Q + A with Heather Larsen — Professional Slackliner

A Slacker With A Contagious Smile Take A Step Into Heather Larsen’s Slacklife Story From the first time we connected years ago, Heather has always been professional and kind. Willing to participate in community projects and always a continuous source of inspiration. She’s strong and skilled on low slacklines as well as the highlines. Just … Read more

11 Best Gifts For Slackliners and Highliners

10 Best Gifts For Slackliners and Highliners

Spread The Slacker Stoke With These Perfect Holiday Gifts For Slackliners Let’s be real. Buying a special gift for someone that’s just right, is HARD. You sit there brainstorming…and when you think about that special someone, your mind just runs around in circles. Well we want to help. Maybe you have friends who want to dip their … Read more

Q + A with Mickey Wilson — Trickline Extraordinaire

Jumping On Line With Tricky Mickey Wilson 3 Time World Slackline Champion In the slackline world there are many forms of slacklining. Such as rodeolining, longlining, waterlining, midlining, highlining, and tricklining. Each possesses their own set of challenges and variations. However, tricklining is unique in that it uses a 2″ line under extremely high tension. … Read more

Q + A: Friedi Kühne, Longest Free Solo Highline World Record Holder

Take A Dive Into Friedi Kühne’s State Of Mind Longest Free Solo Highline World Record Holder In case you don’t know, Friedi Kühne is the current free solo highline world record holder, with an astonishing 110m send. You heard correctly! That’s a 110m walk across a highline in the South of France, without being leashed or … Read more

60+ Slackline Festivals Around The World

Festival Guide: 60+ Slackline and Highline Festivals As the years pass, the number of highline and slackline festivals grow. It seems like each and every year there is another highline festival popping up somewhere in the world. So I decided to compile a list of every single (current!) slackline festival that I could find. This … Read more

Tri-Axial Loading a Carabiner: Is it safe for slacklining?

example of tri-axial loading

First Things First…What Is Tri-Axial Loading? I recently posted an instructional video on how to set up a Yogaslackers E-line kit. In this tutorial I tri-axial loaded a carabiner at one anchor point. Let’s talk a bit more about that, including what it means and the safety implications involved with this rigging technique. What does … Read more

4 Slackline Safety Tips

4 Slackline Safety Tips slackrobats

Simple Tips To Minimize Risk 4 Slackline Safety Tips As the popularity of slacklining rises so does the potential for injury. It’s important to go into this practice knowing there are risks, and what you can do to minimize those risks. I’ve been slacklining for a little over 4.5 years now, and have had a … Read more

The History of Slacklining

Slacklining History SLACKROBATS

The History of Slacklining A Brief Look At How We Got Here The history of slacklining can be a confusing topic because people often confuse it with the tightrope modality. For many centuries there has been rope walking, tightrope walking, and wire walking. When you hear someone mention tightrope, many of you may think of … Read more

18 Slackline Quotes to Support/Calm Your Walk

18 Slackline Quotes to Support/Calm Your Walk buddy thomas

Support Your Practice With Empowering Thoughts We all have our moments of struggle, when the disorganized chatter in our head is so loud we can’t concentrate. Our focus is easily distracted and our minds drift in and out of the present moment. Remembering to breath and having a mantra to say, either in your head … Read more

RESPECT YOUR JOINTS. Warm Up Before Activity.

RESPECT YOUR JOINTS. Warm Them Up Before Activity.

Let’s Warm-Up Before We Play Whether you’re getting ready to do acroyoga, slackline, go running, or do some handstands, it’s important to warm up the body. When you warm up the joints and muscles, it gets the fluids moving and the heart pumping. The body likes warming up before you put a lot of high … Read more

Free Slackrobats eGuide: Slacklining For Complete Beginners

Free Slackrobats eGuide: Slacklining For Complete Beginners

A Slackrobats eGuide To Get You Started Intro to Slacklining We are happy to announce the release of our first Slackrobats eGuide! Slacklining For Complete Beginners is packed full of useful information to help you get started with slacklining. We know how hard it can be to find high quality information online. It can feel overwhelming for someone … Read more

5 Training Drills For Slackline Enthusiasts (with video!)

5 TRAINING DRILLS FOR THE SLACKLINE SLACKROBATS training exercises slackline reps slacklining tutorials learn how to slackline beginner slackline training

Slackline Drills to Keep You In Shape

So you have your slackline, now what? Whether you’re an old school slacker or fresh to the slacklining world, training is good for the soul. There’s so much more than just getting on a slackline and walking back and forth. There’s style, technique, and of course lots of fun playing around! Training with different reps and long holds can help you develop your style, strengthen your technique and explore new possibilities while playing around.

Here’s a list of 5 training drills I put together, to mix it up next time you walk your line. Take an hour or so, and play around with these drills. If you can only do a few of these, it’s okay, remember it’s a practice. If at first you don’t succeed; try, try again! If you can already do all of these, remember, it’s a practice. Training is excellent conditioning for any skill level. It’s important to continue practicing foundational drills to advance your comfort on the line. A strong foundation allows for great heights to be achieved.

I will do my best to describe each of these drills in detail. I have included videos of each of these drills to offer visual and audio support to help learn and understand the technique. If you have any questions or want more of a challenge, please send me a comment.

 

1. Chongo Starts

A Chongo start can be done anywhere on the line. Often it is good to start at the end of the line near an anchor point. Especially if this is new for you! Being by the anchor point there is less movement in the line. To start, choose a foot and put it on the line heel touching, toes turned out 45 degrees from the line. Next, find a focus point or drishti at the opposite anchor point from which you are starting. With your body facing the long end of the line, put the opposite hand of whatever foot you choose, on the line (Palm touching, fingers turned same or opposite of your toes on the line.)

Here you can find a balance on the line, putting about 70% weight in the foot, and 30% weight in the hand. You use your other arm and leg as a counter balance. When that feels good and balanced, take your dangling leg and begin to bring it onto the line, foot facing forward. As your foot makes contact with the line, your hand touching the line lifts. You are replacing your hand with your foot! Now with both feet on the line, slowly and with control, stand up! That’s a Chongo start!

2. Sit-Starts

Pick an end of a line, close to an anchor point. Straddle the slackline so your back is facing the near anchor point. Begin to sit, placing your butt to the left or right of your tailbone. This may take some time to find that spot, just remember the slackline is not on your tailbone! Next, place a foot on the line, often the opposite foot of the butt-check your sitting on. You want your foot to be big toe facing the long end of the line, with the entire foot touching the line. Now bring that foot that’s on the line and your Thut (where your butt meets your thigh), as close as possible.

Find balance here, with the straight leg not touching the ground. Then bring your other foot in front of the one that’s on the line, and let your knees all wide. Find balance here! Finally, roll your upper body forward and through your wide knees and over your hips as you stand up. It’s one motion, forward and up. This is one of many variations of a sit start.

3. Sit-Start Sit Reps

Now knowing how to sit start, begin there. Get good and comfortable with rolling forward and standing up. Hold here, standing, with both feet on the line. Now slowly begin to reverse the process of rolling forward and standing, by bending the knees and keeping your center of weight forward as you get lower with your butt. When your butt is inches above the line you slowly begin to shift your center weight back to softly land sitting on the line. This requires a lot of core engagement. When you squat really low on the line, it can shake quite a bit! Remember to breath! Once you have landed safely, try again, sit-start, sit. Try reps. Start small with 3-5, then build to 10.

4. Squat Walks

Start by getting on the line close to an anchor point, both feet on the line. Find a focus point or drishti at the anchor point opposite of where you are starting. Once you find balance here, engage your core as you begin to bend at the knees. Continue bending at the knees bringing your butt as close to the line as you can without actually touching the line. It will help if you keep your weight slightly forward while squatting.

Through this process it is important to keep your arms up and out to maintain your balance, and remember to breath. Once you have gone as low as you can go, you will simply reverse the process by straightening your legs until you are in full standing position. Now it’s time to take a step, and do it again. You repeat this procedure again and again until you have made it across the line, or your body needs a break.

5. Double Foot Long Hold

Long holds are great training! For this long hold you want to pick a spot on the line, near the anchor point if this is new for you. Get yourself up and on the line finding balance with both feet on the line, toes touching the heel of your other foot. Find a drishti point and engage your core. You can have a slight bend in the knees, which can help for adjusting and maintaining control while on the line. Also use your arms to help steady yourself! Now start the timer!

I would recommend doing 15 seconds or 30 seconds to start. The goal is to stay on the line with both feet remaining in their original position! After you get comfortable with 15 or 30 seconds, begin to increase the time you stay on the line. Really, it becomes limitless and depends how long you want to push yourself! If you want to make it more challenging start closer to the middle of the line. In the middle there is going to be more ability for the line to move, making it much harder to maintain control.

I hope these drills and descriptions are helpful, and offer something to your practice. Remember to breath and celebrate each success, however big or small that success may be! Thank you kindly and enjoy!

Peace,
Buddy Thomas

Cultivate Balance With CTL Training

CTL training

CTL Training Constant-Tension-Load (CTL) Let’s talk training technique. Today I’m going to discuss ONE specific style of training called CTL Training. This refers to constant tension load training, which is a great technique for building muscle mass. CTL training means keeping the muscle under tension (activated) and turned on while working out. For example, when you do a … Read more

Kick Off 2017 With A Slackline #SlackrobatsChallenge!

Kick Off 2017 With A Slackline #SlackrobatsChallenge!

Slackrobats Challenge Time! February 15th – February 24th Slackline Challenge Are you ready to have some more fun with the SLACKROBATS?! This Wednesday marks the start of the next #SlackrobatsChallenge, which will be a slackline theme this time around. Join us for this fun, challenging, and creative challenge. Remember that safety is our absolute first … Read more

How Slacklining and AcroYoga Got Me On Social Media

How Slacklining and AcroYoga Got Me On Social Media

I’ve Never Used Social Media Until Now… Here’s a little fun fact about me…I’m one of those people who still don’t have a Facebook account. Actually I’ve never had a personal social media account of any kind. Still to this day I don’t have a personal account. Oh wait–I have a LinkedIn account that’s not … Read more

Acrolining: The Love Child of Slacklining + AcroYoga

The Acrolining Adventures Continue… Awhile back, around December 2015, I wrote a blog about combining two passions into one practice. The fusion of Acro and Slacklining…to create Acrolining. This is where a Base lays down on the slackline and a Flyer gets onto the Base and into different acro poses. Most of the poses I had tried … Read more

Slacklining In Mexico: Training and Making Friends

Slacklining In Mexico: Training and Making Friends

Turning Strangers Into Friends Slacklining strikes again, leaving smiles and new connections to balance in its wake. Now let me tell you a tale of adventure and exploration. A true story of how the slackline helped open doors to new friendships. How it has never let me down as a training partner, and how it continues to … Read more

17 Quotes To Encourage And Empower You

slackrobats quotes to encourage and empower acroyoga slacklining

Discover Your Inner Strength We all need a little help from our friends. Whether it be a friend you know or a friend you haven’t met yet, the progress we seek is fostered all around us. Let the distractions of the outside world fall away to make space for intuition and connection to the lessons that … Read more

Slackline Training: 6-Pose Long Hold Sequence

slackrobats slackline training long hold sequence

Let’s Start With the 6 Slackline Poses… Then We’ll Get Into The Slackline Training Techniques! So, before we build a slackline long hold sequence, we have to first start with the poses. Below is a list of 6 static poses for you to practice on the line. I want you to hold each pose for 1 minute–hence … Read more

19 Training Quotes to Encourage and Inspire

19 Training Quotes to Encourage and Inspire buddy thomas slackrobats

Training Quotes To Keep You Headed Towards Your Goal…   Sometimes you just need a little support. Sometimes you just need your fellow Slackrobats to remind you just how strong you really are. Next time you are training towards a goal and you find yourself struggling, let one of these quotes settle you. Let room be created … Read more

Win FREE Slacklines in October’s #SlackrobatsChallenge!

slackline challenge october slackrobatschallenge

The October Slackrobats Challenge Is Here! Hashtag: #SlackrobatsChallenge Are you ready to win some FREE slackline gear?! Tomorrow marks the start of our next #SlackrobatsChallenge. The last one was so much fun, we decided to do it again! This month’s challenge is slackline-centered and exposure-themed. Time to turn your practice sideways. We can’t wait to see … Read more

Slackline Tips: 3 Ways To Enter Drop-Knee

3 ways to enter drop-knee slacklining tutorial tips and technique

3 Ways To Enter Into Drop-Knee On The Slackline Slackline Training Tips Have you ever wondered how to get into that Drop-Knee position? You’re in luck, today I’m going to talk about 3 different ways to enter into Drop-Knee on the Slackline.  Drop-Knee itself, is a great resting place when you’re slacklining. Whether your on a … Read more