Balanced training is a new systematical approach for teaching of aerobic choreographies. Balanced training is very important in the step training to avoid the right/left muscle disbalances. The best presenters here (not only from the Europe but also from Brasilia, Argentina, Australia etc.) always use this approach.
The idea is very simple: left leg has to do the same work during the class as the right leg. The implementation isn't always simple but you must give it a try. This is my TAP FREE step choreography for now:
If I start teaching this choreography by introducing the first 16 cts of the choreography with
4x Kick (RLRL) 16 cts
4x Basic (RRRR) 16 cts
transforming and reducing to
2x Kick (RL) 8 cts
2x V-Step (RR) 8 cts
my training will probably never be balanced since my right leg is working on this part THREE time as much as the left! The only thing I can do now to make it balanced is change my leading leg to the left (somehow!) and make all (exactly) the same transformation on the left:
4x Kick (LRLR) 16 cts
4x Basic (LLLL) 16 cts
transforming and reducing to
2x Kick (LR) 8 cts
2x V-Step (LL) 8 cts
Would you like to do so? I don't like it. It steals the time and even the beginners will find it boring. For this reason there is an approach to break down symmetrical from the first move on. For this easy choreography it would mean to start introducing the SECOND 16 cts of the choreography (since the second 16 cts contain a natural change of leading leg).
then transform it to all what I need (by introducing the kicks and reducing or even simply by layering 2x Basics to 2x Kicks). Now it will stay balanced. With some nice tricks like this it's possible to break down ANY advanced tap free choreography without any taps AND symmetrical from the first move on to provide 100% balanced training.
Remember, your training will never be balanced if you start your breakdown with:
or any other similar thing without change of leading foot AND you don't repeat the whole teaching progression starting left EXACTLY the same repetitions.
GOOD IDEAS for starting the teaching progression are:
Alternating Knee Lifts, Kicks, Tap Up, Repeaters or other self-reversing moves (RL…)
or
Marches, Double Half Mambos or other symmetrical moves (RR…)
Now you always have a change of leading foot inside a routine. This is what I call balanced training from the first move on.
PLEASE NOTE: All explanations above assume you are doing TAP FREE step aerobics. If you are doing taps (when you need) these explanations are not applicable.
