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Emily - How I Stay in Dance Shape

1. On average, how much time do you spend in the gym per week?

I try to go to the gym every other day. I switch back and forth between a standard routine in the gym to other activities such as figure skating, Bikram yoga, running outdoors, kickboxing and spinning. It provides variety and also allows me to work muscles that I otherwise would not. Your body can get used to doing the same routine, so it is good to switch it up.

2. How important is stretching prior to your workout?

I stretch pre and post workout. As a dancer and a figure skater, it is important to stay limber. Strength training can tighten your muscles and square out your hips. It’s important to stretch to improve flexibility, and maintain the turn out in your hips that are vital in dance and skating.

3. What part of your body do you target the most when working out?

I believe in a full body approach. It’s tough to tighten or lose weight in a particular area if you are not working your entire body by combining cardio and resistance training.

4. What kinds of exercises do you do to work on this area?

My favorite workout that combines total body with both cardio and strength training is to circuit train on resistance machines. I’ll work with lower weights at higher reps for one minute on each machine. I do this cycle three times. 

5. How many reps do you do or how much time do you spend on this section of your body?

My overall workout usually lasts anywhere from one to two hours, depending on how much cardio I do. I try to get in a minimum of 50 minutes of varied cardio per workout. Then, I spend the rest of my time working on total body with light weights but higher reps. I only strength train every other workout to give my muscles the necessary time to rest and repair.

6. What single workout move would you suggest to someone looking to achieve a dancer’s body?

Dancers are typically known for having great legs that are strong, shapely, and lean. Basic exercises like lunge walks, squats, calf raises, and hamstring curls would help a person achieve a dancer’s legs.

7. What songs do you listen to on your iPod to get motivated at the gym?

I rarely use an iPod during my workouts. My personal trainer in high school told me that if you’re focusing on music then you’re not focusing on your muscles.  This can lead to a lazy workout. The advice I received from my personal trainer in high school is the same advice I offered to my clients when I was a Wellness Coach at the Main Line YMCA. If for some reason I did need extra motivation, I’d listen to anything by Chiodos, Silverstein, Senses Fail, A Skylit Drive or Alesana.

8. If you only had time to use one machine at the gym, which would it be?

I would use the EFX because I can find other ways to do resistance training at home with a stability ball, medicine ball and free weights.

9. Describe your full workout routine from start to finish.

I don’t really have much of a “routine”. I appreciate the lack of structure and monotony in my workout regiments.  For example, one day I may do 40 minutes of interval training on the EFX, and then hop on the treadmill with ankle weights to walk at a steady pace, uphill for 10 minutes. Next, I would use either resistance machines or free weights for shoulders, biceps and triceps.  After that, I would do lunge walks, some stability ball leg exercises and I’d conclude with abs. Another day, I may start with circuit training and end with cardio. Other days, I may just go to Bakrim yoga for two hours or go to a three-hour figure skating session. On the days that I don’t feel like leaving my house, I’ll do kickboxing on ExceriseTV OnDemand or the NYC Ballet Workout.

10. Do you attend any classes at your gym? (Step classes, spin classes, boot camps etc.)

I’ll go to spinning classes during the season and I take Bakrim yoga all year.

11. Please described the experience you had working with a trainer?

Throughout high school, I worked with a trainer at Body by Design in Doylestown, PA, which was an extension of my chiropractor’s office. He believed that you needed to build the proper muscles to keep your back in line and body in balance. I enjoyed having workouts tailored to my specific needs and having someone push me beyond my existing comfort zones and limitations. You can’t cheat when you have someone watching and tracking your progress. I also knew that no matter how tired or lazy I was feeling there was someone counting on me to get to the gym.
After that, I became a trainer at Body by Design on a Pilates-type machine. I loved being able to be on the other end of a work out.  I enjoyed helping my clients achieve their goals and improve the quality of their lives. I normally went through the routine with each client, so it kept me in shape as well. From there, I became a Wellness Coach at the Main Line YMCA for a significant part of college. I was the youngest on the fitness staff, but thrived in an atmosphere that combined my passion for fitness and my interpersonal skills.  That still job still sits at the top my all-time favorite jobs list.

12. Do you ever incorporate dance into your workouts?

Along with dancing on a team, I coach a dance team.  During our season I’ll count my choreography sessions as my workouts.  Also, the Angels all take Zumba together at Pennsport School of Dance, a class that combines aerobics and Latin dance.

13.  Is there any exercise trend that you simply cannot get into?

Oddly, even though I spent time as a trainer on a Pilate’s machine, I’m not a big fan of mat Pilates. And although I run outside occasionally, I have trouble doing it consistently because it’s tough on my joints.