Gleneagle Hotel Gym!

The Downfall had to be at 76, and I wasn’t going to be able to pull that out of somewhere undiscovered, so I guess to the gym it was! Jumping on the treadmills, and putting myself through some of the most grueling training I have ever done not only made the Downfall feel great, but my Reel effortless. Interval training at the time was a relatively new concept to me and although difficult to begin with, over time it became extremely practical. Interval Training can be defined as: Training in which an athlete alternates between two activities, typically requiring different speeds, degrees of effort etc.

Theoretically, if a dancing bout is, let’s say an average of 2 minutes in length using an average of 80% of a dancers functional capacity, then it would be common sense to use this same formula when training without shoes on. Obviously if a dancer is running with cushiony trainers on grass, as opposed to belting out a floor with shoes on, they are going to have to run a lot harder and take slightly more time to get there body up to that 8/10 energy level output. Just so you can get a more accurate understanding in relation to you using your energy output, a sprinter would use almost 90-100% of their functional capacity, where as a marathon runner may use 30-40% spread out over a long period of time, thus we would use approximately about 80% throughout a dance, however it would be us giving 100% for the needed time frame. This differs with every individual on any given day, however you have probably heard your teacher say, ‘they came out like a bomb in their lead around, and now they’ve just died.’ This is a perfect example of a dancer using too much energy too soon.

I will however explain energy systems and how they’re used in Irish dance in a later blog. Of course I did not hang around in the gym for 12 hours and do 5 intervals over that period as I would have done back 10 days later on the day of the Championship. I did however, refuel with fluids and allow my body to go back to resting heart rate, before beginning another bout of a 2 min 30 sec interval.

My intervals looked something like this for example: 

After beginning with a 5 mins warm up...

Time to get heart rate to 80%, assuming I dance for 2.12 (length of set dance) at 80%: 3 mins

Time working at 80% of functional capacity consistently: 2.30 mins

Interval time (time taken to get the body back down to resting heart rate): 6 mins

This would be counted as one interval!

So the way you can do this is simple. As I have done before, I will break down this exercise for you so you can try yourself. You can also record the heavy/dead feeling in your legs (out of 10) at the end of each dance and this can allow you to mimic that feeling in the Gym by using functions such as resistance and incline to build up your resistance to this possible lactic acid build up or muscle weakness.

In the dance studio…

Step 1: Begin in a dance class or dance practice by measuring your resting heart rate (bpm).
Step 2: Complete a full solo dance, whichever you are struggling with your fitness in.
Step 3: As soon as you finish your dance, measure your finishing heart rate (bpm) and record this result. Also record the dead/heavy feeling in your legs out of 10.

Onto the gym…

Step 1: Warm Up 

Step 2: Jump on a piece of cardio equipment, I use the treadmill for best results.

Step 3: Begin watching your heart rate, and push yourself so that it reaches the finishing heart rate which you measured after the dance. 

Step 4: Use the equipment functions so that if you choose, you can mimic that feeling in your legs from the end of said dance. 

Step 5: Once your body reaches the finishing heart rate, begin counting the time that you have set yourself. So this can be either the length of a dance, or it could be longer if you so choose. Eg. Adding 16 bars or so.

Step 6: Push Yourself!!!

Step 7: After time is up, stop the equipment, and measure how long it takes you to reach your resting heart rate.

Step 8: Once at resting heart rate, have a few minutes to allow the legs to recover and repeat as many times as you like

Each interval theoretically counts as one dance! I highly suggest that if you are going to give it a go, you keep records of things like your heart rates etc. A good measure of whether your fitness has generally improved could be your resting heart rate. Remember at his peak Lance Armstrong had a resting heart rate of 32-34 bpm. So remember, the lower the better.

Air conditioned gyms have now become to best way for me to increase my fitness leading up to majors. Sorry Scouts but your halls just don’t cut it. A sticky hot Australian summers day, leading up to the World’s in a stuffy Scout Hall is more likely to cause agitation as opposed to any actual result. Training really has to be replicated in the same environment as you would be dancing in. Weather and environment are probably our greatest variables when it comes to energy and functional capacity. So I suppose in a small way, Belfast locals might have a slight advantage this year.

     2012 means that Brent is now a recognised member of IADMS!

A little over a year ago, I was visiting a dancing acquaintance in Dublin, who had stumbled across a video from the 1995 World Championships. Intrigued and eager to reminisce, they put it in their dusty “VCR” player. Although I was at the Championships that year, I was astonished at how far Irish Dancing had come. In only 15 years it was as if a completely new sport had emerged. For the average hornpipe back then, was full of heel drags, lethargic front clicks and bent leg over 2 3s. This is opposed to the now double beat drop heel walks, triple mid-air front clicks, and over 2 3 / front click combos we dancers push the limits with at every feis. The point I am trying to make is that “folk” Irish dancing, is now a sport, not an art form and with this change comes the need to adapt the body.

Proper sprung flooring is crucial because training in your plimsols in a concrete basement whilst attempting to do some of Irish dancing’s modern twists and turns will only damage your body so you can twist and turn no more. This is much the same for any other modern day athlete such as a runner. Running on asphalt in sandals will do the same. For me, appropriate flooring and footwear/attire is just a given. Otherwise a dancer is asking for injury.

So how do you improve you leg strength equally, to prevent and cure shin splints? For Irish dancers there are a few exercises you can try which incorporate both dance, and strength & conditioning

EXERCISE 1: POINT & FLEX

This exercise is very basic and can be done during warm ups / cool downs or whilst even watching TV.

Step 1: Sit upright with legs on the floor parallel.

Step 2: Point toes down to the floor, trying to achieve a line from the waist to the middle of the foot. Past this point, the foot should begin to curl downwards. Hold for 10 seconds. (A)

Step 3: Flex toes up towards the torso. Keep toes taut for 20 seconds. (B)

Step 4: Repeat!

A) Point Toes

B) Flex & Hold

Next exercise coming momentarily!

Here is what had to be said for the show:

“Irish dance has come a long way since the premier of such shows as Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Now be prepared as irish dance is taken to the next level in this world first dance phenomenon. Anthony Street, former principal dancer from Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance and magician, will fuse magic and dance together in this never seen before stage spectacular.

Embark on a journey of magic and amazement as you witness breathtaking illusions amongst modern irish dance performed by a cast of champion dancers. With a blend of modern celtic music composed By Angela Little (Baz Luhrmanns ‘Australia’) and flawless choreography, this show is absolutely unmissable. These international professionals will take your breath away whilst they share with you their perfected craft. This is entertainment at its best.”

Talking from personal experience, every time I have taken a pain killer for some injury, whether it be Shin Splints, a soft tissue injury or even a fracture, I seem for a brief moment to envisage, that I am invincible. I try belting out each step harder than the one before, because well hey, my legs have no idea of the pain that awaits them. From most of my leg numbing experiences, the next day is not always the prettiest feeling. Due to the previous night’s exercise I now feel 10% worse off and my legs are that extra bit more painful. As a result, I think it’s been about 3 years since I have danced on anything form of Ibuprofen or the occasional paracetamol, because they are not long term remedies. When I get a headache, or an ailment which is realistically, “pain killer worthy” now, the stuff actually works.

Let’s get technical-
Shin Splints are the pain felt through the shin bone – referred to as the Tibia – which is the larger of the lower leg bones, joining the ankle and the knee. Shin Splints are often described as being something of a niggling pain at first, which if left untreated can result in the dancer being barely able to walk. Shin Splints always seem to attack dancers towards the most important part of the dancing season, when they are putting in more work than they have before. This is why they are classified as an “overuse” injury. Trauma is what causes Shin Splints and this is attributed to the way Irish dancers jump, pound the hard floor and overall place great stress upon their legs for significant periods of time.

Over the last twelve months I have begun to look into and discover that Shin Splints in Irish Dancers must be caused by something more than just pounding the floor excessively, or our, now athletic sport, would not exist. What I have found to be the key in preventing those tiny leg fractures we like to call Shin Splints from occurring, is an understanding of our leg muscle imbalances and weaknesses in certain muscles. In simple terms, there is a strong correlation between dancers who struggle to flex their foot upwards – commonly referred to as dorsiflex – and dancers who have Shin Splints. I have come across this on more than one occasion in the last year and even with myself, the stronger and looser my ankles have become and, the more flexion required in my steps, the lesser my Shin Splints have affected me.

I will break this down for you…..
Trauma causes microscopic fractures in the shin bone – Tibia. This is due to a weakness in the Tibialis Anterior (muscle next to shin) and Extensor Digitorum Longus (other muscle beside shin), teamed with excessive use and stress into the legs. Ankle dorsiflexion (flexing foot up) is the action which both these muscles control. If there is a weakness in these muscles, there can also be a weakness in the ability to control the ankle effectively whilst executing a dance. Certain moves may prove hard to do etc.

Leg Anatomy

When a dancer is overly focused on pointing their toes, and trying to get that perfect line with their leg, more often than not, the Gastrocnemius and Soleus (calf muscles) are working harder and harder which causes them to strengthen over time. However, when a dancer gets to a certain point and they begin to feel shin splints, this has probably occurred because dancers have neglected to work their flexing just as hard as they worked their pointing. Whenever a muscle imbalance is created, it is usually caused by a lack of equal training, and this is no different for Irish dancers.

Part 2 will follow and will include exercise methods.

The benefits of Ice baths and their benefits as a post-exercise recovery method are still being debated in the health and fitness industry, however, having used them myself over the last 4 years I can definitely say they have proved to be extremely effective in doing what they are supposed to do.

So, what is it that Ice baths actually do for a dancer? Well, as we go through a long dance session and begin to stress our legs, they begin to get tired and heavy due to a build up of lactic acid which causes a lead like heavy feeling in the legs. This usually occurs either at the end of a dance, or towards the end of a long class. By getting into an ice bath as soon as possible after a dance session, the cold begins to constrict the blood flow throughout the legs – much the same as what occurs when a muscle is iced immediately after an injury. With the blood flow constricted, the blood vessels begin to draw the lactic acid and other chemical byproducts out of the legs, reducing inflammation and toxins. It is this inflammation and these toxins which cause the pain the next day. Once the dancer takes themselves out of the Ice bath, the blood begins to flow back into the legs, replacing the old toxin filled blood with the new fresh blood. New blood, means new legs! Well, new enough anyway!

Don’t get too put off by the word blood, that just has to be said with the technical explanation of what an Ice bath will actually do to the legs. All that really needs to be said is why not give it a go yourself and see if it works.

Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Finish dancing and cool down. Stretch significantly while still warm.
Step 2: Fill a bath or waist high tub with 2-3 bags of ice and cold water.
Step 3: Get a sweater, a towel and your iPod. Trust me, you will need these!
Step 4: Get into the water. Try to go in without, but if you have to, wear tights.
Step 5: Sit in the water for up to 10 minutes. Then get out and dry off.