Summary: Strength Training

Introduction

The purpose of this review of literature is to explore and examine the effects of various strength training techniques used on elite dancers. This review will research previous studies carried out on strength training associated with dancers, as well as examining the main techniques that are used to improve performance.

Studies will also be evaluated at referred to throughout the document, with results and findings also being addressed throughout. Recommendations and a brief conclusion will also be provided in the later staged of this review.

Many of the elements required within dance contain both a mixture of cardiorespiratory ability and muscular strength (Fitt, 1981). Many dancers do not possess well-conditioned physical attributes

Dancers do not illustrate many well known injuries obtained from more popular sports, however when an injury occurs within a dancer it can be seriously destructive to their overall performance. The most occurring injury within dancers is seen to be that of their lower back along with the legs, feet, knees and pelvis (Koutedakis et al., 1997). Koutedakis et al., (1997) also found that the lower the thigh strength level resulted in a more considerable perversity of injury when analysing dancer’s thigh strength in association with

Firstly, many of these studies used different methods of strength training which could have had a significant effect on the results that they found. Some studies also adapted the use of no appropriate control group to compare elite dancer’s results, thus delivering inaccurate results and calculations. A broad variation of athletes both in dance level and body type were also assessed, again leading to misinterpreted results.

Many journals have been published on muscular dance however little have been circulated with regards to dance directly. According to Koutedakis et al., (2007) this is due to the element that strength training would prove to be destructive to dancers’ aesthetic forecasts.

It can also be seen from all of the above studies that classical ballet illustrates equal demands of the cardiovascular system as that of other high intensity sports. Although this matter has been discussed and dissected in a great depth, little or no accurate evidence has been produced and/or found regarding many other demands within classical ballet such as speed, power, agility, flexibility and