Kilogear CUT uses weighted gear to help Irish dancers and other young athletes train their entire bodies, especially preparing female dancers for competing in heavy dresses.
Irish dance dresses are many people's favorite part of the competitive Irish dance world, but the weight of the intricate costumes can sometimes pose a hindrance to otherwise well-trained Irish dancers.
Typically, Irish dancers spend their many hours of practice in t-shirts, shorts, and sports bras - light clothes that are easy to move in and can endure hours of sweat! Rarely is a regular dance practice conducted while wearing a heavy, not to mention expensive, Irish dance costume.
So when dancers finally grace the stage wearing their stunning dresses, they may not be used to the weight of the dress itself.
One company, Kilogear CUT, is changing that and aiming to make Irish dancers even more prepared for when they take the stage at competitions with their workout gear.
Kilogear was originally developed by husband and wife team Megan and Trent Brown, allowing wearers to turn any activity into muscle-toning events.
Kilogear CUT, however, is focused specifically on Irish dancers and young athletes, and promises to turn dancers into "full-bodied athletes."
The workout line has been endorsed by both Chloey Turner and Kincaid Stringer, dancers with the Grammy-award-winning international Irish dance phenomenon “Riverdance."
Image: Kincaid Stringer
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Stringer told IrishCentral: “The hallmark of Irish dancing is to have perfect dancing legs going 90 and upper body a statue, especially at the top level."
He feels that for many dancers their carriage is terrible, however, and that the biggest fault is in the arms where dancers just “don’t have the strength” to maintain their carriage.
In an attempt to fix this, Kilogear CUT has introduced “sleeves that will physically weigh their arms down” as well as “sports bra that will keep their back up.”
Warming up in KILOGEAR CUT activates your muscles so you can perform at your best!! Just ask @annie_slawson she’s wearing our weighted compression shorts and is a believer! Get your gear and we’ll make you a believer! Send us your videos of you warming up in your KILOGEAR CUT! #kilogearcut #irish #irishdancer #irishdance #irishdancing #training #workoutroutine #warmup #warmupexercise #warmups #workoutoftheday #youthsports #dance #dancersofinstagram #dancer #dancelife
Publiée par KILOGEAR CUT sur Mardi 6 novembre 2018
You “wouldn’t believe the health benefits” states Stringer, explaining how it wasn’t until he joined Riverdance that he started going to the gym. For many dancers, the story would be similar, with teachers not wanting to lose out on their income by encouraging students to take time off classes to go workout elsewhere.
Stringer believes, however, that especially in the US, the Kilogear CUT could benefit Irish dance teachers by allowing them to use their studios during the day to run classes for non-Irish dancers using the gear and the simple workouts.
You’re “doing full body exercises to build upper body and strengthen the core and all kind of stretches” Stringer continues, explaining how dancers could be placing themselves in much better condition to compete.
Read more: Ten-year-old Irish dance World Champion follows in Lord of the Dance father’s footsteps
In no other sport, he adds, would you train in a more than idyllic condition, explaining that other athletes would make conditions harder for themselves when training rather than easier so as to prepare themselves for difficulties on the day. Irish dance is doing the opposite until this point, he believes, training in lighter conditions than they will be on stage.
You can see more Kilogear CUT products here.
Are you an Irish dancer? What do you make of the weighted gear and would you practice with it? Let us know in the comments section, below.
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