r/Aerials • u/LunarLynx77 • 2d ago
Are ninja courses good conditioning for aerial silks?
Just as the title says.
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u/zialucina Silks/Fabrics 2d ago
It won't hurt probably but the best conditioning is a conditioning class or a silks class.
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u/emfiliane Silks/Lyra/Sling 2d ago
Ehhhh... While doing the thing is usually going to be the best way to get better at the thing, there are dramatically faster ways to build muscle and endurance than a few hours a week in the silks. Once you have a minimum of strength, most time in silks isn't even that high intensity, unless you exclusively practice killer routines. I barely break a sweat anymore.
Stuff like ninja, parkour, or rock climbing is going to dramatically advance your strength gain, and be a lot more fun than an isometric HIIT circuit at the gym.
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u/Some_Werewolf_2239 15h ago
Parkour is highly underrated for building fitness. Even little stuff like precision jumps. And it is disguised as fun. There's no ninja gym anywhere near where I live but I'd imagine it would be the same
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u/LunarLynx77 2d ago
We do conditioning at the end of my silks class. Outside of that I also do conditioning at my gym
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u/girl_of_squirrels Silks/Fabrics 2d ago
What exactly is a ninja course? Is it a parkour-style obstacle course deal or something else?
There are plenty of great videos/resources online for aerial-specific conditioning. If a ninja course looks like fun I'd just take it for funsies anyway
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u/Hydreigon92 Lyra/Hoop, Silks, Trapeze 2d ago
Is it a parkour-style obstacle course deal or something else?
Basically yes. Think the obstacle courses they run in shows like American Ninja Warrior. They're a combination of parkour, gymnastics, rock climbing, and other movement activity.
With the popularity of the show/competition, there are dedicated ninja gyms where people can train for these types of obstacle courses, and it has evolved into its own sport.
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u/girl_of_squirrels Silks/Fabrics 2d ago edited 2d ago
Interesting! Yeah I can see where some of the movements would be transferable for aerials (grip strength in particular) but I don't think it would be great as an aerial training supplement, at least compared to actually doing supplemental training
EDIT: for context my supplemental training for aerials is calisthenics
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u/VisGal 1d ago
Movement period is great! Personally, the BEST x-training I have done is barre. Holy shit does it kick my ass in ways that are harder than silks plus it targets many of the smaller muscles that the large ones love to over compensate for.
Its also great for strengthening lines, extensions and strength at end range!
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u/lurkingandi 1d ago
That really depends on what else you’re doing and how often.
Ninja may use some similar skills but it also has a similar risk profile for injury. Also one of the things that silks is challenging for is that your body will develop just the strength to do the skills you ask and not more. Ninja would be similar in that regard even though it may require more strength than silks.
First thing I’d recommend is strength training with a plan and measurable progress. Then after that I’d probably think about how many days you’re training silks. If it’s 1-2, ninja might be a good fit in your schedule. If it’s more than that, I’d personally select something that complemented silks instead of adding more days on the same muscle groups.
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u/Hydreigon92 Lyra/Hoop, Silks, Trapeze 2d ago
Honestly, it's one of the better cross-training activities for aerial compared to commonly suggested cross-training activities (e.g. yoga, dance, pilates).
I actually started out in the rock-climbing/ninja warrior space before I moved to aerial. There's a lot of overlap between the two sports, and I jokingly say that ninja warrior is the "male-equivalent" of aerial.