The Mighty Plank

Hi, everybody!  We’re two weeks into the session; how’s everyone feeling?  Sore but happy, I hope?  This week, I wanted to give a shoutout to one of my favorite conditioning exercises of all time, the Mighty Plank!  My students will tell you that we do this exercise almost every week in class because it’s such a game changer!  I love it because it works a little bit of everything: core (obviously), legs, glutes, arms and shoulders.  It’s also a great wrist strengthener for my aspiring ground acrobats if done on the hands and not the elbows.  This week, I want to share with you the benefits of the plank exercise, and next week, we’ll delve into the how of the plank, with some variations!  Stay tuned, but in the meantime, Peak Fitness gives us five benefits of the plank exercise, and here they are:

5 Benefits of Doing Planks

Planking has become increasingly popular for core strengthening, and for good reason: it works – in large part because it engages multiple muscle groups simultaneously. What are some of the benefits you can expect from adding this exercise to your regular routine?1

1. A Toned Belly

Planking will help build your deep inner core muscles that lay the groundwork for that six-pack look. As your abdominal muscles become stronger, your mid-section will tighten.

Keep in mind, however, that in order to really get “six-pack” abs, you have to shed fat. For men that would be a body fat of about 6 percent, and women around 9 percent, in order to achieve that classic six-pack. This is not necessarily healthy.

2. Reduce Back Pain

Planks work for back pain because they strengthen your core, which has the pleasant “side effect” of reducing back pain. They also strengthen your back muscles, especially those in your upper back. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE):2

“Because the plank exercise requires minimal movement while contracting all layers of the abdominal fascia, it is an excellent way to strengthen the core, which, in turn, helps reduce low-back pain.”

3. Flexibility

While building strength, planks also increase flexibility in your posterior muscle groups. The muscles around your shoulders, collarbone, and shoulder blades will expand and stretch (an area that often receives little attention), as will your hamstrings and even the arches of your feet and your toes.

If you do a side plank, you can also stretch out your sides (especially if you extend your arm up over your head in line with your body). To increase the stretching benefits, try a rocking plank – once in basic plank form, rock your body back and forth by moving your toes a few inches either way.3

4. Improve Your Mood

Virtually every exercise has the potential to give you a mood boost, and planks are no exception. Planks are unique, however, in that they help stretch and ultimately relax muscles groups that often become stiff and tense from prolonged sitting. The tension release that planks provide is uplifting for your spirit.

5. Improve Your Balance and Posture

To do a plank correctly, you must engage your abs to stay upright. Side planks or planks with extensions are particularly beneficial for building balance, as are planks performed on a stability ball. To test and strengthen your balance, try a side plank with a leg raise – get into side plank position, then lift your top leg and hold for one count. Lower it and repeat, then switch sides.4 In addition, planks work all the muscles you need to maintain proper posture, like your back, chest, shoulders, abs, and neck. If you do planks regularly, you’ll find you’re able to sit or stand up straighter with ease.

Ok, peeps, that’s it for this week, but again, stay tuned for next week’s blog post on how to actually do this glorious exercise!  Also, the full article from Peak Fitness can be found here: https://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2014/12/05/5-plank-benefits.aspx

Until next time,

Angelica 0=)

 

Creamy Pumpkin Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Happy Sunday, all you beautiful Akrosphere families!  Hope everyone enjoyed their first week of session classes and isn’t too sore.  If you’re anything like me, you’re probably freezing your butts off with this cold and wet and super depressing weather.  I’ve been eating soup and drinking tea with my space heater on these past few days, trying to stay warm and cozy.  We all know that soups are oh so good for the soul, but at this time of year, they also warm up our cold bodies and can provide a healthy dose of protein, which is always welcome in the world of Circus Arts!  I did some digging this week and found some amazing soup recipes and would like to share one of them with you.  It’s called Creamy Pumpkin Chicken Tortilla Soup, and let’s face it, it sounds like it puts my boring ol’ cup of chicken soup to shame.  The best part is that it takes just 30 minutes to prep, cook, and serve – what could be better than a delicious home cooked meal that is super fast and easy???  Here we go, provided for by “Kim’s Cravings” (get the full recipe/article at https://www.kimscravings.com/creamy-pumpkin-chicken-tortilla-soup/ ):

 

 

Creamy Pumpkin Chicken Tortilla Soup

servings: six 1 1/2 CUP SERVINGS
prep time: 5 MINS
cook time: 25 MINS
total time: 30 MINS
Delight your tastebuds with hearty comforting Creamy Pumpkin Chicken Tortilla Soup! Made with pumpkin puree and Greek yogurt, so it’s thick and velvety.
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or a generous amount of cooking spray
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin filling)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 (14-15 ounce) can corn kernels (I used fire-roasted), drained
  • 1 (14-15 ounce) can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted would be great), undrained
  • 1 (31 ounce) jar Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Broth
  • 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded (I used rotisserie chicken)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1-2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (I used a 5.3 oz. container)
  • Optional garnish- chopped fresh cilantro, avocado slices, shredded cheddar cheese and/or tortilla chips/strips

LET’S MAKE THIS EASY CREAMY PUMPKIN CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP!

One-pot and only 20 minutes from prep to table, makes this dish easily one of the tastiest and simplest you’ll make all season.

  • This creamy pumpkin chicken tortilla soup begins with some pretty traditional soup components: onion and garlic. To keep this soup truly a quick recipe, you can buy pre-chopped fresh onions from the produce department in most grocery stores, pre-chopped frozen onions from the freezer section (yes! these exist and they work great!), or omit the onions entirely. For the garlic, I use pre-minced in a jar. So, your most time-consuming part can be done in a minute or two.
  • Sauté the onions for a few minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so. And here’s where the magic happens: open the cans and dump them in! pumpkin, black beans, corn, and tomatoes. Your soup is now halfway done and where are we on the time? 7 minutes? Perfect.
  • Next comes a true flavor “hack.” We’re using Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Broth to give us loads of homemade flavor and a delicious base to this soup in 30 seconds or less. Pour in the whole jar of broth and then you’ll stir through and let the ingredients heat up. I’m really loving Zoup! Good, Really Good™ Chicken Broth because it’s cooked in kettles in small batches with ingredients you can trust and recognize. All of the broths are low in calories, paleo-friendly, and completely free of hormones, gluten, GMO’s, fat, trans fat and saturated fat. I used the low-sodium chicken broth for this recipe, but the regular chicken broth or chicken bone broth would work as well.
  • While everything’s heating, you can add in the seasonings and a pre-shredded rotisserie chicken. My final “hack” for having a super quick meal is buying some pre-shredded rotisserie chicken. Just dump it in and you’ve got your protein. Alternatively, you can pre-shred leftover chicken a day earlier in anticipation of making this soup.
  • By this time everything’s heated through. Go ahead and stir in the Greek yogurt for extra creaminess. But also feel free to omit the Greek yogurt if you’re on a dairy free diet. You can keep the soup simmering on low heat until you’re ready to serve.
  • Bam! Quintessential comfort food ready in 20 minutes – perfect for cooking up on a cold wintery afternoon! Oh – and the leftovers are even more delicious, a wonderful option for reheating and enjoying throughout the week.

 

How to Be a Good Student

Raise your hand if you’re excited about the start of a new session here at Akrosphere!!!  I know I am!  As a coach, I’m thrilled to continue teaching those who I’ve been working with all year and continue to watch their progress, but I’m also really pumped to share my passion with those who are new to Circus!  As we head into a brand new month/year/session, I wanted to share with all students, both new and old, some tips on how to be a good student so they can reap all the benefits of instruction while in classes at Akrosphere!  And so, I give you “How to Be a Good Student”:

  • Come to class prepared:
    • This means wearing the right clothing, both for you and the apparatus with which you’ll be working.  No zippers, sequins, buttons, jewelry, or excessively long nails.
    • This also means having your hair tied away from and out of your face.  Hair that can fall into your face becomes a safety hazard when you’re on the apparatus, and we want to keep you safe!
    •  Come to class clean; no one wants to spot a smelly, dirty child.  =)
    • Bring your water bottle.  Forgot it?  Not a problem – we have a water fountain right in the gym!
    • Bring your notebook and a pen/pencil.  Use these items!!!  More to come on that in a little bit…
  • Know when to have fun but also when to zip it (your mouth, not your zipper (which you shouldn’t be wearing to class, anyway lol)): we want our students to have fun; I mean Circus should be fun!  With that said, we also want them to work hard.  If instructors are speaking, students should be listening, both with their eyes and their ears.  Also, please be mindful of the fact that there are other classes going on, so overly loud conversations can be really overwhelming when other classes are happening and music is playing.
  • Don’t be a hog!!!  We keep classes small to ensure safety and also to maximize time spent with each student.  What this means, though, is that most of our students will have to share the apparatus with a peer or two.  Don’t be that student that doesn’t share.  Everyone wants a turn, not just you, Sally SelfishPants.
    • Speaking of sharing the apparatus…what to do when it’s not your turn?  Remember those notebooks I mentioned earlier?  This is a great time to use them!  If you’re not on the apparatus, take a moment or two to jot down notes on the skill you just learned (ahem, including its name) or to make a list of the conditioning exercises that we did in warmups.  There is ALWAYS something to take note of in Circus class.
    • Another idea for down time when it’s not your turn?  Condition, condition, condition!  Or stretch.  There is always something you can be doing even if you’re not on the apparatus.  Stretch those shoulders/forearms, work your straddle, practice your circus pushups, hold a hollow body.  Do something!
    • Take a water break.  Water = Life.
  • Be respectful:
    • To your instructor.  Your 6th grade friends might think your sass and sarcasm is hilarious, but I don’t.  Check your sarcasm at the door and leave it in your cubby with your shoes. Please and thank you!  You can leave the fight there, too.  What’s the fight, you ask?  It’s the hard time your kids give when we ask them to do something they don’t want to do, like climbing on their bad side, let’s say.  Instructors love pleasant attitudes and a willingness to listen and learn, just sayin’.  =)
    • To others.  We try to foster an encouraging and supportive atmosphere for all of our students.  Be nice to each other, please.  We all know how difficult Circus can be sometimes, so let’s lift each other up with kind words!
    • To yourselves.  Again, we all know how hard Circus is.  Not every class will be splits and smiles.  Be gentle with yourselves and be patient with the process.  Not every trick happens overnight, but that’s part of the fun!  <3
  • Put in the work, both in class and outside of class:
    • When you’re in class, doing a move once doesn’t make you an expert.  Please don’t do the move once and then look at your instructor to teach you another trick.  It has been estimated that it takes 10,000 hours to master something, so doing it one or two times doesn’t mean anything in the grand scheme of things.  Practice it over and over until it becomes seamless, and make sure to train both sides!
    • We have Open Gyms on Tuesdays from 4-6pm and Saturdays from 1-3pm for all apparatuses.  Circus is way easier and strength will come much faster if you’re working on it more than once a week in class, I promise you!  Open Gym is included in the cost of all classes except for Akronauts; please take advantage of it!

And there you have it, folks!  Now you know how to be awesome students!  We coaches genuinely love what we do, but we especially love our jobs when we have pleasant students who are well behaved and eager to learn.  Positivity goes a long way, y’all.  That’s all from me, so have a great first week of classes!  Oh yeah!  If anyone ever has requests for a special blog post, don’t be shy!  Email me at info@akrosphere.com if you have any ideas!!!

Smiles,

Angelica 0=)

New Year’s Goal Setting

Aloha from Hawaii, Akrosphere families!  I spent the holidays from the sunny shores of Oahu this year, but as my time here comes to a close, I’ve been thinking about the New Year and what that means for my upcoming year as an acrobatic professional.  Not one to believe in making New Year’s resolutions (because let’s face it, who actually follows those for the entire year?!), I’m much more of a fan of setting goals.  Goals are kind of crucial in the world of circus so that you don’t end up training just for the sake of training; they can actually guide HOW you train and allow you to come up with a plan to achieve success.  I did some research and found a really awesome article from MindTools about the “Golden Rules of Goal Setting” that I’d like to pick apart and share with you.  Please share these concepts with your budding aerialists and acrobats so that they too can start thinking about setting goals, both in the short term (what do they want to accomplish every class/Open Gym session) and in the long term (they want to be able to do 5 pull-ups in a row on fabric…what do they need to do to get there?).  And so, I give you…the Golden Rules of Goal Setting:

1. Set Goals That Motivate You

Your goal has to motivate you; otherwise, you won’t care if you achieve it or not.  You must be invested in it and want to see it through.  If you say that you want to be able to do 5 pull-ups in a row but don’t REALLY want or care about the pull-ups, you’ll never achieve that goal because in your heart of hearts, you’re just not in it to win it.  Want a tip to help with this process?  Write down why this goal is important and why it motivates you to succeed.  Ie. “pull-ups are important because they will assist me in my bent arm hang and inversions.”

2. Set SMART Goals

 

  • Specific.
  • Measurable.
  • Attainable.
  • Relevant.
  • Time Bound.

 

This is a really important step, and I love it because it encompasses everything that a goal should be!  Specific goals are ones that are clearly defined.  Vague goals do not provide you with any sense of direction, so make them as specific as possible.  Measurable goals are ones that can be quantified with amounts, dates, etc.  A goal such as “I want to be better at climbing” is not measurable because there’s no way to quantify success, so change that to “I want to be able to climb to the top of the fabric two full times without resting.”  Attainable goals are those that are actually realistic.  Will you be able to achieve a double star salto windmill back flip bomb drop in Level 1?  Probably not because we don’t cover drops in Level 1.  Make sure those goals are attainable for where you are at today.  Setting relevant goals means that the goal is in line with where you want to be in the future.  Does your goal help or hinder your future vision of you?  If it doesn’t help you, think about altering your goal or your future image.  Setting time-bound goals gives a sense of urgency to your goal and makes you work harder to achieve it.  It provides a deadline or a “crunch time,” if you will.

3. Set Goals in Writing

Writing down your goals makes them real and tangible instead of this vague, far off thought in the back of your mind.  You have no excuse for forgetting about your goal if you write it down.  Use the word “will” instead of “I’d like”.  Use action verbs that will prompt you to take action!  You know those notebooks that we gave you when you had your first day of class?  Use them!!!

4. Make an Action Plan

This step is often forgotten about when people craft their goals.  They’re so focused on the end result that they fail to plan HOW to get there!  Write down the steps that you will need to achieve success.  This is crucial in the short term process.  If your long term goal is to have a 10-second tuck handstand, then your short term goal for every Handstand class and Open Gym session can be something like “do 10 tuck up handstands without rest”.  And I would go so far as to have a midterm goal (kind of an extension of the short term goal): I will do 10 tuck up handstands four times per week for the next 8 weeks.  See where you’re at after those 8 weeks, and I guarantee it’ll be better than before you started!

5. Stick With It!

Setting a goal is kind of a long term thing, so don’t get discouraged if it’s not accomplished overnight.  I like taking photos and videos of my training to remind myself of how far I’ve come when I’m having a bad training day.  Keeping a journal can also be a good thing to monitor progress as well.  Don’t give up!

Ok, peeps, I’m off to the North Shore now to go ponder life and my own goals for 2019, but I hope that this post helps guide your own goals for the New Year and can help your little ones craft their training goals for this upcoming session!

Mahalo and Happy New Year,

Angelica 0=)

 

Conditioning at Home

Hi, everybody!  Soooooo, last week’s post was all about the importance of rest, and now that your little ones have hopefully had a few days/a week off, it’s time to get their butts up and moving again!  Trust me, three weeks away from circus is a baaaaaaaaaddddddd idea – just ask anyone who’s ever taken time off from climbing a fabric and gone back to it again.  It takes so long to gain strength and flexibility, but how quickly it goes away if we don’t keep up with it!  Don’t stress though!  I’ve got a whole list of at home exercises that can be done with minimal amounts of equipment.  Most of them are things that we do in our warmups anyway, so your kids should be familiar with them.  And hey parents, feel free to do them with your child so that you get some “together” time in while getting fit for the New Year (IF you’re healthy enough for exercise.  You know, “please consult your health care provider” and all of those disclaimers).  Ok here goes:

  • Pull-ups!!!!!!! If you haven’t noticed from reading my blog these past few weeks, pull-ups are kind of the the almighty exercise in the world of aerial arts.  DO THEM!  Need inspiration on modifications?  Please see the blog post from four weeks ago: https://akrosphere.com/pull-ups-2/. Don’t have a pull-up bar at home?  Take your child to the nearest playground!
  • Shoulder shrugs: again, can be done at home or at the nearest playground.  These are important for maintaining strength in the lat muscles, which are the muscles that we use to climb, invert, and hang with good enough technique to protect our sacred shoulders.  They’re also the stabilizer muscles in a handstand and in Partner Acro.
  • Monkey bars: (are you noticing a theme here?). Take your kid to the nearest playground and let them swing and climb on the monkey bars a couple times over break.  This is going to be crucial for those budding Trapeze and Lyra artists because it’ll keep their calluses conditioned.  Nothing quite like starting Trapeze or Lyra with fresh baby hands that don’t have calluses – OUCH!
  • Squats: I’m looking at you, Partner Acro students!  Keep those legs strong over break so that we can go right back into our 2-highs when classes resume.  Three sets of 15.  Your three sets can be sprinkled into your other conditioning so that your quads don’t die.
  • Circus Booty!!!  One of Tawni’s favorite conditioning series, these exercises work the glute muscles (or the “side butt” if your child works with Angelica).  The glute muscles are another sacred circus muscle because they protect our precious hips; keep those hips healthy and work those booties!
  • Hollow body: everyone’s favorite…not!  It’s not your kid’s favorite exercise because it’s difficult!  Hollow body works the transverse abdominal muscles, and these suckers are crucial for things like pullovers on a Trapeze or Lyra, pulling up into a cross-back straddle on Silks, and maintaining tightness during a handstand hold.  They’re not fun to train, but they’re oh so important!  One minute hold with PROPER technique, though I have to tell you that the length of time don’t mean beans if the technique ain’t right.
  • Tricep/circus pushups: these are different from military pushups in that we keep are elbows pinned to our sides/ribs as we come down.  Again, they work the lats, which for circus folk, are more important than the pecs, which are worked in military pushups.
  • Plank: another ALMIGHTY circus exercise.  Planks are EVERYTHING!  I like to have my students do them on their hands and not their elbows.  Again, technique matters, folks!  Fingers spread out, hands directly under shoulders, ribs tucked in, belly button up to the ceiling but butt down, butt cheeks squeezed (hello, Circus Booty!), ankles together, and gaze about 12″ past the hands.  Hold for about a minute.
  • Plank variations:
    • Plank with the hands gripping tennis balls instead of the ground.  This will help with shoulder stability (hello, Cyr wheel students!).
    • Side plank on one hand: again, helps with shoulder stability AND works the oblique muscles.  Bonus!
    • Shoulder taps: while in plank, tap the opposite shoulder with your hand and then switch (ie. right hand to left shoulder and then left hand to right shoulder), 20 times, trying not to sway from side to side.  Not only is this a wicked ab exercise, but it provides…can anyone guess?  SHOULDER STABILITY!!!

*Why am I harping on shoulder stability?  Oh, I don’t know, it’s kind of the life force for EVERYTHING in circus: Cyr wheel, handstands, aerial, you know it!  One of the most common circus injuries?  The shoulders.  How can we prevent that?  Increase range of motion and strengthen the stabilizer muscles. And now, back to your regularly scheduled program: 

  • Tuck, pike, straddle ups: these are done in a hollow body.  Start in hollow body and do a tuck up; return to hollow body.  Next, do a pike up (aka a V-up); return to hollow body.  Lastly, do a straddle up; return to hollow body and wash, rinse, repeat.
  • Handstand shoulder shrugs on wall.  My handstand students know what to do. 15 of them
  • Handstands: I promise you, handstand students, if you take three weeks off from handstands, it WILL feel like you’re starting at zero once classes resume, so do yourself a favor and get back on your hands NOW!!!!!!

Okie doke, everyone, you should have a pretty solid regimen for conditioning at home before classes kick up again on January 7, 2019!  Any questions, feel free to email me (info@akrosphere.com), and I can walk you through these, although your little ones should know the deal since again, we do these exercises like, every week in class!  OHHHHH!  I almost forgot, your kids have to stretch these next few weeks too!  That’s super important as well!  Pikes, straddles, splits, shoulders, wrists, everything.

Ok, nowwww I think I’m done.  For those celebrating, Merry Christmas, and I’ll see you all again here next week, just in time for New Year’s!

Peace out,

Angelica 0=)

Rest Week…At Last!

Hey, Akrosphere peeps!  Thanks for joining me on another blog adventure!  Now that the end of the Fall session is over, we’re entering into a vast and strange territory known as…holiday break.  >=O (<- that’s my old school typed out “surprised” emoji, complete with open jaw and furrowed brow lol) If you haven’t taken a peek at a calendar in a while, you’re probably not aware that we don’t have circus classes for THREE WHOLE WEEKS!!!  Holy Toledo, that’s a long time to go without your circus fix! But the good news is that this week, you/your children are allowed to take a rest week!  Yes, that’s right, you’re not only allowed but also encouraged to rest after going hard all session, not to mention all of the other stuff that you or your child does besides circus classes.

Rest and recovery has been proven to be a crucial part of an athletic training regimen because it allows the body to repair and strengthen itself in between workouts.  Not only that, but athletes have time to recover, both physically and psychologically, when they rest.  Was your little one frustrated with not being able to invert in the air?  Give her three weeks away from her Silks classes, and I can guarantee she’ll be dying to get back into the gym with a renewed sense of motivation and purpose!

Now, here’s the thing, though (there’s always a “thing,” isn’t there).  Rest doesn’t mean that your child gets to plop on the couch all week and do nothing physical.  They should still be active, but they should use continue to use their bodies in ways that will not tax the muscles that they’re used to using in circus class.  Let them shoot some hoops in the driveway, pick up a hula hoop for them, go for a bike ride, have them take a kid’s yoga class, or take them rock climbing!  Any of these, just to name a few, are great ways to still use their little bodies while resting their circus muscles.

Enjoy this rest week because NEXT week, I’ll go over some ways to start incorporating some at home training exercises so that your kids don’t lose all of that amazing strength they just gained this past session!

Toodles,

Angelica 0=)

Holiday Wish List

Happy Holidays, everyone!  Okie doke, so let’s get one thing out of the way; I clearly don’t know when Chanukah is, otherwise, I would have sent this post LAST week!  My apologies to our Jewish families for not getting this out sooner (although I suppose that you have one more night to theoretically take advantage of this list if you need a last minute gift).  For everyone else that still has a Christmas list or non-denominational commercialized holiday list to shop for, BOY, have I got you covered!!!  Now, Jen gave y’all a handy list of at home aerial essentials waaaaay back in September (just to jog your memory: pull up bar, Thera band, exercise ball, foam roller, and peanut lacrosse ball were the essentials), but I thought I would go with the non-essentials…you know, the whimsical and novelty items!  Don’t get me wrong, I FIRMLY believe in all five of those items; in fact, I LIVE by them (just ask my Handstand and Flexibility students!), but you can buy those anytime.  The holidays are for whims and fancies and all things magical!  So grab yourself a hot beverage, buckle in, and make yourself comfortable, ‘cuz we’re about to embark on a magical journey of all things circus that you/Santa can gift this holiday season (no seriously, this is gonna take a while…)!

  1. PRIVATE LESSON: What kind of Akrosphere employee would I be if I didn’t try to sell you on our private lessons?  Private lessons at Akrosphere are a great way for little Suzie to get a completely personalized approach with one of our knowledgeable coaches in a relaxed atmosphere, where she/he is guaranteed to progress at her/his own personal pace!  Privates and shared private lessons are available on every apparatus we teach!  Starting at $90/hour, they can be booked by emailing info@akrosphere.com.  (Alright, shameless plug, I know – let’s continue)
  2. LEOTARD/ACTIVEWEAR: How about a new leotard to start the new session right?  My personal favorite for both performance wear and plain old activewear is www.discountdance.com.  They often offer free shipping at this time of year, and they feature such companies as Capezio, BodyWrappers, etc.  ANNNNDDDD they have men’s wear!  Want something lacy or velvety?  They have that!  Want something monochromatic and cottony?  They have that too!  Want something with sequins?  They have that, but please DON’T buy that, as it’ll destroy the aerial silks!!!
  3. CIRQUE DU SOLEIL  “Worlds Away” DVD/BLU-RAY:  Cirque du Soleil doesn’t always pass through Atlanta, but that’s ok because this production features snippets of seven different Cirque du Soleil shows, some of which include “O”, “Mystere”, and The Beatles’ “Love”, among others.  A beautiful on-screen introduction to the whimsical world of Cirque du Soleil, available through Amazon, among other places.
  4. CIRCUS BOOKS: Is your child a reader like me?  If so, I have two life changing books for them (I’m sure there are countless others, but these are my personal favorites)!  The first is “The Ordinary Acrobat: A Journey Into the Wondrous World of Circus, Past and Present” by Duncan Wall, who is now creative director of Circus Now.  I read this book right before auditioning for a professional acrobatic training program, and it was amazing!  It’s the personal account of a non-circus person who delves to learn more about the history and culture of circus, and he decided to immerse himself in it for his research purposes.  He soars through the air doing flying trapeze, he stands below a cascade of juggling balls, he tumbles through his studies while doing acrobatics, and he learns vulnerability through clowning.  A must read for any circus enthusiast!  The other book is called “The Spark: Igniting the Creative Fire That Lives Within Us All” and is a Cirque du Soleil book.  The story of a sports agent who has lost the passion behind his career, he has a chance meeting with a Cirque du Soleil director, who invites him to meet and get to know the artists, directors, and crew behind the CDS organization.  Through them, he learns that every person has a creative spark residing within themselves, but it is up to each of us to tap into that and foster it.  Both books are available through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
  5. AERIAL JEWELRY: Not to be worn at class, this jewelry is perfect for the aspiring aerialist!  Starting at $17.99 through our friends at www.aerialessentials.com, this jewelry comes on a rope chain in metallic tones.  Features aerial silks, trapeze, lyra, and hammock/sling!
  6. CIRCUS THEMED COLORING BOOKS: For the graphic artists!  This book features 40 original illustrations of aerial silks positions!  Not only fun to color, but this book gives your little aerialist motivation to get to Levels 2, 3, and 4!!!  Aerial Silks Coloring Book: $9.95 on Amazon.  This next book features not only aerial artists but also contortionists, hand balancers, and other circus artists!  Also $9.95 through Amazon: Cirque Coloring Book
  7. doTERRA ATHLETE’S KIT: The perfect companion to a healthy lifestyle, the doTERRA Athlete’s Kit can help support healthy athletic activity, while counteracting the taxing effects of exercise on the body.  Features various aromatic oils, Deep Blue Rub (therapeutic grade topical cream that both cools and warms problematic areas), and a reusable zippered pouch.  $100 through doTERRA Athlete’s Kit
  8. JUGGLING BALLS: Perfect for either the beginner or advanced circus artist, juggling is a useful and entrancing skill!  Higgins Brothers provides bean bag style juggling balls starting at $6.50 per ball with a vast assortment of colors!  http://higginsbrothers.com/en/
  9. HANDSTAND BLOCKS: Take your circus practice anywhere with handstand blocks!  Unfortunately, my preferred company is sold out until 2019, but I’m sure you can find oodles of options on Etsy ORRRRR you can simply build your own!  They’re easy and cheap to make!  Any sturdy wood will do, and if you want to be really fancy, you can glue a piece of rubber mat underneath to prevent slipping.  My personal blocks are 5.5″L x 4″W x 2.25″D (you may want to go more narrow on the width to accommodate smaller hands).  Make sure to sand/file down the edges to avoid splinters and sharp edges.
  10. CIRCUS PRINT: Sooooo many beautiful options on Etsy, but here are a few of my favorites.  Typography Poster: Starting at $11+, this Etsy artist customizes each piece with your aerialist’s name and favorite colors!  Typography Poster My next fave is the watercolor prints done by LaureBPaintings on Etsy!  She has tons of designs that range from aerial to acrobatic, but she also does custom designs!  Search all of her artwork here: LaureBPaintings
  11. AERIAL SILK SCARVES: Our friends from Aerial Essentials are geniuses – rather than discard scraps of perfectly good (unused) aerial silk material, they convert these scraps into colorful, beautiful, and functional scarves!  For the aerial silks enthusiast – these scarves are crazy colorful and super affordable (starting at $30.00): Aerial Silk Scarves
  12. CYR WHEEL INK ART: For the Cyr wheel enthusiast, they have their very own artwork!  This Etsy artist can do custom orders!!!  Her prints start at $10, and custom orders start at $40.  Cyr Wheel Watercolor
  13. BIO GLITTER: This is heartbreaking for any circus artist, but more research has come out that glitter is terrible for the environment since it’s considered a mircoplastic that will clog landfills and oceans.  But there’s an alternative out there, at last!  Bio Glitter is an eco friendly, plant derived, mostly non-plastic glitter.  This site offers a network of different Bio Glitter retailers: Where to Buy Bio Glitter
  14. THE AERIALIST’S NOTEBOOK: A brilliant notebook for much more than just taking notes about skills learned in class!  This handy, easy to carry book asks that aerialists write down and track their goals and also keep track of creative work.  So genius!  $12.95 off of Amazon.

Jiminy Cricket, what a list, and what a blog post!  I think that I need a hot beverage at this point!   Alas, it was ridiculously fun to research and write, and I hope to have inspired some ideas that will delight your children this holiday season!

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays,

Angelica 0=)

Holiday Snowflake Tortilla Crisps

Hi, folks!  We’re officially in December, and that means that the holidays are fast approaching!  Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, or Festivus for the Restivus this year, there’s a holiday recipe that your kids will love to make AND eat.  And the best part is that it’s perfect for entertaining or for bringing to a holiday party! I give you SNOWFLAKE TORTILLA CRISPS!!!

What you need:

  • 2 tortilla crisps
  • olive oil
  • sea salt (optional)
  • snowflake shaped cookie cutters
  • hummus, guacamole, tapenade, or some other type of dip

What you do:

Start by preheating your oven to 180°C (Gas mark 4/350°F). Brush or spray a couple of baking trays with olive oil.

Take snowflake cookie cutters and cut as many snowflake shapes as you can from the two tortilla wraps.  You can also use mini bento cutters in various shapes to cut patterns into the snowflakes – you could do this freehand with the tip of a small sharp knife but the mini cutters made it a lot quicker!

Carefully place the tortilla snowflakes onto the oiled baking trays. Brush or spray them with oil and sprinkle over a little bit of salt (optional). You could also them with sprinkle sesame seeds for extra flavour and texture if you like them.

Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the snowflakes are starting to brown round the edges and are crispy. Do keep a sharp eye on them a they cook as they can burn very easily.

Once baked and crispy, remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Serve with hummus or another dip of your choice!

And stay tuned for next week’s blog post about circus-themed Christmas gifts for your circus monkeys!

 

Leveling up: How do I get to Level 2…continued!

Hi there!  Now that we’ve all eaten ourselves sick from turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, it’s time to get back to work in the circus gym!  Two weeks ago, I talked about the Holy Grail of aerial conditioning: the Almighty Pull-Up, and this week, I’m giving 21 whole days of pull-ups, courtesy of aerial queen, Laura Witwer, of SassyPants Aerial Arts!  Let that marinate for a second, breathe it in…yes, 21 DAYS OF PULL-UPS.  This gives your little ones plenty of time to ramp up their strength training regimen right before the start of the next session at Akrosphere!  Here goes, y’all:

(For full articles, click here: https://www.laurawitwer.com/2012/02/07/21-days-of-pull-ups/)

A few rules: 1) don’t hurt yourself. Work hard, but be mindful of pushing to injury. 2) Use a chair underneath you to assist as necessary, helping you to complete the full range of motion. 3) be exceedlingly conscious of maintaining proper form: lats engaged (shoulders pulled down and away from the ears), joints in line. If you experience anything more than normal muscle soreness and fatigue, stop immediately and consult a medical professional.

Day 1 – Regular forward grip, hands a little wider than shoulders. 10 reps.

Day 2 – Chin-ups. Palms facing you, directly in front of the shoulders. 10 reps.

Day 3 – Palms facing in (if your pull-up bar allows this). 10 reps.

Day 4 – Halfsies – from totally straight arms, pull half way up. 10 reps.

Day 5 – Halfsies – from half-way up, pull up the rest of the way. 10 reps.

Day 6 – Rest.

Day 7 – Regular pull-ups. 10 reps.

Day 8 – Slooooooooooooooooooooow pull-ups. 3 reps.

Day 9 – Chin-ups. 10 reps.

Day 10 – Sloooooooooooow descent – from the top of the pull-up, lower down very slowly. 5 reps.

Day 11 – Rest.

Day 12 – Palms facing in. 10 reps.

Day 13 – Wide grip pull-ups. 10 reps.

Day 14 – Stand under bar, facing side. Palms facing in. Pull-up, bringing head to one side of the bar, then the other. 10 reps.

Day 15 – Halfsies – chin ups, straight arms to half way up. 12 reps.

Day 16 – Halfsies – chin ups, half way up to the top. 12 reps.

Day 17 – Rest.

Day 18 – Regular pull-ups. 12 reps.

Day 19 – Regular chin-ups. 12 reps.

Day 20 – Palms facing in. 12 reps.

Day 21 – One-armed chin-ups. Palm facing you, grip your wrist with your other hand for additional support. 1 rep each side. Don’t hurt yourself.

Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Tray

Is it really Thanksgiving already??? Seriously, where does the time go?!?! Here I was, all set to give you a continuation of the Pull-Ups blog post from last week, and I totally forgot that this week is Thanksgiving! Stop moving so fast, TIME! Anywho, I’d love to share with y’all an amazingly easy and healthy treat that your child is going to love helping prepare and eating this holiday. I give you…the Thanksgiving Turkey Veggie Tray!

 

What you need: an assortment of colorful vegetables that can lie flat on a round try.  In this photo, they used sugar snap peas, red bell peppers, baby carrots, and sliced cucumbers, but this is YOUR turkey – go nuts!  What you also need: a smaller bowl of your favorite dip or hummus (YUM!).  The head of the turkey is the rounded bottom of the red bell pepper, placed on top of the dip/hummus. The eyes are just seeds of coriander or black pepper corns.  And parents, you’ll probably want to carve the feet and beak (from baby carrots) yourself.  Once the head, beak, and feet have been carved, allow your little one to go to town designing their very own Thanksgiving turkey.  PS – they’re totally allowed to snack on the veggies while working on their design!  Happy Turkey Day, everyone!!!