HERITAGE EXERCISES

Upper Body Exercises

Push-Ups

  • Start on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders and your feet turned under you so your toes are flat. Be sure your back, stomach, and buttock muscles stay tight.
  • Push your body up until your arms are straight. Keep your muscles tight so your body stays in a straight line from your head to your heels. Keep your head up (look forward) to help maintain your body posture.
  • Inhale and bend your elbows so that your body travels toward the floor. *Exhale and straighten your arms.
  • Repeat 5 times initially. After you feel comfortable with this, try doing multiple sets of 5 repetitions, and then move on to sets of 10 reps.

Ideally, you should lower yourself so that you are almost but not quite touching the floor with your chest. Realistically, it is much better to go as far down as you are able while keeping a straight body. Try to work up to going all the way to the ground by going a little farther down every session (or every week).

Don’t let your derriere stick up in the air or sag towards the ground. And remember, nothing touches the ground but your hands and feet.

Sumos

  • Get into a push-up position but then break it by elevating your hips into the air, so that you are making a letter A (without the crossbar, of course). Keep your head between your shoulders and keep your shoulders from hunching around your neck. You are trying to make a straight line from your hands to your hips and then from your hips to your feet. Press your heels towards the ground.
  • Exhale and bend your arms, lowering your head and upper body toward the floor. When your head is about to touch the floor, push your head and shoulders forward and follow with your back and hips, lowering your hips towards the floor until you are in the Cobra position discussed above, except that your hips are an inch or two above the mat, with your weight supported on your hands and feet.
  • Inhale and push your hips back up into the air.
  • Repeat 5 times. Once you are comfortable with this exercise, try doing 3 sets of 5 repetitions each, moving eventually on to sets of 10 reps.

Hula Arms

  • Sit cross-legged on the floor with your back straight and your hands at your side. You can also stand up with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
  • Raise your arms straight above your head with your hands open.
  • Move both arms in a circle to your right until your right arm is stretched out to your right side in a line with your shoulders and your left arm is bent across your chest, with the upper part of your left arm to the elbow also in line with your shoulders and your right arm.
  • Keep moving your arms until both arms are stretched straight out in front of you.
  • Finally, move them so that your left arm is stretched out to your left side in a line with your shoulders and your right arm is bent across your chest, with the upper half of the arm also in line with the shoulders.
  • Return your arms to their starting position above your head.
  • Repeat for 30-60 seconds and then reverse the circle for the same amount of time, starting to the left this time.

Arm Stretches

  • Sit cross-legged with your back straight and your arms hanging at your sides.
  • Lace your fingers together and pull your arms up over your head, turning your laced hands over so that your palms are facing the ceiling. Hold for 15-30 seconds.
  • Release your hands and replace them behind your back. Bend forward and lift your arms behind you as far as you can. Hold for 15-30 seconds.
  • Stretch your right arm across your chest. Grasp your right arm above the elbow with your left hand and pull gently. Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat on other side.
  • Stretch both arms over your head. Bend your right elbow so your hand touches your back. Grasp your right arm above the elbow with your left hand and gently push your right hand lower down your back. Hold for 15-30 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Lying On Stomach Exercises | Kneeling Exercises | Abdominal Exercises
Leg/Ab Combinations | Upper Body Exercises | Other Exercises

All of this information was freely provided by Ariel Bennett T.C.R.G. of the Heritage Irish Stepdancers. "Please let everyone know that they are welcome to download and use the information with our blessing. If they would like to print it for widespread use or post it on a website, etc. all they need to do is write us at info@heritageirish.com and ask for permission (which we grant freely)."

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