Teaching Manual for Static Trapeze, Corde Lisse and Silks

Edited and compiled byJeff Davis

ContributorsClare Armstrong

Yuri BozyanPierre CarriereEzra Groenen

Melissa MerranJonathon Priest

Luc RichardManfred Tscheche

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Contents

Part 1 - Physical Preparation / Training theory:

1. Basic Principles and Definitions2. Types of Muscular Contraction3. Individual Muscle Differences4. The Mechanics of Muscular Contraction5. Training Principles6. Devising Programmes for Physical Preparation7. Individual Programmes for Training Strength and Muscular Endurance and Suggested

Exercises8. Training for Mobility9. Exercises for Training Mobility

Part 2 - Basic Skills on Static Trapeze:

1. Transitions2. Basic Moves3. Hangs4. Balances5. Basic Drops

Part 3 - Basic Skills on Rope and Silks

1. Climbs2. Acclimatising to the Rope:

i. Rest Positionsii. Inverting

3. Inverted locks, hip Locks (Keys) and variations4. Small drops5. More advanced drops6. More advanced rest positions7. Hanging positions

Part 4 - Teaching Methodology1. The Training Programme 2. The Teaching Process and Safety3. Methods of Stimulating the Creative Process

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PHYSICAL PREPARATION / TRAINING THEORY

1. Basic Principle and Definitions

The four specific qualities required by the body to perform on these aerial apparatus are:

1. Strength

2. Endurance

3. Power

4. Mobility

STRENGTH

The greatest amount of tension which can be produced in a muscle or muscle group under an imposed load. For example, the absolute strength of the muscle group which makes a bench press is the greatest weight that can be pushed just once.

ENDURANCE

Endurance can be divided into two sub-categories:a. Cardio-respiratory (heart-lung) enduranceb. Local muscular endurance

Cardio-respiratory endurance is the ability of the oxygen transport system to carry and to continue carrying to the working muscles.

Local muscular endurance is the ability of the muscle to continue contracting (working) under a certain load.

POWER

Power is a function of strength and speed and can be defined as the rate of doing work.

MOBILITY

Mobility is most simply defined as the range of possible movement in a joint or a series of joints

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2. Types of Muscular Contraction

1. ISOTONIC (Concentric) CONTRACTION

This is where the muscle contracts and shortens under a load: for example, the biceps muscle contracts during a pull up on the trapeze bar.

2. ISOTONIC (Eccentric) CONTRACTION

When a muscle lengthens under a load then it is said to be contracting eccentrically, that is, it is resisting lengthening. The triceps muscle contracts eccentrically in the ‘down’ part of a push up.

3. ISOMETRIC CONTRACTION

In an isometric contraction the muscle contracts without any movement. In other words the muscle does not shorten or lengthen but maintains resistance at a set length. For example, the hip extensor muscles and the abdominals when the legs are held in “half lever” position during a rope climb.

4. ISOKINETIC CONTRACTION

The maximum load which can be imposed upon a muscle is dictated by the amount it can lift at its most mechanically inefficient (usually when it is fully extended or almost completely contracted). An “isokinetic” contraction occurs when the speed of contraction is fixed and the muscle is taxed to its maximum throughout its range of movement.

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3. Individual Muscular Differences

FAST AND SLOW TWITCH FIBRES:

Every individual is born with a certain amount of muscle fibres, the basic working unit of the muscle. This number is not variable and no amount of work will result in an increase in the number of fibres in a muscle.

The individual is also born with a certain amount of two different fibres. One of these fibre types when looked at under a microscope appears red in colour, the other much lighter. The “red” fibres are known as “slow twitch fibres”. Packed with oxygen storing compounds these fibres are relatively slow to react but they can continue contracting for a long time. The lighter fibres or “white” fibres are known as “fast twitch” fibres. These fibres react much faster than the slow twitch red fibres but cannot continue to contract for any length of time.

The ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch fibres will dictate whether an individual is the powerful, fast type suitable for sprinting and explosive activities, or the slow plodding type with great staying power. It is important to recognise the general type of your student.(The reality is a little more complex as fibres are on a scale from red to white, but is usually easy to see which type are dominant).

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4. The Mechanics of Muscular Contraction

All human movement is caused by the system of working (contracting) muscles pulling the bones. The jointed bones change their position relative to one another and so cause movement.

This is made efficient through a system of levers which allow the bones to move through a great distance whilst the muscular contraction is small.

Fig 1 Muscle in relaxed state Fig 2 Muscle Contracted

For each movement there are one or two muscles which do most of the work and are called PRIME MOVERS. However, there can be many other muscles assisting them which make the movement more controlled and stable. Each muscle works (contracts) when the brain sends a message as an electrical impulse through the nervous system. It is the complex process of impulses telling some muscles to work and others to relax which coordinates the movement.

Contraction and relaxation within muscles are both caused by chemical reactions. It is the complex reactions of proteins, oxygen and other chemicals which makes the muscles fibres move. The result of any chemical reaction is an exchange of energy and in the case of muscular movement waste products are formed (Lactic acid and carbon dioxide) whose presence within the muscles makes further more difficult. They in effect, clog up the muscle and stop it from contracting, they also cause muscular pain. Lactic acid and carbon dioxide can only be reprocessed into the original chemicals in the presence of oxygen.

If a muscle contracts without the presence of oxygen it is said to be contracting ANAEROBICALLY and will eventually cease to function until oxygen is introduced. The amount of oxygen required to restore the contracting chemicals is called the OXYGEN DEBT.

If the oxygen supply to the contracting muscle is sufficient restore the contractile chemicals continuously then the muscle is said to be contracting AEROBICALLY.

Most physical activities require the use of both contracting mechanisms, that is, aerobic and anaerobic. Arial circus skills are predominantly of an anaerobic nature, but the aerobic side of training should not be ignored in the training programme.

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5. Training Principles

THE OVERLOAD PRINCIPLE

For real gains in strength, power and endurance to occur, the muscle must be “overloaded”, that is, it must be exercised near to the point of exhaustion.

THE PROGRESSIVE RESISTANCE PRINCIPLE

Related to the overload principle, the PR principle merely states that, as a muscle increases in strength so the intensity of training must increase.

THE SPECIFICITY PRINCIPLE

Conditioning exercises must be as closely related to skills as possible. This means that the nature of the exercise must not only be related to the skills but also the speed of the skills. If a muscle is trained continuously at the same speed it will tend to, when under pressure, to react at that speed. The specificity of the training angle is most important when training isometrically. Differences of as little as 10° have been shown to be as much as 20% less effective than exercise at the correct angle.

THE 48 HOUR PRINCIPLE

After heavy training of the type required for significant strength gains, muscle tissue will be slightly damaged. Recovery takes up to 48 hours, and heavy strength schedules on the same muscle or muscle group should have a 48 hour break between them.

TRAINING FOR STRENGTH

Training for strength should not be mistaken for power or endurance. Isotonic training for should involve few repetitions with a high load.

Two types of isometric training have been shown to be especially effective, these are:

1. 5 contractions for 5 seconds repeated 3 – 5 times2. 1 contraction for 8 seconds at maximum strength repeated 3 – 5 times

NB. Care should be taken if a student complains of joint pain during this training.

TRAINING FOR POWER

As power is a function of strength and speed there are three ways to bring out an overall increase in power.

1. An increase in strength alone2. An increase in speed alone3. An increase in speed and strength together

General guidelines to numbers of repetitions are not possible because of the variety of exercises which have to be covered. However, increases in repetitions in a set time will produce an increase in speed.

TRAINING FOR ENDURANCE

Increases in relative endurance will occur with an increase in strength however it is necessary to train for endurance specifically. Research has shown that it is possible to increase endurance with heavy loads by training with light loads. Therefore, light weights with many repetitions (20+) will lead to an overall improvement in endurance.

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6. DEVISING CONDITIONING PROGRAMMES

First of all we must ask the question:

Where does the performer require strengthening?

Obviously each individual will have different strengths and weaknesses and this must be taken into account when devising individual training programmes. However it is possible to analyse each discipline and work out what actions the body is making and therefore what needs to be strengthened.

All forms of acrobatic movement can be broken down into the following categories:

Some of these categories are not relevant to aerial work but they have relevance in other areas of circus performance

Movement Pattern Example

SHOULDER CONTROL

Opening forwards Lifting to handstand from L sit (acrobalance)

Closing forwards Inversion on rope, up and over on trapeze

Opening sideways Lifting barbell from the side to above the head, rollup on aerial straps, flag on pole

Closing sideways Crucifix position

MID-SECTION CONTROL

closing Leg lift, inverting on rope or silk

opening Roll ups on trapeze

Tension Dish, handstand

ARM THRUST Press up, headspring

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ARM FLEXION Chin, basic rope climb

LEG THRUST Squat jump, standing back somersault, rope climb

SUPPORT THRUST Handspring on floor, thrust through the shoulders with arms straight

To clarify this, if we take a simple inversion on the rope or tissue, this action requires

1. Forwards closing of the shoulders2. Closing of the mid section

Consequently, we should use exercises which include these two actions to strengthen for this skill.

Following are a number of exercises specifically designed to help strengthen for trapeze, rope and tissue. These are by no means exhaustive but will help to create a balanced programme of physical conditioning.

Following these specific exercises is a suggested circuit for general conditioning and stamina.

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Specific Strength Exercises for Aerial Skills

1. TRAPEZE BASED EXERCISES

Hanging Leg Lift• Keep the head in• Depress the shoulder blades• Avoid pulling through the shoulders• The angle between the arms and upper

body should remain as open as possible to isolate the hip flexors

Pull ups• The body should remain static

throughout• Depress the shoulder blades in hang• Lift the chest to the bar

Seated Pull up• Keep the legs horizontal• Elbows out• Keep the shoulder blades depressed

Skinning the Cat• The shoulder angle should be kept out

as long as possible to allow the legs to circle through

• Coming back is as important as going through

Hang and Pull up in Shoulders• Depress the shoulder blades and pull

the chest towards the bar• Do not bend the arms

Front balance roll ups• Training for the muscles of the back

and seat• Use a spotter to keep the legs from

rising in early stages•

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Lifting legs to either side in Hang• During this the legs stay straight• Lift in all directions

Hanging on one arm• Make sure the shoulder stays

depressed• Alternate arms

Catchers Hang Abdominal Curls• Avoid swinging into the curl• Do not strain the neck by pulling the

head forwards too much• Elbows to knees

Ankle Hang Hip Flex• As above, avoid swinging into the curl• Do not arch the back (if you have to do

this then you need to build it up using an easier exercise

• Fingers touch toes

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2. MORE ADVANCED TRAPEZE BASED EXERCISES

Leg Lift and Extend to Invert• Complete leg lift and then close the

shoulders, extending the body

Chins in Pike• Keep the legs horizontal• Do not arch the back

Inverted Pull Ups• The elbows should bend backwards

and not outwards• Lift as far as the chest

Straight Body Lift (Bent arms)• Pull up, then pull the body to the bar

straightening the arms• Repeat in reverse on the way down

Straight Body Lift (Straight arms)• Very advanced• Lift through front planche keeping the

body straight• Controlled descent

One leg hocks hang

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3. ROPE BASED EXERCISES(These can also be carried out on one or two tissues)

Inverting (Tucked)• Start by using bent arms progress to

straight

Pull ups• The body remains static • Lift the chin to the hands

Leg Lifts (Piked)• To isolate the hip flexors try not to pull

up in the shoulders• The movement should only be in the

hips and legs

Curl ups (Straddled)• A more advanced form of this is to start

and finish with the legs horizontal

Hanging from one hand• This should be timed and the performer

tries to increase the amount of time hanging

Various Climbs and Descents

See rope basics

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4. FLOOR BASED EXERCISES

Dish on front and back• Arms can be put by the side to start

with• When on the back the lower spine

should not be arched

Press ups• These can be done with elbows

backwards and hands narrow and with elbows sideways and hands wide

V-Sits• Should be done with control up and

down• The lower spine must be flat to the

floor• Legs straight throughout

Abdominal Crunches• Keep the knees still and raise the chest

to them• Do not pull the head with the hands

Back Extensions• Raise the upper body• Hands can be by the sides, by the ears

or arms extended

Side Lifts• Maintain a straight position from fingers

to toes• Put the upper hand on the floor to help

balance

Dish Rocks• The body position must remain the

same throughout• Small rocks

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Rocks in Shoulder Stand• Hold wallbars on bottom rung• You can start with the hands higher to

make it easier• Maintain body tension • Small movements

Lifts up and down in Shoulder Stand• As above for hand position• Try to keep the body straight

throughout

Adductor Lifts• Lower leg is lifted• Keep a straight line form fingers to toes

Abductor lifts• Upper leg is lifted• As above make sure the leg is lifted in

line with the body

Tension Bridge• Start with the hands just in front of the

shoulders and move forwards with time• The back must remain straight, no arch

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WEIGHTS EXERCISES

Closing Shoulders (Straight arms)• Move only the arms• There should be no movement in the

body

Bicep Curls• Keep the back straight• Use a light enough weight to ensure

only the arms are moving

Pullovers on bench• Weight starts at the waist and arms

are maintained slightly bent• Keep the back flat

CIRCUIT TRAINING

Begin with 20 seconds work intervals and 40 seconds rest, increase intensity by:1. Lengthening the work interval2. Shortening the rest interval

1. Inversion on rope 2. Tucked V-sits

3. Dorsal Lifts 4. Rope Climb

5.Tricep Dip 6.Side lift either side

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7. Squat Jumps 8. Press ups

9. Step ups on bench 10. Shoulder stand tilt

11. Abdominal Crunches 12. Running on the spot

13. Dish on back 14. Tension Bridge

15. Lumbar lifts 16. Chins on trapeze

17. Squat thrusts 18. Jumps in squat

19. Russian walks 20. Leg lifts on trapeze

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8. Training for Mobility

WHAT SETS THE LIMITS OF MOBILITY?

It is obvious that for some joints the limits of mobility are dictated by the boney structure of the joint itself, for example, in a joint such as the knee it is impossible to extend much beyond 180° because of the position of the bones.

In ball and socket joints (which are the vast majority of joints we are concerned about) for example, the shoulder joint, the limitation of range of movement is imposed by the soft tissue.

Ie.i. Muscle and its facial sheathii. Connective tissue such as tendons, ligaments, joint capsulesiii. The skin

Experimentation has shown that the most important factors limiting mobility are:

i. The ability of the antagonist muscles and their fascial sheaths to relaxii. The joint capsuleiii. The tendons

MOBILITY AND THE STRETCH REFLEX

If a muscle is stretched with a jerky movement it will respond with a contraction whose amount and rate will correspond directly to the amount and rate of the movement that causes the stretch. This is the result of the “myotatic reflex” or stretch reflex.

Conversely, a firm, steady stretch will invoke the inverse myotatic reflex and will actually relax the muscle being stretched.

METHODS OF IMPROVING MOBILITY

Methods of stretching can be divided into four different types. Here we shall call them:

i. Active, dynamic stretchingii. Passive dynamic stretchingiii. Active, sustained stretchingiv. Passive, sustained stretching

Dynamic stretching involves fast movements of the bobbing or bouncing kind eg. Leg swinging, whereas sustained stretching requires the gymnast to hold a position for a number of seconds. Active stretching means that the performer must be moving the limb or limbs his or herself whereas in passive stretching the movement is caused by another person pushing.

Sustained stretching has certain definite advantages over dynamic stretching for increasing range of movement. These are:

i. Sustained stretching does not invoke the stretch reflexii. There is less danger of exceeding the extensibility limits of the muscle and tendonsiii. The energy requirements are loweriv. Dynamic stretching often causes muscle soreness whereas sustained stretching can

often alleviate muscle soreness

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Consequently it can be seen that for improving range of movement, sustained stretching is preferable to dynamic stretching.

Passive, sustained stretching also has certain advantages over the active type. These are:

i. Active stretching is limited by the students ability to accept painii. Passive stretching enables the joint to be stretched further with less effort from the

studentiii. Because of the decrease in effort the student can concentrate on relaxing the antagonist

muscles

However the teacher should be very careful when stretching students to apply tension slowly and firmly and in the case of male teachers remember the possible difference in strength between himself and the student.

There is one kind of stretching not yet mentioned which is called PNF stretching or resistance stretching. PNF stands for “Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation” and is designed to invoke the inverse stretch reflex and relax the muscles to be stretched. The teacher pushes the student to the limit of his/her range of movement and the student then pushes back against the teacher’s resistance (with no movement). After this the student relaxes and the teacher applies pressure again. It will be found that this stretch will exceed the last one, as the antagonist muscles relax.

This method should only be used on larger muscle groups such as the hamstrings.

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9. Exercises for Training Mobility

Warm-up and basic stretching exercises

TO INCREASE SHOULDER MOBILITY

Start with arm circles both ways

Extending the shouldersThis can be done with a partner or on wall bars

Use a stick to increase mobilityPlace tape marks on the stickTry to get progressively closer

For upper back and shouldersExtend through the shoulders and upper back, not the lower back

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HIP/LEG MOBILITY

Straddle stand, stretch forwards to sideways to each leg. Bounce and hold.

Lunge to each side from horse-riding position (demi plie)

Lunge forwards on each leg

Crouch, straighten legsStart with finger tips on floorProgress to hand flatThen hands facing backwards

Hurdle sit fold forwardsKeep back straight

Kneeling lunge, stretch forwards on each leg

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More advanced stretching for improving range of movement

Grande Battement:• X 10 forwards, sideways and

backwards• Each time the student should

touch a hand at maximum stretch height.

Stretch to side:• Fold x 8 then the teacher

applies pressure.• Progressively increase the

height of the leg.• Finish by holding leg free of the

bar using muscles

Forwards and Backwards Fold• Alternate lean forwards with

lean backwards as per ballet class.

• Begin with extended ankle and then flex.

• Lean forwards with straight back

Lifting leg to back• Teacher applies pressure and

then the student holds the leg alone

Side stretch with split legs (1 leg bent)

• Student sits in hurdle position• Legs should be split as wide as

possible• Lean to the side with pressure

from the coach• Begin with extended ankles and

then flex.• Repeat folding forwards

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Side fold, foot in front of knee• Fold to side opposite bent leg• Knee must remain on the floor• Teacher applies pressure and

fixes bent leg with his foot.

Fold forwards, knees wide, feet together

• Knees should be pressed to the floor

• Teacher applies pressure to back

• Back should remain straightRepeat in Lotus position

Back rotation and buttock stretch• The student applies backwards

pressure to the bent knee whilst actively rotating the shoulders in the opposite direction

Lumbar fold• Head lifted • Back straight• Start with feet extended, then

flex

Straddle fold• Start with narrow split and then

widen

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"Frog position" hip stretch• Hips are pressed to the floor• The knees can rest on the

teachers feet to allow greater range of movement

• Repeat with straight legs (side split)

Fold forwards, knees wide, feet together

• Knees should be pressed to the floor

• Teacher applies pressure to back

• Back should remain straight Repeat in Lotus position

Back rotation and buttock stretch• The student applies backwards

pressure to the bent knee whilst actively rotating the shoulders in the opposite direction

Lumbar fold• Head lifted • Back straight• Start with feet extended, then

flex

Stretching the feet and ankles• First with knees and feet

together• Then split legs and sit between

feet• Lastly lean back and press back

to the floor (This will take some time to achieve)

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Splits to front• Keep the hips square• Turn the front foot out• Lift the front off the floor min.

3cms• Bend the back leg and lift the

foot towards the head to ensure the hips are square, leaning the upper body back towards the foot.

• The teacher can manipulate the student into the correct position

Further exercises for splits• Against wall, pull the foot

towards the buttock

Splits, bend back• Ensure that the hips are kept

square

Splits folding forwards• Straight back• Teacher applies pressure to

back

For all these exercises students should work in pairs so they understand the principles and can help each other.

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More advanced stretches

Blocks can be placed below the students feet in front and side splits to increase the range of movement.

Leg stretch from kneelingThe teacher can control twisting of the hips.Use the knees in the back to extend the hips forwards.Repeat to the side

Back and Shoulder Stretches

Repeat with straight and bent arms

Stretch for lower and upper back

Shoulder flexion stretch

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