Raise your hand if Windmills, aka Wheel Downs, are difficult for you? If so, you're not alone! They require strength in the right places, technique, repetition, and patience.
One of the most common mistakes I see is grabbing too early and not being patient enough. When something feels daunting or uncomfortable, it's in our nature to grab wherever we can to save ourselves, but when it comes to Windmills, we have to be patient and rotate a few seconds longer than our body probably wants to.
When rotating, your hands shouldn't be reaching behind you, grabbing the tail with your thumbs, or stopping your rotation altogether. Instead, you want to rotate within the S-Wrap by sliding and tapping your hands from hip to hip using your palms.
I call it the Slide and tap. See below for a video breakdown and tips.
If you begin from an S-Wrap that results in your right knee being hooked and your left shoulder closer to the floor, your right hand is the 'slider,' and your left hand is the 'tapper' (vice-versa).
Essentially, your right-hand slides down the tail to initiate the rotation, and your left-hand lifts to continue the rotation. When you begin to face upward, your left hand 'taps' down to the outside of your S-wrap to continue the next rotation.
If you tap your hand down too soon (in front of the s-wrap knot) or reach behind you to grab, you'll stop your rotation and lose the proper position of your torso, typically when the tummy-crushing moments typically happen!
You must be patient and wait for the S-Wrap knot to arrive near your top hip and begin to face upward BEFORE placing your 'tapping' hand down. It'll take some practice and likely a few uncomfortable attempts, but I'm confident the 'slide & tap' will help you rotate more easily!
Now for the rest of it - holding your legs in a wide straddle while you rotate, achieving more than one rotation and making it look easy!
That's where my online course, The Windmill Method, comes in! Included are at-home workouts and aerial conditioning lessons to train your 'windmilling' muscles to engage right when you need them. This course is your roadmap to YOUR BEST Windmill!
Included are at-home workouts, lessons in technique, s-wrap entries, solutions for common mistakes, and fun bonus skills. Tune in from anywhere in the world on your own time.
Whether you're an aerial student who has always felt defeated by Windmills, an aerial teacher who wants to help your students, or a pro who wants to refine your technique, this course is for you.
Set your clock for this Friday, November 25th, at 8am pacific time. I'll be opening doors for a limited time to my most popular courses - The Windmill Method, The Inversion Method and The Handstand Method.
Plus, they'll all be 30% OFF in celebration of the holiday season!