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Posts Tagged ‘Jazz Twist’

T-Tapp Tuesday–Jazz Twist

Tuesday, May 31st, 2011

 

CONGRATULATIONS, TINAJEWEL!!! 

You have won the SATI dvd!!!

 

Be sure to send me your address so I can get this out to you!  You can e-mail me at tinklingbells (at) medt (dot) com

 

A BIG thank you to ALL of you who entered the giveaway!

Last week, Cindy asked if I could address the Jazz Twist move.  That is a toughie, as any of the twists are!

First of all, always warm up with PBS first before any twisting moves.  That helps warm up the spine to minimize the possibility of injury.

Let’s get set up (after you’ve warmed up! ;) ).  If you were in my classes, this is what you’d hear!

Toes forward.  Not too wide a stance, feet only a mitten hand apart.

Bend knees to the ends of toes, if possible.

Tuck/curl that core (pull belly button to spine–initiate this from the abs and lower lumbar, then tuck tail slightly).

Lift ribs.

Push knees out.

To get into position for Jazz Twist, we step back one foot.  You need to be careful you don’t place one foot behind the other–it’s not a balance beam!  Just step straight back from the T-Tapp stance, and that is usually just about right.  Sometimes you might need to bring that back foot out a little more so the stance is a tad wider.

Let’s say you just stepped back with your right foot.  Good!  Now, stay flat-footed and look down to make sure you are not “ducking out”.  Your toes should be forward.  Adjust, then put your left thumb in your “thumb holder” in the middle of your hip (in back).  Stretch your right arm out (think whatever knee is bent, that elbow is bent; whatever knee is straight, that elbow is straight!).  Press the heel of your right hand forward and lightly fold the fingers over.  You are not reaching, right shoulder shouldn’t be forward at this point.  But keep the arm muscles tight!

Now, likely you collapsed your core through setting up, so let’s rebend that left knee, tuck/curl under, lift ribs, push left knee to little toe.

Really press that thumb into your hip/back, inhale,  exhale, lift ribs and initiate the stretch with your left shoulder going back, as in an archery pull.  You are pushing the right hand forward, but not across your body–straight forward, arm tight.  Be sure that right shoulder isn’t coming up to meet your ear!!!  :)

Inhale again, exhale and push that thumb and left shoulder back more, as far as you can twist (and for a short torso, that might not be far, but stay in the muscle–it’s not about how far but how far you can go and stay activated!).

Hold position 1-2-3 and tuck/curl, lift ribs, push knee out and bring it back. You are using those abs and obliques to help bring you back to starting position.

Before you go into the move, remember two things–

1. Always exhale on the twists (this will help you lose in the ribcage all in itself!)

2. Think “lift ribs” before you twist to get maximum “twist” action

 

Okay, make sure you didn’t collapse your core (quick check–bend, tuck/curl, lift ribs, knee out, right arm tight tight tight!) and inhale/exhale and twist for 4, really pushing that left thumb and pulling left shoulder back.

Then you can repeat the entire process on the other side!  I just step forward with the right, then step back left.   At the beginning, do NOT try to keep up with Teresa (as in Instructional 1 or BWO+!) as that is typically too fast for newbies, especially the singles!  I still prefer to do 4 on each side, then repeat (without the stretch on the second 4) or just do 8 each side. That’s actually the way she does it in one of the Tempos.  I  honestly did not get the singles with good form until last fall–3 1/2 years after starting T-Tapp!  (And I still prefer to do them the other way! ;) )

As you are twisting, you are wringing the lymph nodes along the spine.  If you haven’t been doing any balancing and twisting moves lately, that may release pockets of toxins that your body has stored for awhile.  If you experience a bit of nausea, that is actually a good thing and more common than you’d think!  Walk around a bit, unless you are really feeling weak, then go ahead and sit down.  Sometimes eating a bite of apple or cheese or some almonds helps.

Make sure also to drink plenty of water throughout the workout! I actually take many more water breaks than the dvd gives!   So don’t be shy to do so!

Cindy, if you or anyone has further questions about Jazz Twist, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll try to address it!

I was going to put Torso Twist in with this, but I decided to separate them so you don’t get too overwhelmed with too many tips at once!

Now for this week’s giveaway!

This week I will be giving away a copy of TappCore 2 SunRay Sit Down dvd! 

Can I say I just love this dvd?!  It’s a fun sit down workout, 12 1/2 minutes long.  The kids from SunRay Elementary are the ones who won the HoeDown Showdown with Teresa–they did 51 sets, I believe! 

Some of the moves will be familiar if you’re a MORE Chair devotee–but there are some tweaks and new things added that actually make this my new favorite sit down workout!  It can still get you sweating!

And seeing those kids just has to make you smile through your workout! :D

Okay, how to enter?  Much the same as last week, with a few changes.

1. Leave a comment and tell me if you’d use this for yourself or maybe a friend or relative. 

2. Leave a comment each time you do a T-Tapp workout (yes, TappCore counts–at least 3 moves–so even you busy young mamas can enter! )  Let me know what workout you did (or which moves!).

3. Tell others about the giveaway–FaceBook, Twitter, e-mail, blog, forum (if appropriate–don’t violate any forum rules!)  Let me know you did and post a link, if applicable (I don’t have FB, but I have friends who do! )  You can do this up to 3 times a day if you so desire!

4. Measure your ribcage.   Next time you work out, pause the dvd at Jazz Twist and take the time to set up and really work through this move at your pace, following the tips I gave you.  You can do a stretch, then 4 on one side, stretch then 4 on the other side, followed by 4 sets on each side without the stretch.  Or you can stretch on one side and do 8 sets, then repeat the same on the other side.  Then resume your dvd for the rest of your workout.

If it’s not a workout day, why not do PBS and Jazz Twist as above?  It’s a great move to help with spinal flexibility and lymphatic pumping!

If you do this, leave a comment that you did.  Yes, even if you do it every day, leave me a comment every day! (More chances to win!)  Then measure again on Monday and let’s see if you lose any off the ribs!  Remember–exhale fully on the twists and–ribs UP!

5. This one counts DOUBLE!   Tell me what you’d like me to address in future T-Tapp Tuesday posts.   If you have a big list (LOL!) just one entry per day on this one, please!

This giveaway will run until midnight Monday, June 6.  I will announce the winner next Tuesday as well as what the next giveaway is!

Let’s get Tappin’!  :)

Workout Wednesday–Find Those Lats!

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Just got back early in the morning yesterday from a wonderful time of visiting my dear friend (well, we decided we were twins separated at birth!) J. and her family in New England!  (Which is why you haven’t heard from me for last Friday or yesterday!)

We had some T-Tapp classes and I had a lot of fun and I hope everyone else did, too!

You hear about the lats in T-Tapp a LOT!  So where are they and how do you find them?

“Lats” refers to the latissimus dorsi.  You can click here  to see where your lats are located.    This is one area that is hard to get and keep activated until you have the mind-to-muscle connection.   One easy way to “wake up” a muscle is to tighten it, then poke it.   This work well for the inner thighs, right before you do Plies, and in The Box, this is partly what you are doing when you are pulling up and in and pressing in with your fingers.

But the lats are a bit harder to “poke at” while you’re in T-Tapp stance!  You could have a friend or husband or child poke there to help you feel it and tighten, but I have found some people will automatically tighten there but still not be aware of it.

Teresa showed us another way to find and engage the lats when we were at Ft. Lauderdale in February.

Stand with your back against a wall–bring your feet out just enough to be able to “curl the core” and flatten the lower lumbar against the wall.   Now bend your arms at the elbows, with the hands straight out in front of you.   Palms should be facing, thumbs on top.   Slowly open out the arms and somewhere close to or when the backs of your hands touch the wall, you should feel the lats kick in!  Remember to keep the core curled while doing this.

Now stand away from the wall, toes forward, bend knees, tuck/curl core, lift ribs and push knees out (T-Tapp stance).  Again, put hands in front as above, and slowly open arms out and keep lifting those ribs and you should be able to feel the lats again, but away from the wall!

“Ribs up” is a BIG KEY to this, so throughout the day, lift your ribs and “set the lats”.  That means just tighten them a bit—do not be overinvasive (yes, I’m talking to you Type A’s out there! ;) ).   This will help improve your posture tremendously!  You will also make more room for your organs.  

Charlotte Siems, the wonderful mama of 12  and T-Tapp Trainer who lost 10 sizes, said that when she won the 60 Day Challenge in 2007 and went to the Safety Harbor Retreat she asked Teresa what she could do for her tummy.

Teresa’s answer?

“Lift ribs, set lats.” 

Charlotte attested that it really helped with the tummy!

Teresa also has shared, especially in the LadyBug move and workout, that stretching that rib to hip really helps with hormonal balance.  But even if you don’t have LadyBug, you can incorporate this.

First of all, find and use your lats!   All throughout the day!  A great way to do this is while driving—hang onto the steering wheel underhanded, pull your belly button up and back to your spine, curl your core, ribs up.  Now, gently squeeze the hands on the steering wheel and tighten those lats!  Release, then tighten, release, tighten, release….etc. 

When you go over to a flat back in Primary Back Stretch, push those thumbs into your hips/back to really get those elbows up.   Pretend you have a beach ball balancing on your back!   Tighten the buns, pull that tummy up to your spine and engage the lats.  Press your breast bone to the floor to help as well.

Keeping ribs up during the head tilting and turning portions of the second half of PBS will also help.

Plies—ahhh!  May I confess to you that the first two sets are tough for me to keep my ribs up and lats set?!    Doing them slowly in front of a mirror is the best way to watch what is happening and get a feel for what “right” feels like as you’re seeing it in the mirror.   Hold the plie squat to really focus on ribs up, lats set throughout the Plie sequence.   A good tip on the Chest Press portions is to think “ribs up, ribs up, ribs up,” as your elbows come in, then “elbows up, elbows up, elbows up,” as your elbows go back out, to keep from dropping them below shoulder level.

Reach Scoops—here’s a great one for practicing that rib to hip stretch!   Get into position, making sure you are standing as between two panes of glass.  Tilt, keeping that alignment (not leaning back or forward).   Keep that belly button to spine at all times,  and as you reach up and inhale, reach down with the other arm, too.  Keep those ribs UP (think breastbone to ceiling) while stretching.  Now flip the palm and reach away as if someone else is pushing against that top hand to help keep the lats engaged.

Jazz Twist—you know what I’m going to say—ribs UP!  :)   Thinking ribs up right before you twist helps, as does really pushing with that thumb into the back of your hip.  Get that back elbow back, using the thumb to help press it back.   Initiate the move with your back shoulder, but use the lats on your reaching side to keep that shoulder from climbing towards your ears.  This is also a good move to do slowly in front of a mirror to check on your form, and doing it slowly helps you feel the muscles work!

I’ll share more tips to keep the lats engaged next week for the rest of the moves in BWO+.   Try these in your workouts this week as well as throughout the day, standing, walking, sitting (especially at the computer!) think, “Ribs UP, SET lats!”  and see if you don’t feel better!   You might even see a little trimming of the tummy, pec and bust measurements from getting those lats on board!  ;)

Until next week, happy Tappin’!