YOUR GUIDE TO CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS | © AERIAL PHYSIQUE INC.

CLEAN EGG BEATER

YOUR GUIDE TO

FOOT LOCKS
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HELLO THERE, AERIALIST!
Are your Egg Beater Foot Locks (aka Dancers Wrap) hit and miss? Do you feel
like your legs don't know where they're going and your arms get tired mid-
way through?

Maybe you manage to wrap correctly once in a while but you haven't yet
cracked the code to nail them consistently?

I've been there too!

Quick story ... Several years ago I performed on a cruise ship. My act included
Egg Beaters into splits, Creature (that back bendy skill where you pull your
feet overhead), Windmills, 'flying' above the audience (yes, that part was as
fun as it sounds!) and a few other skills.

I'm one of those people that gets suuupppper anxious before performing. I
sweat profusely and feel rather shaky. Can you relate?

Once I'm on stage though all of that disappears and I'm truly in the moment
... that is until I MESS UP!

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 1



I recall one performance in particular where I was doing Egg Beaters into
Splits and somehow my foot got stuck in the silk.

I was about 20 feet up, center stage and the fog machine was dramatically
blasting on cue with the music.

The silk stuck so well to my foot that the rigger who was operating the winch
had to lower me to the stage. There I was awkwardly stuck with thousands of
eye-balls on me and now about 30 seconds behind my music.

I felt a sense of relief when one foot met the stage and I finally pushed the
trapped silk off my other foot and continued on with my act .. but I'll never
forget the embarrassment I felt!

From that day forward I practiced Egg Beaters relentlessly to avoid any
future performance mishaps.

In this guide, I'll walk you through prep exercises, technique pointers and
common mistakes so you can confidently nail your Egg Beaters every time
(and not get stuck mid-air like me!).

I got stuck right

about here!

I wish I had a photo of my stuck moment, but here's a picture of the theater for a visual!

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 2

Let's break it down
Why are they called Egg Beaters in the first place?

When it comes to aerial skill names it's like playing a giant game of
'telephone' with the world! There are so many creative names out there but
rarely are they consistent among aerialists and studios.

Egg Beater Foot Locks are named after whisking eggs in a circular motion
which resembles the leg pathway we use in the air.

I'm not sure who was the first to call them 'Egg Beaters' or the brilliant mind
behind the wrap, but it's what I've always known them as when I was first
introduced to them back in 2007.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 3

Let's prepare your bod!
Suspending on your arms while circling your legs mid-air can be a tricky feat.
Preparing your body well prior is always a good idea. The key areas that need
attention are your hip flexors and active hamstring strength. I'm confident if you do
these two exercises prior you'll be well on your way to better Egg Beaters!

LUNGE - HIP FLEXOR & QUAD STRETCH

Begin in a Lunge with your legs at 90-degree

angles and ribcage directly over your pelvis.
Squeeze glutes & tuck hips under to feel a stretch
in the hip flexor of your back leg.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Bend your back knee and grab the front of your

foot with your same side hand. Aim to keep
ribcage over pelvis and hips tucked. Press your
foot into your hand and feel the stretch in your
quad and hip flexor.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Now let's make it active! Release your hand and aim to

keep your foot in the same place. Hello, hamstrings!
You'll need this active flexibility when lifting your heel
toward your bum in your Egg Beaters.

Hold for 10 seconds.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 4

STANDING HIP FLEXOR & QUAD STRETCH

Stand tall and bring one heel toward your bum. Grab
your foot with your same side hand. Squeeze knees
together, press your hand into your foot and feel a
stretch in your quad.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Now press your foot into your hand and allow your
knee to travel back. As you do so aim to keep your
chest lifted and glutes tight to avoid arching your
lower back.

Hold for 20-30 seconds.

Now let's make it active! Release your hand and aim to

keep your foot lifted. Hello, hamstrings! You'll need this
active flexibility when lifting your heel toward your
bum in your Egg Beaters.

Hold for 10 seconds.

Repeat 1x each side

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 5

 Let's mark it on the mat
Prior to giving Egg Beaters a go in the air, it's important to fine-tune your leg
pathway on the floor. Doing so will set you up for success without tiring out your
upper body unnecessarily. The pathway consists of two inward circles with a focus
on lifting your heel toward your bum to prevent the wraps from sliding off your foot.

Stand tall with Extend one leg to Bend your knee & pass
split silks. the side. foot between silks.
K
ne
e
P
it

Lift heel toward your Circle leg from the back, Bend knee & lift heel
bum to ensure the silk side & slightly to the toward your bum to
arrives in your 'knee pit.' front. create your second wrap.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 6

 8

Circle leg from the back, Bend your knee & step
side & to the front. into the stirrup of slack
under the arch of
your foot.

Additional tips:

To exit, keep the silk on the inside of your knee and step forward to
release your wrap.

Practice the same pathway on your other side.

Your 2nd circle needs to be a tad quicker than your first to prevent the
silks from sliding off your foot.

The more you can lift your heel toward your bum, the better.

Your hip flexors and core are at work to keep your legs
lifted at about a 30-degree angle from the floor. If your feet
get too close to the mat, it's likely your wraps will slide off.

Repeat 3x each side

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 7

Let's talk arm positions
Egg Beaters can be done by utilizing straight arms or bent arms when wrapping.
I personally prefer straight arms due to not having to hold a pull-up position and it
eliminates having to reach your arms up when stepping into your locks. However, I
recommend practicing both versions so you have the option to choose which suits
your sequence or choreography best.

STRAIGHT ARMS BENT ARMS

When working with straight arms When working with bent arms pull
allow your shoulder blades to the silks apart, draw your elbows
upwardly rotate as you maintain a down toward your hips while
strong grip on the silks. lengthening your neck.

Hanging correctly with straight Commit to your arm position. If

arms requires more shoulder your arms 'melt' midway through
mobility than bent arms. your Egg Beaters your wraps will
likely slide down.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 8

Let's go for it!
The time has come, let's go for the real deal!

Begin hanging from split Open legs to the side Bend knees & pass feet
silks with straight or behind the silks. between silks.
bent arms.

Lift heels toward your Circle legs from the back, Bend knees & lift heels
bum to ensure the silk to the side & slightly to toward your bum to
arrives in your 'knee pits.' the front. create the second wrap
around your ankles.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 9

 8 9

Circle legs from the back, Gaze down & press your
to the side & slightly to feet together. Pull-up as
the front. Join legs and your bend your knees to
squeeze ankles together. create loops of slack or
'stirrups' under your feet.
Step into your loops and
you've arrived in
Egg Beater Foot Locks!

*Important Note: If you wrapped with bent arms you'll need to

reach your hands up high prior to step 8 in order to step in.

Completed 2 wraps with Reach hands high. Gaze down & press feet
bent arms. together. Pull up &
bend knees to step in.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 10

Let's get out smoothly!
It's not over until it's over! Smooth exits are equally important as smooth entrances.
You have a couple of different options when it comes to exiting your Egg Beater
Foot Locks depending on what you're going into next. Will you need the silks apart
or together? In addition, it's imperative that you remember to STEP FORWARD to
get out of Egg Beaters as stepping backward can leave you in a tangled mess!

OPTION #1 EXIT WITH SILKS APART

Holding one silk in each hand place the poles of the silks to the inside of your knees.
Lift one knee up forward and down to unlock your wrap. Repeat on the other foot.

OPTION #2 EXIT WITH SILKS TOGETHER

Grab silks together in front of you. Lift knees up forward and down one to
two times to unlock your wraps.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 11

Let's talk mistakes
Mistakes are inevitable when we're learning something new or aiming to improve.
You don't know until you know! Below are a few things I've witnessed many
aerialists do (including myself!) that don't make for successful Egg Beaters.

NOT KICKING HEELS UP

& BACK ENOUGH

This is where your active hamstring

strength comes into play! Gotta lift
your heels toward your booty as
much as you can to avoid losing
your wraps.

SEPARATING FEET WHEN

STEPPING IN
When stepping in aim to keep the
inside of your feet pressing
together & slightly separate your
heels to step into your locks. If your
feet are too far apart it's likely your
wraps will fall off in the process of
stepping in.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 12

 NOT PULLING UP WHEN
STEPPING IN

If you only rely on bending your

knees to step into your locks they'll
be hit and miss. You need to pull up
and bend your knees at the same
time to create enough slack under
your feet to step into.

UNDER-STEPPING

If you don't bend your knees and/or

pull up enough when you step in
the silk slides up your heels to your
ankles.

OVER-STEPPING

If you bend your knees too high or

pull up too much then it can result
in the silks wrapping around your
toes instead of supporting the
arches of your feet.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 13

 EXITING WITH THE SILKS ON THE
OUTSIDE OF YOUR KNEES

While it's still possible to unlock

your wraps when the silks are to the
outside of your knees, it makes it
more difficult and it's definitely not
as smooth as when they're on the
inside.

STEPPING BACKWARD

If you step back to exit your wraps

be prepared to get tangled! It's
imperative that you step forward.
When you're low to the mat you
have the luxury of stepping down.
When you're higher you'll need the
strength to pull up and unwrap
yourself or the assistance of a coach.

It's easy to make this mistake as we

do step backward when exiting
classic foot locks. Many commonly
get the two confused mid-skill or
sequence.

Experience is making mistakes and learning from them.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 14

Let's condition!
It goes without saying that the majority of aerial skills require upper body strength.
If you feel your leg pathway is strong but your arms say 'ok that's enough!' mid-way
through, I'd recommend incorporating the exercises below into your training. Your
ability to hold yourself with both bent and straight arms along with your pull-up
strength are all beneficial.

BENT & STRAIGHT ARM HANG-TIME

Begin from a climbing position with either bent or straight arms.

Release feet from silks, draw abs in, front ribs down toward your hip bones
and meet legs together. Hold and breathe starting with 10 seconds working
your way all the way up to 60 seconds, yes 60!

If your arms are bent - widen through your collar bones while you draw
elbows down toward your hips and lengthen your neck.

If your arms are straight - allow your shoulder blades to upwardly rotate
with arms in external rotation while you focus on not allowing your front
ribs to flare out.

I'd suggest giving it a go one time in each arm position. Each training
session aim to beat your previous time even if it's by 1 second!

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 15

 PULL-UPS

Pull-ups are the bread and butter of your aerial training! Or in other
words, a staple skill.

Begin hanging with long arms. Allow your shoulder blades to upwardly
rotate with arms in external rotation. Think about pulling the silks down
as your elbows bend to take you up! Lower to your starting position with
control.

I know, easier said than done!

If a full pull-up isn't happening yet for you it's ok! Allow yourself to jump
up into the bent arm position and work the negative lowering action.
Aim to take a full 3-5 counts to lower down. By working the 'negative'
you're utilizing the same muscles needed to pull up. You'll get there!

Aim for 5 pull-ups. Do as many as you can on your own then jump and
lower with control for the rest.

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 16

 NOTES
Did you have any 'aha' moments? Any technique pointers that resonated
that you'd like to jot down? Do so below!

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 17

 REMINDER
Just because you haven't achieved
a skill you've been working toward
in aerial (yet) that doesn't make
you any less of a person.

Aerial is difficult & you're doing

amazing!

Give yourself a round of applause

for sticking with it and making it
to the end of this guide!

CLEAN EGG BEATER FOOT LOCKS PAGE 18

Thank you for taking the time to
read through this guide & for
being part of the Aerial Physique
community!

I'd love to see your Egg Beater

progress! Send an email to
info@aerialphysique.com or tag
me on Instagram @aerialphysique!

With encouragement,

Jill Franklin

www.aerialphysique.com