choose 3 tricks and perform individually with everyone watching. The goal was to perform to some random music, and intersperse choreography. I originally chose Seahorse, Amazon, and Thread the Needle. But, when I got up there, I didn't feel confident about Amazon, so I did Iron Cross after Thread the Needle instead. I made a lot of progress with the Thread the Needle. I got it on my first attempt this time (although it was still quite cludgy). But, that was much better than last weekend. With the Iron Cross, I was able to do some feet things to the music, which Joelle liked. And, I was impressed that I was able to get the Seahorse on my own (although I have some work to do with it, too). I volunteered to go first, which I think was a good call. By going first, it seemed like everyone thought I did well. But, I think I was either the weakest or the 2nd to weakest. So, going first was definitely to my advantage. After each performance, everyone offered comments as to what they liked about it. I made sure to comment about something for everyone. I got a lot of good comments, too, so that was good.
We ran a bit late, so I had to rush out to get home. But, other than it being a rush to get there and a rush to leave, the actual class was pretty good. I was able to practice almost all of my tricks. I didn't do Amazon, Shoulder Stand, or Fetal Balance/Free Handed Hammock. But, not bad overall.
I'm going to need to go to some of the open aerial sessions, at least one per week in addition to my class if I'm going to want to be able to not look like a fool. The performance is tentatively Sat Dec 18th at 6pm.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Trapeze Private Lesson
I had my private lesson on Saturday, and I was very glad that I went before the class started. It was kind of a mixed thing for me. I was able to do almost all of the tricks (which was great - there was the very real possibility that I might not have been able to do much of anything). I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get a pretty routine together in honor of Ariella. Granted, I have a LOT of work to do in the 8 weeks. I might need to go to some of the open aerial sessions on Sunday afternoons to get additional practice. It's going to require quite a bit of endurance to be able to do an entire routine.
So, here's how the session went. I arrived a bit early, and Joelle and I talked for a bit, catching up. She led me through a short warm-up/stretching session, but she wanted most of the time to be on the trapeze (which was perfect). I had done a full stretching session at home about an hour or so before I left, so I was already pretty limber.
My first time up, I did the following:
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Amazon
Flag
Air Split
Everything went decently smoothly. On the 1 knee hang, I hooked with my 2nd leg, making it more secure. In past routines, I didn't need to do that. It would have felt way too unsteady, though, without the hook. Some people perform the trick that way anyway, though. So, it's not a huge deal either way. Also, I found that I wasn't able to hold any of the tricks for very long at all. That's something I'll definitely have to work on. Joelle was impressed that I was able to do so many in succession, though (as was I). And, I think all the preparation and mental review really helped.
For the seahorse, I learned that I don't have to do the whole setup for it that I did in my routine (the setup was the hardest part). So, that will help a lot. Also, I had been thinking that the Flag trick was called "Standing Flag". But, actually it's just called "Flag".
Then, after a little break (Joelle gave me lots of good tips while I was resting, so it wasn't wasted time), I went back up.
I did Thread the Needle and Iron Cross. Thread the Needle took several attempts, which kind of surprised me. I couldn't get my leg up and around the rope. It wasn't because I wasn't flexible enough. As it turned out, I needed to push my body out and away from the ropes to be able to get the angle to get my leg up. Joelle even had to go up on the other trapeze while I sat on mine so that I could see the angle she was talking about. After her demonstration, though, I did get it. Boy, that trick had never been difficult for me in the past. It was sort of a shock. The Iron Cross was also kind of a shock. The first time I did that trick, I was able to get to essentially perpendicular on the first try. I came no where near close to the fully open position. I guess that move really does take some strength. But, I got through that pretty uneventfully.
Then, I came down again for another break. I discussed how I was probably going to cut some of the difficulty out - that I wanted to have fun with it and be able to perform it well. Joelle said that sounded like a great idea. I said that I didn't even want to attempt the Crow's Nest or the Arabesque. So, she got up on the trapeze and showed me a couple of easier tricks that I might want to add in - Layback Style and the Twisting Layback Style. These are very pretty, graceful positions that are relatively easy. So, I'm going to put that in to replace some of the harder tricks.
Next time up:
Layback Style (both sides)
Twisting Layback Style (both sides)
Then, I thought about doing the shoulder stand but was too scared, so I skipped that one. I went straight to the Straddle Back Balance, Birds Nest, and Angel Sequence.
Then, on the ground, I did the beginning part of the Shoulder Stand (the part where you go upside down and wrap your legs) on the silks close to the ground rather than on the trapeze way up there.
Then, I went back up on the trapeze and was going to try the shoulder stand from a sitting position, but nope... So, I just did the Straddle Back Balance, Birds Nest, and Angel Sequence again.
And then, I tried the Ladybug (with heavy spot). There's no way I'm getting that at the end of a performance in 8 weeks, so I'm cutting that. But, it will be fine ending with the Angel Sequence.
So, here is my latest version of what I think the routine will be:
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Layback Style (both sides)
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Amazon
Flag
Air Split
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Shoulder Stand
Straddle Back Balance
Birds Nest
Angel Sequence
I figure I may or may not have to hook my leg for the 1 knee hang. If not, great. But, if so, not a big deal. But, I need to get the Shoulder Stand. It's my transition from standing to back down for the end. I'm not sure why it was so difficult. It was probably mostly a mental/fear thing. I should be able to get it in a couple of weeks.
But, I really need to amp up my strength (and losing a few pounds wouldn't hurt either). I've realized that the trapeze required a lot of back and shoulder strength. I had been thinking it was mostly abs and arms. But, the sore muscles are definitely back and shoulders. So, I'll need to tailor my weight training to that. Joelle also showed me a couple of exercises to do at home - rolling to a balance with a rounded back (a pilates exercise), and holding onto someone's ankles, piking, rolling up, extending toes to the ceiling, and then rolling back down.
I was really struck with how scary the trapeze is! I don't remember it being that scary. I'm thinking it's because I started with a very gradual progression. This time I just threw myself back into the mix. I'm sure it will get better soon, but I just kept thinking "and I want Ariella to do this?!?" Lol! But, I'm definitely glad that I did this lesson rather than having my first time back up there be at a class of people, where we're all supposed to be "comfortable" with an aerial apparatus. I'm sure I can get this. It will be some work, though.
So, here's how the session went. I arrived a bit early, and Joelle and I talked for a bit, catching up. She led me through a short warm-up/stretching session, but she wanted most of the time to be on the trapeze (which was perfect). I had done a full stretching session at home about an hour or so before I left, so I was already pretty limber.
My first time up, I did the following:
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Amazon
Flag
Air Split
Everything went decently smoothly. On the 1 knee hang, I hooked with my 2nd leg, making it more secure. In past routines, I didn't need to do that. It would have felt way too unsteady, though, without the hook. Some people perform the trick that way anyway, though. So, it's not a huge deal either way. Also, I found that I wasn't able to hold any of the tricks for very long at all. That's something I'll definitely have to work on. Joelle was impressed that I was able to do so many in succession, though (as was I). And, I think all the preparation and mental review really helped.
For the seahorse, I learned that I don't have to do the whole setup for it that I did in my routine (the setup was the hardest part). So, that will help a lot. Also, I had been thinking that the Flag trick was called "Standing Flag". But, actually it's just called "Flag".
Then, after a little break (Joelle gave me lots of good tips while I was resting, so it wasn't wasted time), I went back up.
I did Thread the Needle and Iron Cross. Thread the Needle took several attempts, which kind of surprised me. I couldn't get my leg up and around the rope. It wasn't because I wasn't flexible enough. As it turned out, I needed to push my body out and away from the ropes to be able to get the angle to get my leg up. Joelle even had to go up on the other trapeze while I sat on mine so that I could see the angle she was talking about. After her demonstration, though, I did get it. Boy, that trick had never been difficult for me in the past. It was sort of a shock. The Iron Cross was also kind of a shock. The first time I did that trick, I was able to get to essentially perpendicular on the first try. I came no where near close to the fully open position. I guess that move really does take some strength. But, I got through that pretty uneventfully.
Then, I came down again for another break. I discussed how I was probably going to cut some of the difficulty out - that I wanted to have fun with it and be able to perform it well. Joelle said that sounded like a great idea. I said that I didn't even want to attempt the Crow's Nest or the Arabesque. So, she got up on the trapeze and showed me a couple of easier tricks that I might want to add in - Layback Style and the Twisting Layback Style. These are very pretty, graceful positions that are relatively easy. So, I'm going to put that in to replace some of the harder tricks.
Next time up:
Layback Style (both sides)
Twisting Layback Style (both sides)
Then, I thought about doing the shoulder stand but was too scared, so I skipped that one. I went straight to the Straddle Back Balance, Birds Nest, and Angel Sequence.
Then, on the ground, I did the beginning part of the Shoulder Stand (the part where you go upside down and wrap your legs) on the silks close to the ground rather than on the trapeze way up there.
Then, I went back up on the trapeze and was going to try the shoulder stand from a sitting position, but nope... So, I just did the Straddle Back Balance, Birds Nest, and Angel Sequence again.
And then, I tried the Ladybug (with heavy spot). There's no way I'm getting that at the end of a performance in 8 weeks, so I'm cutting that. But, it will be fine ending with the Angel Sequence.
So, here is my latest version of what I think the routine will be:
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Layback Style (both sides)
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Amazon
Flag
Air Split
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Shoulder Stand
Straddle Back Balance
Birds Nest
Angel Sequence
I figure I may or may not have to hook my leg for the 1 knee hang. If not, great. But, if so, not a big deal. But, I need to get the Shoulder Stand. It's my transition from standing to back down for the end. I'm not sure why it was so difficult. It was probably mostly a mental/fear thing. I should be able to get it in a couple of weeks.
But, I really need to amp up my strength (and losing a few pounds wouldn't hurt either). I've realized that the trapeze required a lot of back and shoulder strength. I had been thinking it was mostly abs and arms. But, the sore muscles are definitely back and shoulders. So, I'll need to tailor my weight training to that. Joelle also showed me a couple of exercises to do at home - rolling to a balance with a rounded back (a pilates exercise), and holding onto someone's ankles, piking, rolling up, extending toes to the ceiling, and then rolling back down.
I was really struck with how scary the trapeze is! I don't remember it being that scary. I'm thinking it's because I started with a very gradual progression. This time I just threw myself back into the mix. I'm sure it will get better soon, but I just kept thinking "and I want Ariella to do this?!?" Lol! But, I'm definitely glad that I did this lesson rather than having my first time back up there be at a class of people, where we're all supposed to be "comfortable" with an aerial apparatus. I'm sure I can get this. It will be some work, though.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Quick Update
It's been going pretty well so far. I've kept on track with my stretching for the most part. I did skip the night session last night, though. Boo. My poor body was just too worn out. It's much harder fitting everything in with a baby. I didn't do weights last night either, but I did do abdominal exercises (and it was a sorry state of affairs that my abs are in, they need a LOT of work).
This morning while Ariella watched her reading video, I did a brief upper body weights workout - Assisted Chins, Assisted Dips, Chest Press, and Bicep Curl. It was a start, but I'll definitely need to do better with this - more sets/reps/etc. Then, I came back upstairs and did an excellent stretching session (yay). I also had an IsoPure protein shake for breakfast.
One thing I didn't factor in is that it's a lot harder to exercise and build muscle when you don't get a full night's rest every night. This has gotten so much better than it had been, but I'm still up every morning around 5am. I used to sleep until 7am when I was training previously - and even later on weekends. Rest is critical for muscle recovery as well as to be able to give your all in exercise sessions. Unfortunately, I don't see this improving all that much. Weekends are the same. It's not like the baby will magically sleep in because I don't have to go to work.
Even though I haven't done all that much physically so far, I find myself pretty tired. It's a good thing that I'm not trying to add in running as well. I figure I get enough cardio with my walk at lunch with my friend 4 times a week. Plus, breastfeeding burns off calories like crazy.
This morning while Ariella watched her reading video, I did a brief upper body weights workout - Assisted Chins, Assisted Dips, Chest Press, and Bicep Curl. It was a start, but I'll definitely need to do better with this - more sets/reps/etc. Then, I came back upstairs and did an excellent stretching session (yay). I also had an IsoPure protein shake for breakfast.
One thing I didn't factor in is that it's a lot harder to exercise and build muscle when you don't get a full night's rest every night. This has gotten so much better than it had been, but I'm still up every morning around 5am. I used to sleep until 7am when I was training previously - and even later on weekends. Rest is critical for muscle recovery as well as to be able to give your all in exercise sessions. Unfortunately, I don't see this improving all that much. Weekends are the same. It's not like the baby will magically sleep in because I don't have to go to work.
Even though I haven't done all that much physically so far, I find myself pretty tired. It's a good thing that I'm not trying to add in running as well. I figure I get enough cardio with my walk at lunch with my friend 4 times a week. Plus, breastfeeding burns off calories like crazy.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Stretching Sessions
I've been stretching now since Saturday night, and I'm already progressing quite well. This morning I was even able to fully get down into the front split with my right leg forward. Granted, it was not comfortable by any means, but that will come with time.
My sessions are around 12 minutes each, so that's 25 minutes - plus quick stretches periodically throughout the day. One thing, though, is that the stretching sessions are hard. I remembered them as being relaxing. This isn't the case now. It hurts to stretch! I guess this will get a lot easier once I can do my splits comfortably. Until then, I'll need to continue plugging away.
I have my trapeze private lesson scheduled for Saturday at 3pm. It will be very interesting to see what I can still do.
I'm going to need to do some weights tonight - or at the very least some abdominal exercises. My muscles are still a little sore, though, from the weekend. I'll have to see. I'm going to want to have my muscles completely recovered by Saturday, though, so maybe I'll just do 1 weights session this week. Then, once I get my regular Thursday trapeze schedule going, I can switch to weights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
My sessions are around 12 minutes each, so that's 25 minutes - plus quick stretches periodically throughout the day. One thing, though, is that the stretching sessions are hard. I remembered them as being relaxing. This isn't the case now. It hurts to stretch! I guess this will get a lot easier once I can do my splits comfortably. Until then, I'll need to continue plugging away.
I have my trapeze private lesson scheduled for Saturday at 3pm. It will be very interesting to see what I can still do.
I'm going to need to do some weights tonight - or at the very least some abdominal exercises. My muscles are still a little sore, though, from the weekend. I'll have to see. I'm going to want to have my muscles completely recovered by Saturday, though, so maybe I'll just do 1 weights session this week. Then, once I get my regular Thursday trapeze schedule going, I can switch to weights on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Trapeze Routine for Ariella
Since the focus of this class is building a trapeze routine, I've already decided that my routine is going to be a tribute to Ariella. I've already chosen the music for the routine - A Mother's Prayer by Carnie Wilson. It has very pretty lyrics about a mother's hopes and dreams for her baby, and the music is slow and flowing, which should make it easy to perform to. I also have a costume that seems appropriate (it was one of the ones left over from when I bought 5 costumes when figuring out my first trapeze routine). Amazingly, it still fits and looks decently flattering!
I have a rough list of tricks that might be good for the routine. I have them in what I think might be a decent order. Some of the ones in the middle might need to be rearranged. And, if some of them are too difficult for me now or if I don't quite have the endurance, I can always cut/water this down. But, I figure this gives me plenty enough material to work with. I think the basic flow is pretty good. It starts with under the bar tricks, then moves into tricks while sitting, then standing tricks, and then back under the bar.
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Amazon
Standing Flag
Air Split
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Crow's Nest
Arabesque
Shoulder Stand
Straddle Back Balance
Birds Nest
Angel Sequence
Ladybug
I'm trying to work out a private lesson for this coming weekend so that I'll be able to go through some of these tricks so that I can see where I am regarding trapeze skills. So, all of this might change if I get there and can't even do the simple tricks. But, I figure I should be able to do something by December. And, I'd rather do an easier routine that I can do well than something that's too difficult. I even have an idea for my entrance and exit. I'm going to talk with Joelle about it first, though, before sharing. This is all very exciting! I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic. It has been quite some time since I've last been on the trapeze.
I'm not particularly looking forward to all the bruising, etc, that will happen soon. All my caluses that were built up on my hands are long gone. That won't be fun either. But, I hope it comes together. This will be so cool to do. I can't wait for Ariella to see me perform this routine for her.
I have a rough list of tricks that might be good for the routine. I have them in what I think might be a decent order. Some of the ones in the middle might need to be rearranged. And, if some of them are too difficult for me now or if I don't quite have the endurance, I can always cut/water this down. But, I figure this gives me plenty enough material to work with. I think the basic flow is pretty good. It starts with under the bar tricks, then moves into tricks while sitting, then standing tricks, and then back under the bar.
Split under the bar
Mermaid under the bar
1 knee hang
1 knee roll-up
Fetal balance
Free handed hammock
Double arm flag
Seahorse
Amazon
Standing Flag
Air Split
Thread the Needle
Iron Cross
Crow's Nest
Arabesque
Shoulder Stand
Straddle Back Balance
Birds Nest
Angel Sequence
Ladybug
I'm trying to work out a private lesson for this coming weekend so that I'll be able to go through some of these tricks so that I can see where I am regarding trapeze skills. So, all of this might change if I get there and can't even do the simple tricks. But, I figure I should be able to do something by December. And, I'd rather do an easier routine that I can do well than something that's too difficult. I even have an idea for my entrance and exit. I'm going to talk with Joelle about it first, though, before sharing. This is all very exciting! I'm trying to keep my expectations realistic. It has been quite some time since I've last been on the trapeze.
I'm not particularly looking forward to all the bruising, etc, that will happen soon. All my caluses that were built up on my hands are long gone. That won't be fun either. But, I hope it comes together. This will be so cool to do. I can't wait for Ariella to see me perform this routine for her.
Starting Up Again Since the Birth of Ariella!
It's been quite a while since I last posted. Ariella was born February 17th, 2010. Since then, I've been pretty sporadic regarding exercising. I've done what I've termed "baby exercises" where I do exercises such as pelvic lift, crunches, reverse crunches, shoulder presses while holding her. I've done a bare amount of stretching. I've done weights maybe 2-3 times. I've done running a few times, have gone swimming quite a bit, but a lot of times it was just me and Ariella (so, it wasn't so much of a workout). And, I walk most workdays at lunch with a friend for 30 minutes.
This past weekend, I helped a friend move. So, it was several hours of lifting and carrying things down stairs and onto the moving truck. It was an excellent workout! I did better endurance-wise than I had expected. The physical exertion really felt good. On that same day, a friend asked me if I was going to be getting back into trapeze. I had been thinking about it, but not too seriously. First of all, I'm no where near the fitness level I used to be when I did the trapeze. Secondly, I have a baby! It's hard to schedule in a hobby. Plus, since I'm breastfeeding, scheduling and such is even trickier. I remembered receiving an e-mail about new trapeze sessions starting up soon, and I figured I'd take a look just to see.
There was a class that seemed like it would fit into my schedule:
Aerial Choreography:
Want to take your aerial artistry to the next level? This class is for you! This fun and inventive class is designed to help students add creative flair to their aerial work as they learn about and are guided through the process of creating an aerial performance piece. These pieces will be presented before friends and family at the end of class. This class will help students develop a character, pick their music, apparatus, costume, and learn to move accordingly. Since this class focuses on choreography instead of "trick building" students must already be familiar and comfortable on at least one aerial apparatus in order to register for this class. Come prepared to get creative and have fun!
It's on Thursdays from 5pm - 6:30pm. So, I'll go into work a bit early, and I'll only wind up getting home a little late. It will probably require 1 extra bottle of pumped milk for Ariella, but I think it's definitely workable.
I'm no where near where I need to be fitness-wise, so I've come up with a strategy for that. I'm really going to have to watch it, though. If I work out too intensely or start losing weight too quickly, my milk supply might drop. So, that's something I'm going to have to pay attention to.
I'm going to do 2 stretching sessions per day (each about 10-15 minutes). I'm going to focus on flexibility moves rather than strength moves in my trapeze performance, so it will be key to get that back. I'm going to do 2 weight sessions per week for the upper body (only about 15 minutes each). I'm going to do abdominal exercises every other day. And, then I'll continue with my walking at work during lunch. Plus, I'll have the trapeze class on Thursday nights. And, I'll be starting swimming class with Ariella on Saturdays (although that probably won't be much exercise for me, since it's designed for her).
For nutrition, I'm going to add additional protein to my diet to support muscle building, and I'm going to reduce the amount of junk food. This should cut my calories just a bit, but I can't go too far with this because I don't want to mess up my milk supply.
So, wish me luck! I'm very excited.
This past weekend, I helped a friend move. So, it was several hours of lifting and carrying things down stairs and onto the moving truck. It was an excellent workout! I did better endurance-wise than I had expected. The physical exertion really felt good. On that same day, a friend asked me if I was going to be getting back into trapeze. I had been thinking about it, but not too seriously. First of all, I'm no where near the fitness level I used to be when I did the trapeze. Secondly, I have a baby! It's hard to schedule in a hobby. Plus, since I'm breastfeeding, scheduling and such is even trickier. I remembered receiving an e-mail about new trapeze sessions starting up soon, and I figured I'd take a look just to see.
There was a class that seemed like it would fit into my schedule:
Aerial Choreography:
Want to take your aerial artistry to the next level? This class is for you! This fun and inventive class is designed to help students add creative flair to their aerial work as they learn about and are guided through the process of creating an aerial performance piece. These pieces will be presented before friends and family at the end of class. This class will help students develop a character, pick their music, apparatus, costume, and learn to move accordingly. Since this class focuses on choreography instead of "trick building" students must already be familiar and comfortable on at least one aerial apparatus in order to register for this class. Come prepared to get creative and have fun!
It's on Thursdays from 5pm - 6:30pm. So, I'll go into work a bit early, and I'll only wind up getting home a little late. It will probably require 1 extra bottle of pumped milk for Ariella, but I think it's definitely workable.
I'm no where near where I need to be fitness-wise, so I've come up with a strategy for that. I'm really going to have to watch it, though. If I work out too intensely or start losing weight too quickly, my milk supply might drop. So, that's something I'm going to have to pay attention to.
I'm going to do 2 stretching sessions per day (each about 10-15 minutes). I'm going to focus on flexibility moves rather than strength moves in my trapeze performance, so it will be key to get that back. I'm going to do 2 weight sessions per week for the upper body (only about 15 minutes each). I'm going to do abdominal exercises every other day. And, then I'll continue with my walking at work during lunch. Plus, I'll have the trapeze class on Thursday nights. And, I'll be starting swimming class with Ariella on Saturdays (although that probably won't be much exercise for me, since it's designed for her).
For nutrition, I'm going to add additional protein to my diet to support muscle building, and I'm going to reduce the amount of junk food. This should cut my calories just a bit, but I can't go too far with this because I don't want to mess up my milk supply.
So, wish me luck! I'm very excited.
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