Strength Training: When You're Getting Started, Don't Overthink It

Dr. Chelsea Moehlenbrock Author

Strength training has slowly been making its way into the dance world and being understood as very beneficial for improving dancers’ technique. The world of dance science and dance medicine has grown dramatically over the past 10 years, which is exciting for dancers since that means their art form can be better understood, their bodies can be better cared for, and they can take advantage of proven ways to improve their dancing.

When a dancer wants to start strength training, not all of them are confident in knowing how or where to start. The gym can be intimidating. Some people don’t have access to a gym or exercise equipment. These barriers can be excuses for some people to miss out on a strengthening program. However, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Sometimes simple is better too.

Many questions arise when a dancer is getting started with strength training:

Do I need special equipment?

Do I need a specialized program for dancers?

How often do I need to do strength training to notice a difference?

Are there good exercises to do?

Are there bad exercises that I should avoid?

How do I make sure I don’t get hurt?

I’ll get around to answering all of these questions. But first, I want to emphasize that there are several things that people worry about way too much when it comes to exercise and other things that they don’t worry about enough.

When you’re getting started, worry LESS about these:

• Proper alignment - Sure, alignment is important. But don’t get all worked up over it when you’re first starting out. If you get too bogged down dwelling in the details, then you’re going to get overwhelmed. Also, is there really such a thing as “proper” alignment? Our bodies are meant to move in many different ways. If we only train in “proper” alignment, then how are our bodies supposed to handle all the off balance choreography that we are given? Not all movements are going to be done with a perfectly neutral spine, so why not strengthen muscles to be able to handle neutral, rounded, and extended alignments of the spine?

• Proper movement - Same thing here as with worrying about proper alignment. What’s a “proper” movement anyways? Move in many ways in many planes and move often. We are made to move.

• Choosing the “right” exercises - There are no good or bad exercises. The best exercise is the one that gets done. Typically exercises that are simple are the best place to start. No need to get fancy. Basic compound movements, like squats, hinges, and lunges, will target many different muscle groups that you need.

• Stability - This will come naturally as you get stronger overall. So don’t feel like you have to do all the fancy looking exercises on a Bosu ball to improve your stability. In fact, you’d be better off just training single leg exercises.

• Muscle firing - Don’t overthink it when it comes to figuring out which muscles to use when you’re getting started. Just move. As you get more practice in moving in different ways, then you’ll improve the neural input to your muscles and it will be easier to feel what is working.

As you are getting started with strength training, worry MORE about these:

• Motivation - Showing up for every planned session, whether that’s 3x/week or 5x/week is important for getting you to your goals. Consistency is key, not necessarily the specific exercises you are doing.

• Positive experience - Set yourself up for success and choose a space and time where you feel your best exercising. That could be first thing in the morning in a busy gym or in a quiet room at home.

• Self-efficacy - Don’t start with really hard things. Start with the simple, easy exercises first. Build your confidence in your ability to accomplish what you have set out to do.

• Enjoyment - Don’t make yourself run on a treadmill for 30 minutes if you hate running. You’ll be less likely to want to do it again and that will decrease your motivation. Pick exercises and/or activities that you enjoy. That may differ from day to day too.

• Meaning - Pick exercises and/or activities that are meaningful to your goals. If you are trying to improve your jumps, then work on leg strength and plyometrics. That way you can see some carryover from your strength training in your dance training.

Let’s go back and answer some of those questions from the beginning:

• You don’t necessarily need any fancy equipment to do an effective strength training session. If you have access to equipment, that will increase the repertoire of exercises that you can do, but it isn’t a requirement.

• You don’t necessarily need a specialized program for dancers. Sometimes those programs overcomplicate things anyways. Keep it simple. As long as you are consistent and you are progressing your exercises as you get stronger, then you’ll see positive changes.

• Here’s my general rule of thumb that I use when it comes to frequency of strength training sessions.

  • 1-2x/week = minimal maintenance, potential decline in strength

  • 3x/week = maintain strength

  • 4-5x/week = build strength

  • 6-7x/week = same improvements in strength as 4-5x/week and you also put yourself at risk for overtraining, so this is not necessary. Rest days are important too.

• There may be some exercises that would be good for you to do specifically based on your weakness and goals in dance. However, if you’ve never done any strength training before, then it’s better to just focus on compound movements, like squats and lunges, to improve overall strength first. Then worry about specific targeted exercises later.

• As for “bad” exercises, this would really only include exercises done with way too much weight or way too many repetitions to the point that you injure yourself. In that situation, remember, it wasn’t that it was a bad exercise, it was the load (weight or repetitions) that was bad for your body at that particular time.

• In order to make sure you don’t get hurt, don’t jump into anything too quickly. That’s typically where people get hurt. They overload their bodies by doing too much too quickly. If something doesn’t feel right with an exercise, don’t push it. Either skip it or seek assistance.

So when it comes down to it, the best advice for getting started with a strength training program as a dancer is to get into a manageable consistent routine with straightforward exercises that start to challenge you. An example of a simple routine to start with would be doing 3-4 days a week of a workout that includes some form of squats, lunges, hip hinges, a core exercise, a pushing exercises and a pulling exercise.

If you want help with designing a strength training program that is tailored to your goals as a dancer, look for a dance specialist in your area. Whether that is a personal trainer, dance strength and conditioning coach, or dance physical therapist, that person can help get you started at an appropriate level so you don’t get discouraged or lose interest. After all, something is better than nothing. Consistency is key.