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Writer's pictureTarget Training

Importance of Measuring Progress for your Irish Dance Strength & Conditioning Program

Updated: Feb 16, 2023


Irish dance strength and conditioning, exercises for Irish dance, target training

Three times a year, Target Training holds our signature 10 Week Workout. The mission of our 10 Week Workout is to improve the overall strength, mobility, and applied knowledge dancers need to improve their Irish dance technique. The program focuses on our "5 Target Areas for Irish Dancers" (see photo to the right).

But how do you know if your current program is effective and producing results?

To better inform our Target Training programs and to assess it's efficacy, dancers are taken through a series of assessments prior to starting the 10 Week Workout and at it's completion. These assessments give our dancers measurable goals to work towards in each of the 5 Targeted Areas.

We recently completed our Fall 2016 10 Week Workout and wanted to share the final assessment numbers with you! If you're interested in seeing these measurable results in your performance, join us for the upcoming Winter 2017 10 Week Workout. If you live outside of the area where we offer classes, no worries! We are launching our Online Classes mid December 2016!

Turnout & Ankle Mobility - improving technique & correcting right/left imbalances

Aside from the improvements made in these areas, one of the most beneficial findings is the decrease in the imbalances between the right and left side. For both turnout and ankle mobility, the average dancer had a greater range of motion (ROM) on their right side during our initial assessment. After completing the 10 Week Workout, that ROM difference was substantially less.





Mobility & Flexibility - increased length in hamstrings

Through performing a series of progressive hip and leg mobility exercises over the 10 weeks, dancers were able to make significant gains in their hamstring length. For Irish dancers, this means higher leg height, straighter legs, and improved posture control (due to tight hamstrings) during leaps and kicks.


Power - improved hang time

Significant differences were seen in both single leg power and power off of two feet. Improvements like this will lead dancers to see greater hang time in leaps, more explosive movements throughout their steps, and louder rhythm.


Core Strength - improved posture

Substantial increases were seen in core strength for the dancers in the Fall 10 Week Workout. With a stronger core, dancers began noticing improvements in their overall postural control, power, & improved alignment.






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