Due to the repetitive nature of Irish dance (always kicking forward with limited time extending your leg behind your body) and spending the majority of our day sitting down at school or work, we aren’t using an important muscle group for our daily lives and Irish dance, our glutes!
Your glutes (the muscles in your bum) are critical to preventing injury and improving performance for Irish dance. Looking to improve your toe height (especially that pesky back foot toe height)? Activate your glutes. Want more explosiveness in your jumps? Target your glutes. More power in your hard shoe rhythm? Yep, glutes.
Let’s get to work on your glutes with one of my favorite glute series.
Happy Training!
SINGLE LEG GLUTE PRESS
place the top of your back on a bench, chair, or couch
walk your feet out to be under your knees
lift one leg and lower your hips to the ground
using your glutes, press your hips up
be sure to keep your hips tucked under - not arching your back at the top
LUNGE SWITCHES
begin in a lunge stance with both knees in 90 degree angles (front knee should not go past your ankle)
press from under your front leg and glute to quickly snap your legs together to stand
HIP TRUSTS
stand with your legs slightly wider than your hips, holding a weight between your legs
squat down then using the power in your glutes, thrust your hips forward and engage your glutes
from the momentum of your hip thrust, your arms will swing with the weight (you are not actually lifting the weight up with your arms)
GLUTES SERIES
repeat this series 3 times
single leg glute thrusts
10 each leg
lunge switches
10 each leg
hip thrusts
10 times
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