It’s happened! You’ve got the green light to train on your own, and you are in rare form, Sparkle Panties! Congrats. Now – how do you know what to train? How do you structure your training? And what about Ermandine who keeps asking you to teach her what you learned in class this week? (Very sneaky, that Ermandine.) Let’s chat!

The More the Merrier – Don’t Train Alone

Look into my eyes and put on your listening ears. I don’t give a rat’s a$$ whether you have a silk in your salon, and trapeze in your trunk, some straps in the studio, or a rig in your room – do not train alone. DO. NOT. TRAIN. ALONE. Ever. You need someone with you in case something happens. Period.

Do What You Know

So, what should you work on? So many things!

You know that thing you did last week in class that you just learned and have never executed successfully and can’t quite remember? Yeah. That’s not the thing you want to work on. Instead, have a look at:

• Moves you know well, but need to practise for form, technique, sequence, flair, etc.
• The 85 things your teacher has been correcting you on FOREVER. Sicled feet? Bent knees? Noodle legs? This is the perfect time to work on your form. Fly, video, watch, rinse, repeat.
• Sequences! It’s fun to begin to string things together! Pick two moves, then three, then more. Remember – start low and slow.
• Fancy business! Open workout is a great time to work on “dancing it”. Take a move and see if you can get it to come right from your belly button. Experiment with arms, leg positions, fabric foofing, etc.
• Work with music when you’re ready! How does it make you feel? How does it inform your movement? Remember to video!
• Do you have questions? When we work on our own, we discover that (SHOCK) we don’t know a lick of what we thought we did. What questions begin coming up for you? Write them down and ask your coach during your next session.
• AWESOME tip from Beverly Sobelman of Versatile Arts: “How about you and your training pals practice rescuing each other from various stuck situations? Even the best aerialists sometimes get their clothing eaten by a rogue S-lock.” I love this! Knowing how to help yourself and others when you get stuck is a tremendously important part of aerial fabulousness.

Make Good Choices!

Like a good romantic evening, you’re gonna want to keep new things slow and low. This is not the time to shimmy to the rafters and bust out that questionable triple you saw on Instagram, Penelope! Give yourself the height you need for safety, but keep newer stuff or experiments in movement close to the ground until you understand how they’re going to play out.

But What About Ermandine?

Raise your hand if this has happened to you. You’re at open workout, working on not doing that weird noodle thing with your back leg (it’s legit super weird), when an “Ermandine” appears.

“Hey, Penelope! Can you teach me the Fussy Flamingo move I just saw you doing?”

Hold up, Ermandine. First, you’re putting dear Penelope in a really awkward position. You see, she paid her money and went to class and learned that move. She isn’t a teacher. She may or may not be able to safely communicate the ins and outs of this sequence. She may or may not want to assume the liability of teaching you. She may want to (gasp) focus on herself and her own work during her open training. That said, is there a time and place for skill sharing? Absolutely! Click here for more.

Here are a few more thoughts on open workout – I hope they’re useful! Love and pull-ups, Laura

Do you need help organizing your training time? This might help!

Are you the person everyone at open workout hates? You might be….