Q: “Hi Nick.  Plain and simple, the shoulders are very important, highly mobile, but easy to abuse and damage.  It seems like there is a great confusion concerning the right exercises, and the correct form for these.  Which exercises are helpful for good form, solid connection, and even safe aerials?  Thanks!”
-J

A:  Although known as a stable joint, the shoulders (along with the knees and lower back) are the most prone to injury.  Both dancers and fitness fanatics constantly complain of shoulder tweaks and injuries.

First, let’s look at the function of the shoulder.  The deltoid (shoulder) is a three headed muscle group comprised of the anterior (front), medial (side) and posterior (back) deltoid.  It’s primary function is to lift and rotate the arm.  The shoulder also plays a major supporting role for the surrounding muscles and compound movements.  Most shoulder workouts include presses and raises (front, lateral and rear).

Good posture is fairly universal.  Having the shoulders rolled back and relaxed down (not pulled back) will create good posture for both dance and fitness.  When lifting weights, pick a weight that won’t change your posture or create any sort of lean or pitching.

Keep in mind that other exercises also work the shoulders.  To design a balanced workout it’s important to realize how the shoulders are used in all the exercises.  Example: The bench press works the front of the deltoids.  Another example: Lat pulldowns or pull-ups work the rear delts.  Having a weekly routine that balances the stress on the 3 heads of the deltoids equally is key to healthy shoulders.  If one area of the delts becomes overdeveloped, focus on building up the others.

Because the shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, the rotator cuff is the most vulnerable to injury.  There are exercises to help with prevention and recovery.  Hold a light weight and bend the elbow at a 90 degree angle.  With the first exercise, start with the weight across the stomach.  Rotate from the shoulder and rotate the weight away from the body (keeping the upper arm by your side).  With the second exercise, hold your arm out to the side, arm bent at a 90 degree angle.  Start with the forearm parallel to the ground.  Rotate the shoulder to send the weight up to the ceiling and back down (keeping the upper arm parallel with the floor).

Partner dancing uses repetitive motions that can create imbalances and injuries over time if not kept in check.  Lindy Hop and Balboa are dances that one arm is constantly doing a row motion while the other arm is constantly catching or holding the partner.  Aerials are repetitive motions that focus more on one side of the body than the other.  Flexibility training and workouts that help correct these imbalances will help.  Core and total body workouts are also great to help with this.  Most aerials use both press and raising motions in the shoulders.  For followers it’s often a pressing down motion.  Developing a strong back and stable core will also help take stress off of the shoulders.  Also, use your legs!  Power in aerials comes from the legs and a solid core.

Must of the connection with partner dancing is actually done with the back muscles.  Too much emphasis of the shoulders leads to poor connection and a chance for injury.  Keep those shoulders rolled back and down in a nice relaxed manner.

Beware overtraining.  It’s important to give the shoulders a rest from a workout or aerial training.  It usually takes a good 3 days to fully recover.  Foam rolling and stretching can help aid in recovery and maintenance.

Send your questions to nick@jitterblastfitness.com

Q: “Hi Nick! I never know when or how much to eat, both before and after a workout. I don’t want to exercise on an empty stomach, but I don’t want to work out too full. And then what should I eat afterward and how long after?”
-Peter

A:  There are a couple factors that will determine the answer to this.
The first is your diet.  If you eat small meals every couple hours, your body should have ample “fuel” for your workout.  I recommend waiting at least an hour after your last meal.  Somewhere between 1- 2 hours afterwards seems to be the sweet spot.
The second is if you go longer than 3 hours without food, your body might not have enough “fuel” to get your thru a difficult workout.  If it’s a light aerobic workout, your body doesn’t generally need much fuel (which is why many people do their cardio workout first thing in the morning before eating).  More intense workouts will need the glycogen stores that food replenishes.  Eat a light snack an hour or two ahead of time (higher in carbs than protein) to give you the energy needed for the entire workout.  If you’re constantly on the run and don’t have time for that, eat half a banana 30 minutes to an hour before the workout.

After a workout your body is primed and ready for more fuel.  This is the best time to have some protein and carbs.  It will help with muscle repair, as well as replenish the glycogen stores for future workouts.  This zone lasts about an hour after your workout.  The closer to the completion of the workout the more effective it is.
The research in regards to the timing of when to eat protein and carbs is mixed.  The majority of fitness world still suggests immediately after the workout.  Other research suggests that timing is less important as long as it’s spread out throughout the day.  My advice: Still spread out the protein and carbs during the day because the body can only process so much at one time, however, timing a high dose of both just after a workout seems to work rather well.

Send your questions to: nick@jitterblastfitness.com

Q: “Hi Nick.  I wanted to ask about back squats vs. front squats in terms of their benefits on the dance floor.”
-J

A: Lindy Hop is one of the most athletic partner dances around.  It utilizes squats as one of it’s main postural and movement components.  Everything from a Swing Out to Aerials use squat motions.  Even a slight sitting posture is part of the squat family (a hinge in the hips and bend in the knees). Squats are one of the grand daddy staples of fitness as one of the major compound movements.  Squats should be a part of any fitness routine.  They engage almost every muscle in the body (not just the legs) as well as help grow lean muscle.  Don’t worry, squats won’t necessarily make you look like a beast, but can certainly help with weight loss and lean muscle mass.  The two most common are back squats and front squats.

The back squat (with a barbell resting on the upper back) is the most common squat for lifters.  It allows for the heaviest load for muscle gain.  Back squats place more of the load on the posterior (back) half and focus primarily on the quads, glutes, hamstrings and calves, however there is greater emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings in comparison to front squats.

Front squats (with a barbell resting on the shoulders by the collar bone) place an even greater emphasis on the the quads and lower back, but also include the glutes, hamstrings and calves. Back squats require more of a hinge at the waste when lowering while front squats require a more upright posture.

If you’re looking for which one is most useful to dancing, they are both useful.  Lindy Hop has a slight squat to its posture and movement, but the focus continually shifts from back to front and vice versa.  Limiting to only one type of squat will limit your movement and strength as well as limit gains in the gym.  My advice is to mix up the squats you do.  Back squats one leg day, front squats the other. Don’t do squats two days in a row.  Allow at least 48 hours recovery (72 hours is optimal).  If you do them on the same day, start with back squats, then move on to front squats.   The back squat will always be the main barbell squat, but don’t limit yourself to it.

You might also think about mixing up the program with other squats, or superset with an explosive movement afterwards to make it a bit more athletic.  For example, superset back squats with jump squats, air squats or burpees.  Here are some other squat variations to change up the program:
-Dumbell squats
-Air squats
-Jump squats
-Kettlebell squats
-Goblet squats
-One legged squat
-Squats on an unstable surface
-Leg press
and numerous others

**Proper squat posture and technique is essential.  Please practice good form before adding weight.  Poor posture can lead to injury.  Be safe!

Send your questions to:  nick@jitterblastfitness.com

Calf Conundrum

Q: “My calves are tight and sore at the start of a Balboa dance.  It eventually eases, but maybe there is a way to it.  Thanks.”
-Debbie

A:  Tight calves are an issue for most people, in their daily lives as well as dancing.  There are a couple effective methods to use:

1. Myofascial release, which is soft tissue therapy (like massage).  The most common method of this is foam rolling.  Sit on the floor and put one calf on the foam roller.  Roll back and forth and side to side.  Stop and hold on the parts that are particularly tender or tense until it releases.  If you need more pressure, lift yourself off the ground.  For even greater pressure put one leg on top of the other.
It’s also amazing how much tension our feet hold, and how much that can affect our calves.  Use a tennis ball or a lacrosse ball to roll out and stretch the bottom of your feet.

2. Dynamic stretching, using force production and momentum to move through a full range of motion. This form of stretching prepares the body for physical activity.  Static stretching (holding a position) is great after exercise or any other time, but can exhaust the muscle.  Dynamic stretching will warm up the muscle properly.
Stand on the edge of a step, heels hanging off the step.  Pedal the feet back and forth in a slow controlled motion.  As the muscle warms up, gradually dip your heels deeper.  This can also be done leaning your hands against the wall, or hands on the floor.

The optimal warm-up is myofascial release followed by dynamic stretching.  For a cool down, after dancing, try myofascial release followed by static stretching.  A proper cool down will help in recovery and battle any soreness you might have later.

If you have any questions, please e-mail them to:  nick@jitterblastfitness.com