Alright, so it's been awhile since I've given you some of my fitness tips and tricks so today I bring you: "How to get that Dancer's Booty. "
Of course there's more that goes into it than just practicing this exercise, but doing this will most definitely help tone and tighten your tush faster! Arabesque is a term used throughout the dancer world meaning: To be supported on one leg while extending the other behind the body in a turned out position. So when it comes to the Bar Method, it's performed in a very similar fashion to tone your glutes. I'll go through the steps below as you scroll down through the pix to see the positioning. Know that I am currently in the studio using our ballet barre to demonstrate, but you can get creative and perform this at home. You could use your kitchen counter or even the back of a chair, just make sure that it's securely weighted down so it won't topple over on you.
Arabesque
1. Start a full arms length away from the barre. Stand in a first position, or a wide V (toes out, heels together). Soften your knees. Extend one leg behind you (I'm demonstrating my Right leg) and rest the side of your big toe on the floor.
2. Like a teeter totter, lower your torso and lift your leg to create a horizontal line. Lightly hold onto the barre.
*notice my lower back is parallel to the floor. This will protect your back and keep you in a safe position.
3. Actively press your shoulders down your back while you lift your gaze.
4. Lift your working hip, (my right shown in pic), 2" higher from your standing and rotate your right shoulder forward to square off to the barre. This is important to trigger your obliques while targeting your gluteus medius.
*notice my lower back is still parallel to the floor.
5. If your feeling strong and solid in your form, you can roll up to releve for a challenge. Keep your standing knee slightly bent if take this option.
6. To further the difficulty you can then lift the same arm as leg to engage your back and postural muscles even more. Only do this if you can perform it without sacrificing good form.
It's important to keep watch on your form and keep your lower back parallel to the floor while holding your abdominals up towards your spine. By doing this you'll protect your back from aches and pains. Also, your leg does not need to be as high as mine... mind you I'm a dancer so I may have a slight bit bigger range do to my flexibility, but maintaining your leg at a horizontal position is perfect to start. As you do this more often and stretch your flexibility will increase at the same time.
Choreography
Once you get into position you can perform these motions and combinations to work your glutes, such as:
- small lifts up
- squeezes in
- small circles
Stretching
Speaking of stretching, after each leg just pull away from the barre... i.e. hold onto the barre and step you feet back under your hips. If you want to dig deeper lower your hands to the floor. Bend one knee as you keep your other leg straight and bring your nose to your bent knee, then repeat on the other side.
Muscles Targeted
Gluteus Medius, the side of your seat creating that dancer's dent. Obliques, slimming your waistline working that area we like to call "Muffin Top." Traps, Rhomboids, and Lats your postural muscles to keep the perfect posture and lifted chest. Also, your Quads and Thighs mostly from supporting your standing leg, but also holding that turned out position.
After learning all this I hope you give this a shot at some point. This is one of my favorite seat exercises! It's probably the dancer in me, but I also love that feeling of working my entire body in one exercise. For those of you interested in my fitness wear I've linked a few of the same or similar items below for you to shop. These Zella leggings I got off the Nordstrom Anniversary sale and they're selling out fast! I'm hoping they get a restock of them because they are so pretty and comfy, and everyone who loves pink should own these. I also wouldn't mind them in black too ;) They're so flattering!
Now go get that dancer's booty ;)
xo's
L
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