Strength and Conditioning for Dancers

Book excerpt: Strength and Conditioning for Dancers is an accessible guide to how to design and incorporate supplemental fitness training into a dancer's schedule. It links current evidence on the relationship between physical fitness, dance performance and injury incidence, breaking it down into clear and convenient sections, starting with the fundamentals of muscle physiology and training principles and moving on to specific training components. Key topics covered in the book include: self-screening; programme design; specific exercises for the core, upper and lower body; basic Pilates; nutritional support for training and finally, programmes to get you started. Featuring practical training programmes to get you started, this user-friendly book will be of great value to dancers, teachers and trainers looking to enhance both fitness and performance.