How to Slackline: Getting Started

Slacklining is a lot of fun, and a great way to develop balance, coordination and mindfulness, while also getting a good workout, especially for the abs, core and legs.
Of course, first you need a line; there are loads of different brands, so how do you know which one is best for your needs?

Beginners Slackline Kit
For beginners I always recommend the Gibbon X13 Classic 15m kit, which has everything you need to get started (except trees to set the line up between). It has a good line & ratchet, as well as protectors to reduce damage to tree bark or your slackline. This kit will give you up to about 13m of usable line when set up. They can be difficult to get locally, so if you're having trouble, try this amazon link.

Different brands of line have different properties, mainly the amount of stretch (and therefore bounce) in the line. The Gibbon Classic has about 10-12% stretch, making it a fun line to play on.

In workshops I use ..
Gibbon Classic 15m; 
Gibbon Classic 25m
Maverick Slacklines 25m
Slack.fr 25m

There are loads of other brands newer onto the market whose lines I haven't tried yet, including Trailblaze Slackline, Barefoot Slacklines, Macaco Slacklines and many others..

To help you get started, here are a few beginners videos to help you take those first steps.

If you'd like to arrange a slackline workshop get in touch and we'll figure out the details.

Indian summer slackline sessions

I've been making the most of the Indian summer we're having here in Ireland, with a slackline based training session almost every day. Mind you, I'm making sure to have at 2 rest days each week (injury rates in all sports go up significantly when there are less than 2 rest days per week).

I'm also getting back on track with preventative maintainence, which is an area I'd been neglecting this year. What I mean by this is a combination of doing specific stabilisation & rehabilitation exercises for old injuries to stop them from flaring up again, as well as having regular deep tissue massage to release knots and trigger points within the muscles. Relaxing it is not, but it does help keep me mobile.

While slacking in Tralee town park yesterday one of my former colleagues in the gym  was passing by and stopped to give it a go. It's fair to say he was 'surprised' by how challenging it was just to stand on the line, even with help. He did comment on how much more he could feel his weak ankle working over the strong one. 

While he was there I took him through a few basic ways the slackline can be used as an effective tool for personal training, and made a quick video demonstrating a few of the moves I regularly use in my own training.

Note to self, get a microphone ;-)

Elemental Limerick Slackline Demo

Today my body kind of hates me. Sore shoulders, sore legs and a sore butt, all resulting from a 4 hour slackline demo & workshop yesterday in Limerick city. But it's so worth it! I had the privilege of introducing hundreds of people to the fun challenge of walking a slackline for the first time, and what a diverse range of people gave it a go! With some help and support from myself of course, safety first!

The youngest hadn't even started school, the oldest retired nearly 20 years ago. I love & admire that kind of spirit! I had a couple of rugby players, a bunch of runners of various levels, a few footballers and several housewives all give it a go and enjoy it. Oh, and more kids than I could count!

There were a couple of standout moments and absolute stars though...

One was when a father in his early 40's, heavily overweight (he said "I'm over 20stone, I doubt that line will hold me" but was reassured when I pointed out the breaking strain on the line is 2,500kg) and managing injuries to both knees and one ankle faced his fears and gave it a go. And really enjoyed it! Now, he was working hard to stay balanced but you should have seen his kids faces light up as they saw their daddy walk the 'tightrope'. Within a couple of minutes, his posture straightened, his face relaxed and he realised that he was much more able than he thought, once he let go of 'I can't' and embraced 'I can try'.

Another was when a heavily tattooed, heavily muscled, scary looking guy gave it a go. Turns out he was an MMA fighter on his way back from the gym. The poor lad's legs didn't know what was happening when he stepped up on the line and they started shaking like crazy! As it happens he was a total gentleman and a good sport into the bargain. I would love to see how he'd get on trying it before a gym session.

All in all, a really enjoyable afternoon of slackline instruction & performing. I gotta do this more often, it's so rewarding and certainly worth all the aching muscles today!

A Balancing Act

A key to keeping active throughout your life is doing things that you enjoy. Balancing on the slackline is something I enjoy very much, for a number of reasons:
It promotes mindfulness, as you can't worry about the bills or anything else while you're slacking over water; if you do, you go splash!
It's a great leg and ab workout, and because the line will stretch, it's like a really skinny trampoline, so maintaining balance while walking is a challenge in itself!
It's a great way to develop the mind-body connection, as breathing and self-awareness are central to staying on the slackline, but over-thinking will also cause you to fall off!
Its great fun, and allows you to explore movement in a new way.

Mal Kelly Slacklines for Tralee Circus Festival with Blennerville Windmill in the background

As part of keeping balance in my own life I have been volunteering for several years with the Tralee Circus Festival, where I get to combine my clownish hobbies with my love of learning and teaching. It's something I always come away from feeling invigorated and inspired, if utterly exhausted due to burning the candle at both ends for the few days!

A few weeks ago, we did a promotional photoshoot for the festival, which incorporated the slackline. and made it to page 8 of one of todays national newspapers. This year, as usual, I will be giving slackline workshops as part of the festivals free workshop programme. Why not drop by and say hello?

Highlining In Lublin

I recently returned home from Lublin, Poland, where I was once again taking part in, and volunteering at, the 35th European Juggling Convention. This is was my 3rd visit to an EJC and they never disappoint; this year it was the timing of the EJC with an annual Urban Highlining Festival, that made it a must on my calendar.
I've been slacklining for about 4-5 yrs, generally in my local park and always starting from the ground and simply stepping up onto the line, so I was anticipating the excitement and nervousness as I attempted something new.

So I tried skylining for the first time, and the only thing that stopped me from falling on my ass was the fact there was no ground there to fall onto. Only a safety harness attached to the highline. As i bobbed up and down, hanging there in mid air, it occured to me that slack/high/sky lining is a lot like trying to make a big change to your lifestyle. The first step can be incredibly daunting, and things don't always work out as you'd expect. Even when you think you're sufficiently prepared.

So you fail. Big deal! Failing is part of learning, and it may even be the most important part. So fail often, learn WHY you failed, then try again. Next time you'll fail better, and eventually you'll succeed.

Now get out there and so some failing!

Related:
Slacking in Munich Olympic Park

Olympic slacking

I can't believe the week has come to an end. Since Monday morning I've been in Munich for the 2011 European Juggling Convention to learn some new techniques from, and be inspired by, some of the best in the world. My main focus was the slackline, and I have picked up a few new things, as well as refining my existing skills.
So what has this got to do with health and fitness? Well for starters, the Olympic site is huge (1.52Km from my tent to the main hall by the shortest route) and since I've been trekking back and forth with a rucksack full of kit 3 or four times a day, that adds up pretty quickly, especially in this heat!

As I mentioned , I was focusing on slackline, and to that end I spent about 4 hours per day on the line, as well as more time spent giving workshops and coaching others.
To top this off, yesterday I gave a free flowing workshop to over 50 people in an hour in the Olympic park, my largest workshop to date.

All in all, it's been a great week for me, catching up with old friends, making new ones, and expanding my range of skills and knowledge.

If you'd like to know more about slackline workshops or other services, send me an email...       Info@malkelly.com

Training/slacking

My dedication to my own training has been lacking recently, so i decided to get back into things yesterday with an intense interval session focusing on legs and balance on the slackline. After a good warmup, it was straight into intervals of 20 seconds activity followed by 10 secs recovery, for 6 minutes before taking 2 min rest & dynamic flexibility and repeating 6 more times.

The exercises used were:

 - Lunges...

For Reps (up to 10)
Holding lowest position for 20 sec

Holding, with pulses (both legs)

 - Split Squat...

For Reps (up to 10)
Holding lowest position for 20 sec

Holding, with pulses (both legs)

 - Single Leg Squat...

For Reps (up to 10)
Holding lowest position for 20 sec.

The single leg squats were definitely the most challenging element, as i found balance difficult to maintain beyond about 10 seconds, and especially on the left leg. I finished the session with some more dynamic stretching and a good cool-down.

Average heart rate over the training phase of the workout was 140bpm.

By the time i was finished this high intensity workout, my legs were like jelly and I felt ravenous, so it was time for the recovery smoothie.