Profile · Forma
Circus performer Sadie Lee has attended university to pursue her dream in the performing arts
A Chinese pole artist who turned down a place at Leeds to study performing arts, and how strength training sharpens her circus work.
Sadie Lee turned down her place at the University of Leeds to study Art to instead do a degree that would fulfil an urge to do something she would genuinely enjoy and train for.
Exclusive interview to see how strength training has improved her performance.
Why is strength training important for your circus practice?
Sadie Lee: “It is purely dependent on your discipline but because a lot of them rely heavily on your ability to hold your body weight and be very mobile, it is important you do strength conditioning for the whole body and then adapt this to what ever is engaged most in your discipline.”
What foundational exercises or drills are essential for your discipline?
Sadie Lee: “I am a Chinese pole artist, it is very important to have strong climbs so I do various different methods of climbs to wake up the body. There is a lot of engagement in the forearms so I focus on stretching that area.”
Are there particular calisthenics or bodyweight movements you rely on regularly?
Sadie Lee: “Climbing and Chinese pole and primarily pulling, this is very intense on the forearms. Strength training like pull ups are very helpful for this.”
How does partner work or ensemble training shape your conditioning?
Sadie Lee: “We have movement classes in which we have to do contact exercises and be able to hold each others body weight and have awareness of each other. It is very important to be very engaged and attentive when working with a big group. In group acrobatics we will have base and flyers, usually the stronger ones are the bases and flyers are smaller.”
How do you approach developing pulling versus pushing strength?
Sadie Lee: “In handstand training this is pushing strength which relies on full body engagement and pushing through the shoulder on top of the wrists. We do specific drills to enhance our engagement of our shoulders and our wrists bearing the weight of our bodies.”
How important is proprioception—your awareness of where your body is in space—to your strength work?
Sadie Lee: “Extremely important, there is not a time where you can not be aware of what you are doing as there is a lot of risk in most of the disciplines. This comes with habit and lots of practice.”
Which recovery strategies help you manage fatigue and stay consistent?
Sadie Lee: “Active Rest is obviously the best recovery technique but sometimes that can be hard especially when your career consists of using your body in high intensity exercises daily. For me I make sure I get 8-9 hours sleep, I make sure I fuel my body with food constantly throughout the day, I also take some vitamin supplements for bone and muscle health like magnesium and turmeric/black pepper, and sometimes if I’m feeling fancy I take a magnesium salt bath ;) FOOD AND SLEEP ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT!”
How do rest and nutrition factor into your ability to maintain strength and technique?
Sadie Lee: “I think rest and nutrition is one of the most important factors often overlooked. Personally my body could not take that much exercise if I wasn’t constantly fuelling throughout the day and sleeping well. For high intensity exercise it is so important you fuel with lots of carbs, proteins and sugars throughout the day to avoid fatigue and injuries.”
Speaking to Sadie was enlightening and marked the need for strength to pursue a more niche form of physical activity, broadening the horizons for the fitness world.