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The Bendy Blog: Flexibility Training Articles
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Where to Buy Contortion Costumes on a Budget
Looking for a costume for your first student showcase? Want something fun and new for an upcoming photo shoot? Seeking a more “professional” costume for corporate or professional performing opportunities? I’ve got you covered!
How to “Sit” in a Chair Sit Bridge
A chair sit bridge is often one of the trickiest one for beginning contortionists to learn because it requires quite a bit of back and shoulder flexibility, AND solid body awareness of how to move your hips in space while you are engaging in a backbend. In this blog post I cover some prep drills to help learn the “butt coordination” (aka hip pike) required to sit in a chair sit bridge.
When (and How) to Start Working on Oversplits
While oversplit training may look like exercises reserved for those who are currently extremely comfortable in their flat splits, it’s actually safe an effective for students who are still an inch or two away from flat splits (and can even be a sneaky tool to help you close those last couple of inches!).
Contortion Gig Packing List
I’m someone who thrives off of checklists and organizes a decent amount of my life in Excel (OK - Google Sheets, I don’t pay for Microsoft Excel). Once I started performing regularly, I quickly realized I needed an idiot-proof list of all my makeup and props I should be bringing to my gigs.
Here are my go-to’s of what to pack for a performance…
Back Extensions: The Backbender’s Broccoli
Whether you are a seasoned yogi, novice contortionist, or just plain working on your back flexibility, back extensions are arguably the best conditioning exercise you can possibly do for your back flexibility. I like to call them a “broccoli” exercise - they’re part of a healthy “diet” of backbending training . . .
The Best Etsy Shops for Aerial & Contortion Costumes
I often get asked for costume advice/ideas for contortion - and I freaking LOVE Etsy for catsuits and bodysuits. You have to be prepared to pay $100-$200 for a costume, but rest assured you are getting a quality costume that will last you a long time!
How To: Wall-Supported Scorpion Forearmstands
As a follow-up to last week’s forearmstands for beginners post, here are a couple of “bendier” versions of wall-supported forearmstands that are fun to play with: a half-scorpion and full scorpion.
Forearmstands for Beginners
Been eyeing those bendy yogis and circus folk on Instagram effortlessly balancing on their hands? Lucky for you forearmstands aren’t reserved for the realm of contortionists, anybody can get started with some beginner-friendly handbalancing with a wall-supported forearmstand!
“Big C” vs. “Little c” Backbend from Standing
A lot of people struggle with being able to backbend into a bridge from standing (sometimes called a “drop back”) - and rightly so, that shit’s hard. You need a lot of core and glute strength on top of general back and shoulder flexibility to be able to lower with control. The secret to a safer (and easier) backbend from standing is all about your center of gravity…
Advanced Shoulder Warm Up for Contortion
Contortion-style backbending asks a lot of your shoulders. To make sure I’m properly warmed up before I practice deep backbending postures, there are some extra drills I like to include beyond my “regular” shoulder warm up and conditioning exercises that cater to the more difficult work shoulders will asked to help with in contortion, like extreme shoulder rotations.
How to Modify a Toy Bow for Contortion Archery
So you just bought a cheap toy bow so you can finally give this whole contortion archery thing a try - but surprise, it’s way harder than you expected! The arrow keeps falling off, you can’t even grab it with your toes… Unfortunately most children’s toy designers are not engineering these things with the budding contortionist in mind. Luckily there are couple of super easy modifications you can make to make any toy bow more foot-archery-friendly!
Protecting Your Low Back When Backbending
Does your low back always feel sore after backbending? It's extremely common for people to "dump" a lot of the bend from a backbend into their low back. Your spine has a natural curve here in your lumbar spine, so this is typically where your back “wants” to bend first! But without proper core engagement you may be relying on your bones and joints in your spine to hold the bend instead of your muscles - ouch!