Cross-training for ballet is NOT THE SAME as doing ballet with weights.
It's not that you can't get any benefits from slapping ankle weights on at barre or doing a penché balancing on a bosu ball while holding dumbbells. But the very definition of "cross-training" requires an activity outside of your normal sport to address the areas neglected by it...while providing necessary rest from the repetitive wear & tear created by your sport.
You already spend countless hours per week taking class and rehearsing the same things over and over again. That's a lot of repetition and stress on your joints and connective tissues. Do you really want to add weight to those inflamed and irritated ligaments and tendons that are already angry at you for doing something as unnatural and abnormal as ballet in the first place?
Not only is this added resistance going to create more irritation in your joints, making you feel less flexible (hello sore, tight, and stiff body!), but it is also going to leave you more vulnerable to injury. Adding external weights to extreme, not-so-anatomical-positions like a penché while balancing on an unstable surface leaves a lot of openings for accidents to happen. And the payoff in terms of benefits usually isn't worth the risk.
So yeah, long story short - doing more of the same thing that you are already doing too much of plus adding resistance to it and the added factor of balancing on something you could fall off of is not really going to help you in the long run.
So, what should your cross-training look like?
BECOMING BULLETPROOF - LEVEL 1 walks you through an 8-week online cross-training program including 16 workouts designed for dancers. Not only will you be coached through the basics behind my Bulletproof Ballerina technique, but you'll also get essential mindset tools necessary to reach your peak performance state. Here's a taste of what's included:
Click the button below for more info and to get started on your journey towards BECOMING BULLETPROOF!
(***Hint: if you've ever bought one of my other ON DEMAND programs, you can still get 40% off for being a loyal Bad Girl Ballerina! Just email me for the discount code, and let me know which program you've already mastered;)
Photo credit: Rachel Neville Photography