Comments on: Where can I find a bboy workout?

Question: Where can I find a bboy workout?

misled — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 10:51:47 -0800

The B-Boy workout: How are B-Boys able to build such strength in proportion to their own bodyweight? Traditional bodybuilding should be able to help, but are there certain exercises that allow for people to control and distort their bodyweight in the way B-Boys do?

I apologize if the title doesn't make much sense, but I do not know how else to title the question.

I am fascinated with the way B-Boys are able to control their bodyweight in different ways. If you would like to know what I am talking about, here are two videos:

Video 1
Video 2

What kind of exercises do they do? Is there a workout program out there that helps grow their skills more or is it purely the dance that does it?

By: Ambrosia Voyeur

Ambrosia Voyeur — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:01:23 -0800

I believe it's the "breakdancing" that does it. From my experience taking a "breakdance" class, it's fundamental that you be able to lift your bodyweight uniformly with different muscle groups, making it quite the feat for a woman of 5'8" like me at nearly any body mass. You won't find many bulky "breakdancers".

see above for tag suggestions.

By: paxton

paxton — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:07:12 -0800

Kung-Fu or similar martial arts regimens seem to be a common theme in the workouts of the b-boys I've known.

By: bkeene12

bkeene12 — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:11:49 -0800

Damn, that mo fo is one strong son of a bitch! I would have to say that 70% of what you see is genitics.

As for your question... frist, how much experience do you have with weight training? Incidentally, what song is that playing in Video 1?

By: stormygrey

stormygrey — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:12:38 -0800

My b-boy ex boyfriend just practiced and practiced with no "workout" componet and was able to get to those crazy core body strength moves.

By: A189Nut

A189Nut — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:26:02 -0800

Popeye, the original B Boy?

By: gauchodaspampas

gauchodaspampas — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:26:46 -0800

Some of them do Capoiera as this helps them build strength, and also has been an influence on breakdancing from the beginning.

By: YoungAmerican

YoungAmerican — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:31:32 -0800

Folks I know dance a lot and do a lot of push ups and situps.

By: goetter

goetter — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:44:35 -0800

Incidentally, what song is that playing in Video 1?

Eric B and Rakim, "I Know You Got Soul"

By: rtha

rtha — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:46:54 -0800

Maybe consider gymnastics? Gymnasts seem to have a similar thing going - huge core body strength (and flexibility), but not all bulked up from weightlifting.

By: goetter

goetter — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:49:05 -0800

More precisely, it's a remix of same by DJ Db, "I Know You Got Soul Acen Remix"

By: the cuban

the cuban — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:52:25 -0800

lots of bodyweight exercises

By: twiggy

twiggy — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:02:12 -0800

You won't find many bulky "breakdancers".

Yes you will. Many of them are built like gymnasts. I'd recommend seeing what your local gymnastics team (college best, high school works) does to train....

By: OmieWise

OmieWise — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:10:01 -0800

A lot of the moves are very similar to yoga arm balance asanas. Yoga people who really go for it, are definitely strong in this way.

By: zpousman

zpousman — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:29:09 -0800

If you're already strong: gymastics, breaking classes,

If you're not: Yoga, Capoeria

By: stratastar

stratastar — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:51:53 -0800

First, it helps to get weight down, which happens if you're active (and if you're trying to be a b-boy... you're active...) the more you do the specific exercises whether breakdancing moves, capoiera, or yoga, the more muscles you build around them...

One exercise that's good: do a hand stand against the wall, and try to bring your head to the ground, and back up. It's essentially a shoulder lift that forces you to be balanced...

By: gnutron

gnutron — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:04:43 -0800

handstand pushups, with your back against the wall.

By: ig

ig — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:32:19 -0800

I was hired to photograph the BC ONE b-boy World Championships in november last year and had the opportunity to watch some of the world's best perform and practice. Comments above are all correct: gymnastics, capoeira, yoga, unbelievable stretching, and endless repetition of their routines. Amazing athletes.

By: blag

blag — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 15:34:26 -0800

It's worth pointing out that the guy in your first video - Junior - has a very unusual physique for a b-boy. Upper-body, he is (was?) one of the physically strongest breakers around but his legs are underdeveloped due to illness. Most of his power comes from his core - hence loads of ab moves, pushups etc. and very few jumps. Compare his physique to the folks in your second video. Or his opponent in this video, which contrasts the two styles well and is so awesome your eyes might start bleeding.

Astonishingly, Junior came 3rd in the competition you linked to... robbed!

By: gramcracker

gramcracker — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 16:21:28 -0800

Shoulders, shoulders, shoulders.

By: lunchbox

lunchbox — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:25:54 -0800

B-boying does not put quite that much emphasis on raw strength. What you see in the first video is far from typical b-boying; although those kinds of stalls ("freezes") are used in b-boying, they are a minor part. The second video is much more typical. Although you have to be incredibly fit to do this stuff, coordination is more important than raw strength; I have many friends who are scrawny but great with power moves. Once you have momentum built up, windmills, swipes, halos and headspins require much more coordination and rhythm than strength. (A notable exception is flaring, which is just as physically strenuous as it looks.)

By: rxrfrx

rxrfrx — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 17:35:03 -0800

More precisely, it's a remix of same by DJ Db, "I Know You Got Soul Acen Remix"

Wouldn't the Acen Remix be by Acen?

By: shokod

shokod — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:50:41 -0800

It's trite but practice makes perfect. LOTS of fucking practice. By practicing the moves, the muscles get stronger and you get more control etc.
Seconding the handstand push-ups (against a wall) for good muscle increase and control. Practicing rapid dancing is good for endurance and foot movement (even on something like Pump it Up or DDR). Lots of push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups coupled with practicing specific moves gets you there.
It's a slow process if you have no previous gymnastic/capoiera experience.
Find a local crew or group (you're in So Cali so I'm sure there are tons of breakers around, just check at a university or community center or something) and ask if you can hang out with them. It'll be daunting at first but (in my experience) bboys are very sociable, friendly, and helpful and once you start doing it you'll notice a change. That and you'll spend a lot of time on the internet looking at videos. Good luck!

By: goetter

goetter — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 18:55:49 -0800

Wouldn't the Acen Remix be by Acen?

One would think, yeah. See track 7 here.

By: chudder

chudder — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:26:50 -0800

Grease the groove by working on the skills every day in a series of slow progressions toward more advanced tricks. Don't get greedy. Injury-free progress is slow. Work on gymnastics conditioning and skills, and build a set of parallettes to start working on your L-sits, V-sits, handstands, and planches. Bodyweight conditioning is great, as it will keep your strength:bodyweight high. You will need incredible core strength to pull tricks like that without major injury, and well-developed anaerobic capacity to get through routines. It makes sense to train the metabolic pathways specific to your intended activity. Breakdancing requires high intensity anaerobic conditioning. Try interval training, both HIIT (high intensity interval training) and Tabata Intervals (try the Tabata This! workout) if you're in decent shape and have no heart problems (seriously).

By: bkeene12

bkeene12 — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:45:20 -0800

Thanks goetter and rxrfrx! I like that song.