It's very important to have fun when you're training and it's also very important to set yourself goals. In her previous programme Caroline asked me to teach her how to conquer the monkey bars and that's exactly what she did after just two sessions of trying.
Here are 3 key points to bear in mind if you too want to learn how to swing like a monkey.
🐒 Build up your ability to hang from the bar: Grip strength and the ability to hold your own bodyweight are vital. Practice just hanging from a bar with your hands and gradually build up to the point where you are consistently able to hang for 30-45 seconds.
🐒 Use your bodyweight to build momentum and swing like a pendulum: I cannot emphasise the importance of using your body's momentum when first learning the monkey bars, you will make your life so much easier. Start practicing by simply building a swinging momentum while holding on to two seaparate bars as if you were going to reach for the next one. Once you've got that down, it's time to start travelling across those bars.
🐒 Be like the monkeys: relax, be confident and have fun: Yes it's supposed to be challenging but it's also supposed to be fun. Try not to get frustrated and stay relaxed and supple. The more relaxed you are, the quicker you'll get it!