Dancezwithkittehz conquers bad habits

[dancezwithkittehz]

The theme of my challenge for this round is focusing on fixing my bad habits! I've gotten so much better habit wise about a lot of things; now is time to refine and fix the things I know I am bad about!

 

 

Goal 1, the ground is not the limit. the SKY is the limit:

 

I have a bad habit of not working on my aerial skills up in the air. I'll learn something on the ground and then move on to something else and not work on getting it up in the air. My parameters for this are that I would like to work on at least one skill in the air once a week. (Doesn't have to be something big, just SOMETHING in the air. Even climbing up 5 feet and doing a footlock would be more than I do in the air at this point!)

 

Goal 2, my right shoulder is a rebel. Get my right shoulder to behave!

 

I have had a weird placement issue with my right shoulder for years from years of driving with it in a weird place. I know it feels wrong now when I do it but I need to get the correct placement ingrained in my body. It naturally is in the right place when I do an upper body work out, so for this: every day I will one set of some kind of push up variation and some kind of hanging and pulling exercise variation. It doesn't have to be with a challenging amount of weight or a ton of reps, just enough to get those muscles activated and remind myself about proper placement.

 

Goal 3, focus on form
The first step in forming new exercise habits is getting yourself to show up. I have consistently done that through my past challenges, so now I need to move on to refining form and technique. I have a few sub goals on this, and really the overarching idea is when I DO exercise, focus on at least one of these things once a week. (More realistically it will be more like 3 times plus a week, but I'd rather start small and give myself space to grow!) Things for this:

 

in dance: focus on precision/nailing the small details in choreography, practice combinations outside of class more often

in aerial: work on improving my inverted straddle, work on improving hip keys, and also working on really nailing how to do whatever new thing is challenging me on a given week

 

Goal 4, Photographic evidence!

 

I never remember to take exercise related photo and video of myself doing dance/aerial etc. At the very least I want to take a before and after picture! At best I want to start taking progress videos of aerial and taking video of choreography we are doing in my dance classes.

 

Life goal: Focus on getting debt paid down

 

Speaking of bad habits. I really really want to actually make progress on this. I have been unofficially working on this for a while, but clearly not really doing enough. Baby size starter goal for this one is no putting anything on my credit cards for the duration of the challenge. (OK. If an actual emergency happens and I need to do car repairs, that would be OK. And I give myself permission to put something on a card only if I pay it right back if I am at a sketchy feeling gas station or somewhere else I don't trust with my debit card.) I would also like to pay down my cards by at least $500 more by the end of the challenge. More would be even better!

 

 

 

[sylph]

In for pics/vids of aerial goodness.

[mitch_dee]

I have no knowledge of aerial skills but I do know what it’s like to learn something out of the environment it’s meant for and never applying it properly.  This can be a tough obstacle for some, rather it fear, lack of faith, whatever; it’s amazing what happens when a person is able to hurdle this and apply these skills properly.  I am really pulling for you on this one and look forward to hearing your success at it…..plus if you get someone to film it or at least take a pic you will also be taking on goal 3 and 4 allowing you to see form and have pictures.  You should have someone do this for you to really help you with goal 3, I had some folks film me working and it amazed me what I was able to see and the realization of what I thought I was doing to what I was really doing.  Remember no one else has to see it just you.

 

Looking forward to seeing you conquer these goals!

[raptron]

Sup, push/pull sista.

 

I love reading the aerial exploits threads, so I'm just gonna hunker down here. 

[starsapart]

I am here to support my sister in aerial amazingness!

[dancezwithkittehz]

I decided who needs to wait until the 23rd? and did some push ups at lunch today. LET'S OWN THIS WOOO!

[dancezwithkittehz]

THIS ARTICLE YOU GUYS!:

 

http://www.laurawitwer.com/2014/07/03/micro-movements-ocd-aerialists-training-dream/

 

Perfectly explains how I have to learn aerial. I have to break it down into teeny tiny movements and slowly add and if I try to learn a whole long sequence at once I get way overwhelmed and no idea how to get from one thing to the next!

 

"Some of you may work better tackling a move all at once, but for those of us who need more of a feeling of control and focus? [small victories, courtesy of micro-movements]"

 

 

 

[NicTheRugger]

Hey there! Sub'ing for fellow push-up and pull-up training! Good luck with the challenge

[lucky fire dragon]

Sup, push/pull sista.

 

I love reading the aerial exploits threads, so I'm just gonna hunker down here. 

 

same here 

 

I love those threads, it's like getting a backstage ticket to the circus artist area

 

can't wait to see your awesome adventures!!

 

 

 

THIS ARTICLE YOU GUYS!:

 

http://www.laurawitwer.com/2014/07/03/micro-movements-ocd-aerialists-training-dream/

 

Perfectly explains how I have to learn aerial. I have to break it down into teeny tiny movements and slowly add and if I try to learn a whole long sequence at once I get way overwhelmed and no idea how to get from one thing to the next!

 

"Some of you may work better tackling a move all at once, but for those of us who need more of a feeling of control and focus? [small victories, courtesy of micro-movements]"

 

 

 

 

 

Yup, me too. We have several teachers at our pole dance school and the one who breaks up the movements super clean and clear for us (first this foot here, then that hand there, check for this angle before... etc) is the one I learn the easiest and best with. Also makes me find the weak spots quicker that need more training.

 

you'll do great this challenge!

[sylph]

 

THIS ARTICLE YOU GUYS!:

 

http://www.laurawitwer.com/2014/07/03/micro-movements-ocd-aerialists-training-dream/

 

Perfectly explains how I have to learn aerial. I have to break it down into teeny tiny movements and slowly add and if I try to learn a whole long sequence at once I get way overwhelmed and no idea how to get from one thing to the next!

 

"Some of you may work better tackling a move all at once, but for those of us who need more of a feeling of control and focus? [small victories, courtesy of micro-movements]"

 

I love Laura's blog. One of the few consistent aerial resources out there. I wish there were more.

 

 

Shifting to private lessons made me more aware of how I learn. Apparently watching other people work through a skill really helps cement it in my head. Thank goodness for video. It's also given me ideas on how I would teach, if I were an instructor, which is something I didn't expect.

[dancezwithkittehz]

My aerial studio posted a slide show of the amazing Valentine's day cabaret show last weekend (I stage managed on this one). If you want to see pictures of aerial goodness:

 

http://www.venturacircus.com/delicious-life-of-love-dinner-theatre.html

http://www.venturacircus.com/ this one has more pics than the direct event one!! in the first new item when you scroll down a bit.

 

Warning that most of the acts are people in lingerie. No actual nudity, but depending on your work maybe not NSFW/borderline. Yay cabaret!

[starsapart]

Ooooh, shiny pictures................

[dancezwithkittehz]

I wish someone had gotten a picture of that lyra piece where he was seriously dangling by his feet or something and holding her by her head only and they were spinning super fast, but they got some other really good ones anyway!

[dancezwithkittehz]

What the heck. I realize the slideshow they have in the news blurb on the home page has more pictures in it than the one on the event page. Weird!

 

http://www.venturacircus.com/

 

Scroll down to the first news blurb.

[sylph]

That looks super fantastic!

[dancezwithkittehz]

In true assassin-y fashion I decided to do my daily hang and pull fashion by hanging off the stairway bannister thingy. Because I was too lazy to bust out my pull up bar and because awesome. Good grip practice for hanging off something without a lip to wrap my fingers on. I couldn't pull up too high but I got some very nice shoulder shrugs and maybe an inch or so up past that. Baby steps!

[dancezwithkittehz]

I am so excited about all my dancing right now you guys! Wheeee dance!

This week I did two classes, advanced contemporary and today I actually got myself out of bed in time for dance fitness at 10 am (basically just a really good dance warm up and lots of stretching and stuff. ) Love love love. And one of my friends I don't get to see enough is teaching it and I know most the people taking the class so that is awesome too!)

Tomorrow I think I will go to open studio. I need to come up with a plan for open studio so I don't totally kill all my muscles for class on Monday!

I am learning that going out less means more money for cool classes!

[dancezwithkittehz]

My little sister is in town from Arizona and she is of drinking age now sooo there may have been a little too much boozing last night but it was full of good soul feeding laughter and great conversations and worth every moment of headache today!

Nonetheless I am SO READY for this challenge. WOOO woo!

P.S drunk people vs one of those cat deterrent air spray can things... Lolol. Apparently it had an off button... Yeah we didn't figure that out and hilarity ensued.

[dancezwithkittehz]

Day 1! Was sort of anticlimactic! My hips are SO SORE from dance fitness/ just getting way more work than they as used to nowadays. I still got in some work inspite of that.

Goal 1 was just not happening today. I was tooooooo sore to be able to even do a basic footlock in the air. So. Sad. I did try! But the hip muscles you use when lifting up your legs were just not having it. I did climb up and down a few times at least so I'd get some air time!

Goal 2, right shoulder work is going well. Did plenty of pull work in class and since I was too pathetic to be able to do any sort of straddle ups today I had some steam left in my arms to bust out some push ups.

Goal 3, i was too muh of a weak pathetic kitten to really work on straddle ups or hip keys today. I couldn't even cheat into a straddle up using my foot to hook on the silk and get me there. Lolol.

Goal 4, I need to take those before pictures! Wednesday is my first rest day so I'll try to do it then!

[dancezwithkittehz]

It's finally feeling real that I leave for my big vacation in exactly TWO WEEKS you guys. Aaaaaaaaah!  So excited! I am going on a seven day cruise to the Western Carribean with my mom and my brother to celebrate mom's retirement.

 

I am trying to make sure I make any final wardrobe purchases I need now so that I am all ready to go!  I realized that I do not own and shorts or really any tops, just lots of dresses, and I'm going to want those for adventure-y shore excursions (we did all adventure-y things. Not as adventure-y as if I was going by myself so no diving or anything, but lots of walking around and swimming!) My momma has been really really wanting to take me shopping for clothes for the trip so I think I may indulge her and let her get me some tops to wear. I used to wear pants and own pants and shorts and shirts to go with them, but then I realized that finding dresses that fit my body type is waaaaay easier. I do want to have some though if I can actually find things that work! Crossing fingers that I have some luck. I'm like...an athletic-y hourglass with some pear tendencies.

 

Next order of business is making sure I am all set at work before I leave. I am going to be out of the office for all of finals week and random chaos is BOUND to happen but I'm trying to get all my faculty to get any late book orders and special exam accommodations set up with me now if possible. I'm compiling a list of resources/ who to contact in my absence to send to all of my co-staff people. I am working on moving hopefully soon anyway so this will be a good practice run for them on what life will be like without me in the office to keep track of all the things.

 

As for goal-y things! yesterday/Tuesday/day 2:

 

Goal 1: already done for the week

 

Goal 2, rebellious right shoulder:  progress on this is coming along. I've been consistently doing at least some push pull exercises every day to get it behaving. I realizing that downward dog is also GREAT for this which we did a lot of in dance late night. I might try doing one of those in between my little push/pull sets every day.  Oh. And I can consistently do 10 knee push ups in a row. Woohoo!  I want to work up to 20 or so then try to mix in full on push ups.

 

Goal 3, Focus on form: I have done this at least once for the week now with my dance class last night. I worked really hard to try and make sure I got all the little details in the choreo and I made sure I asked what song we were dancing to so I can download it and practice at least once before class next week. Yay!  (I do think I will try to make open gym sunday so I can get in work on straddles and hip keys with aerial if I am not totally dead from dance class on saturday!)

 

Goal 4, photographic evidence: Not yet! Wednesday!

 

Life Goal, debt paydown:  (I think I am only going to report on this on paydays, which is today! and every other Weds.) This paycheck is the car payment check so I didn't make any big credit card payments, but I likewise calculated things out that I shouldn't be putting anything on my cards either. Next check will be the pay down the things check. I'm realizing how much not going out is going to save me. I used to go out at least one night a weekend if not 2 nights AND on the day on Sunday, which was at least $100+ per weekend between drinks and food and cab rides.

[sylph]

Have you tried skorts? Athleta makes some nice ones. So does Columbia. I like them very much. Freedom of shorts, coverage/look of a skirt. Win win.

 

Good on you for organizing point people for when you're out of the office. I love it when people do that. Saves much flailing and floundering.

[raptron]

OH! I just learned a new motion that's kind of a counter to push-ups/bench and you might like it.

 

Get in a push-up position / front leaning rest and instead of going down as you would in a push-up, push your shoulders/shoulder blades UP kind of like cat pose, but only your upper body. Relax to neutral and repeat. I don't know how useful it is, but it FEELS nice in the upper back after you've been doing push-ups and pull-ups/chins.

[dancezwithkittehz]

Have you tried skorts? Athleta makes some nice ones. So does Columbia. I like them very much. Freedom of shorts, coverage/look of a skirt. Win win.

 

Good on you for organizing point people for when you're out of the office. I love it when people do that. Saves much flailing and floundering.

 

I should look into that! It would solve the problem of skirts+ wind not working so well and still let me climb around and be ninja-y.

 

OH! I just learned a new motion that's kind of a counter to push-ups/bench and you might like it.

 

Get in a push-up position / front leaning rest and instead of going down as you would in a push-up, push your shoulders/shoulder blades UP kind of like cat pose, but only your upper body. Relax to neutral and repeat. I don't know how useful it is, but it FEELS nice in the upper back after you've been doing push-ups and pull-ups/chins.

 

I will have to try that! Anything in shoulder strengthening and stretching is helpful!

[dancezwithkittehz]

YES! I think my shoulder is semi starting to get used to being in a normal position. I've had it successfully in the right spot all day today so far! 

 

Of course it is also really sore because it is working muscles that it doesn't use all the time... I remember going through this with fixing my neck posture a few years back. I say this is progress!  (Because I was always holding the shoulder in the wrong place the muscles on the front of the shoulder going up into the right side of my neck are not used to getting work all the time.)

[dancezwithkittehz]

Crap. Just realized I forgot to take pictures last night! 

 

I'll have time tonight. Putting reminder in my phone because apparently once I go home and am in rest mode I do not think about these things at all. (I was too busy obsessing over making kung pao chicken last night. Nomnomnomnom.)