Research first. Train with intention.
Fuel like it actually matters.
This module is where the work happens.
Savannah's Intro Video Goes Here
👆 Click through each tab below — Research, Train, Fuel. Each one has its own tools to work through.
This is what you should actually be doing before tryouts — click a result below.
@danceteam · Reels
Full game day / sideline uploads
Current team members' pages
"[team name] tryout process"
Research your team
You'd be surprised how consistent a team's style stays across sidelines, combos, and media timeouts. Go find it.
Find sidelines or media timeouts the team has already posted — and match them exactly. Their choreo, their cleans, their style. This isn't about learning a version of it. It's about learning theirs.
Same goes for technique. Copy the technique combos they run. Master the specific tricks that show up again and again in their past routines. If they hit kip-ups constantly, get your kip-up down. If aerials show up in their reel, get that down too. These are just examples — the point is to notice what they actually do, not what you assume a team like theirs might do.
"I learned the dance, we're all good" is not the goal.
Everyone can learn a combo. What matters is how precisely you apply the things that team already does. What are their exact cleans? Their arm placement? Their hip placement? Be overly precise when you're drilling this alone — sloppy precision now becomes sloppy precision in the room.
Your training week
Click each day to set it. Aim for at least 3 dedicated training days — click through to build yours.
Rec centers usually have cheap day-passes, or train at home if that's what you've got. What matters more than the space is showing up with an actual plan and locking in once you're there.
Tap once for Train, again for Active Recovery, again for Rest, again to clear. Build a week you can actually stick to.
Lock in for the hour
30-minute stretch
Non-negotiable. This is where your range of motion actually gets built, not just maintained.
Technique combo — yours, or theirs
A technique combo of your choice, or pulled straight from the team's past routines. Nail it down before moving on.
Challenge: learn a combo cold
Try learning a combo or media timeout from a video, even over the phone. It's annoying, I know. But forcing your brain to pick up choreo in one of the hardest possible formats builds your retention, your speed picking up combos, and starts teaching you the team's exact style — all at once.
Weight training and cardio, both
For so long I thought lifting would make me bulky. It's not true — and here's why that matters for you.
"Lifting weights will make me bulky."
Significant muscle bulk is driven largely by testosterone, which is present at much lower levels in women than men. That's why women who lift consistently build strength and definition, not bulk. What weight training actually gives you as a dancer is fast-twitch muscle power — the exact thing that makes your jumps sharper, your turns more controlled, and your movement read as strong instead of just flexible.
Strength is what gets you through the routine.
A 10-minute performance and a 12-hour game day both demand real muscular endurance, not just flexibility. Cardio builds the stamina to get through it. Weight training builds the power that makes every movement inside it look sharp instead of shaky by minute eight.
What I personally do: a 5-day split, roughly 45 minutes of lifting plus abs each day, with cardio on Fridays and one full rest day to let my body reset. This is an example of what's worked for me, not a rule — the real key is consistency, not any single perfect workout.
Monday — Glutes
- Hip thrusts 4x10
- Bulgarian split squats 4x10
- Back extension 4x10
- Glute kickbacks 4x10
- Hip abductors 4x12
Tuesday — Arms
- Front to lateral raise 20x
- Shoulder press 12x
- Tricep extension 12x
- Alt. bicep curls 20x
- Hammer curls 10x — repeat 4 rounds total
- Bench dips 10x, 5 sets
Wednesday — Legs
- Smith machine squats 3x10
- Leg extensions 3x10
- Leg press 3x10
- Sumo squats 3x8 → 6 pulses
- Seated calf raises 3x15
Thursday — Back & Shoulders
- Dumbbell incline bench press 5x8–10
- Wide grip push-up 5x8
- Lat pulldown 5x8–10
- Cable standing 3-point row 5x8–10
- Cable standing chest fly 3x15
- Cable single-arm straight-arm pulldown 3x15
- Medicine ball slam 2x20
Friday — Cardio
- Treadmill: speed 3, incline 12, 30 min
- Or a 2–3 mile walk outside
Every day, after lifting: forearm plank (30 sec), shoulder taps (30 sec), weighted sit-ups (to failure), leg raises (30 sec), knee tucks (30 sec) — repeat the full circuit twice.
Adjust the weight, reps, and days to what your body can actually handle right now. This is a real example, not a script to force yourself into on day one.
But don't just stay comfortable, either — challenge yourself. Listen to your body, always, but push it too. If you normally reach for the 10lb dumbbell, try 15 today. You can always go back down if it's too much. That's the only way you actually grow and see results — before you know it, you could be lifting 20lbs heavier than where you started.
139.2 lbs → 140 lbs. Five months apart.
This is what consistency with training and actually fueling my body looked like over about 5 months. I never "lost weight" — technically I gained a little. But my body composition changed completely. The number on the scale was never the point. Showing up, lifting with intention, and eating enough to support it — that's what actually changes how you look and how you perform.
Try It Right Now
Build Your Plate
Pick one protein, one carb, and one fat. Watch it come together.
Protein
Carb
Fat
Pick one from each to complete your plate.
Meal prep saved my life. Literally.
Not just for time — for how I felt, trained, and recovered once I actually started fueling my body instead of running on empty.
Eating 3 meals a day will not make you "gain weight."
My life changed when I learned that eating enough, consistently, isn't the enemy — restricting is. Here's the accurate version of why that matters: eating more frequently doesn't directly "speed up" your metabolism the way that gets repeated online — what actually happens is that consistent fueling keeps your energy available for training, helps your body recover and rebuild muscle, and prevents the exhaustion and burnout that comes from under-eating.
When you restrict or skip meals, your body isn't rewarding you — it's compensating, which usually shows up as fatigue, worse performance, and eventually a crash. Regular meals and snacks support better digestion and steadier energy throughout the day, which is exactly what a dancer training multiple hours a week actually needs. Fueling consistently isn't going to make you gain weight. Under-fueling is what burns you out.
What this actually looks like on a plate
No exact numbers here on purpose — your body, your training load, and your goals are yours. Use these as real starting points, not a script.
Breakfast — pick what fits your morning
Breakfast Burrito
tap to see what's in itEgg whites + a whole egg, reduced-fat cheddar, corn tortillas, turkey bacon, salsa
Breakfast Sandwich
tap to see what's in itEgg whites or non-fat Greek yogurt, a whole egg, reduced-fat cheddar, turkey bacon, English muffin, berries
Greek Yogurt Bowl
tap to see what's in itEgg whites, a whole egg, non-fat Greek yogurt, mixed berries, honey, a slice of sourdough with butter
Lunch & Dinner — mix and match
Chicken Bowl
tap to see what's in itGrilled chicken, jasmine rice, mixed veggies, olive oil, seasoning
Shrimp Bowl
tap to see what's in itCooked shrimp, jasmine rice, mixed veggies, olive oil
Sandwich
tap to see what's in itSourdough bread, ham, reduced-fat cheese, a side of fruit
Chicken Salad
tap to see what's in itGrilled chicken, jasmine rice, avocado, vinaigrette, strawberries, cucumber, mixed greens
Alfredo Pasta
tap to see what's in itGrilled chicken, chickpea pasta, light Alfredo, steamed broccoli, olive oil
Ground Beef Tacos
tap to see what's in itLean ground beef, reduced-fat cheddar, avocado, corn tortillas, Greek yogurt in place of sour cream
Snacks — keep it easy
Protein Bar
tap to see what's in itA clean-ingredient bar you actually like — keep a couple on hand for busy days
Cottage Cheese Plate
tap to see what's in itLow-fat cottage cheese, a rice cake, berries, honey
Greek Yogurt Bowl
tap to see what's in itNon-fat Greek yogurt, berries, honey, a bit of granola
Snack Plate
tap to see what's in itA protein stick, half a banana, a rice cake with peanut butter
Veggies to rotate in
Fruit to rotate in
Carbs to rotate in
A few habits worth building, regardless of what you eat: try to eat something roughly every 3 hours instead of going long stretches empty. Have a real meal 1–2 hours before training when you can — if you're short on time, something light and easy to digest is better than nothing. Drink water consistently through the day. None of this needs to be perfect. It needs to be consistent.
You're not cooking fresh every night. That's okay.
I get it — between training, school, and everything else, a home-cooked meal every night isn't happening. Here's what actually works.
Whole Foods Build-Your-Own Tray
Around $30 for a tray you build yourself — grilled chicken, veggies, and another side of your choice. Fast, balanced, and no cooking required.
Home Chef
A weekly meal kit — pre-portioned ingredients and recipes delivered to your door, plus some ready-in-minutes options. Runs roughly $9–13 per serving, with a weekly order minimum. You're still cooking, but the planning and shopping is done for you.
HelloFresh
Same idea — a rotating weekly menu of pre-portioned meal kits delivered fresh, priced similarly around $9–12 per serving. Good if you want variety without building your own menu every week.
Both of these are meal kits, not fully prepped meals — you're still doing the actual cooking, just without the planning or grocery trip. Prices shift often and there's usually a new-subscriber deal, so check current pricing before committing to one.
Batch-cooking your own lunches and dinners once or twice a week works too — the goal isn't a perfect home-cooked plate every night, it's making sure you're never stuck skipping a meal because nothing's ready.
Want a plan actually built for you?
Every meal plan above is a starting point — but your body, your training load, and your goals are specific to you. On a 45-minute call, we'll talk through your goals and I'll help you build a real training and meal prep plan around your actual life, not a generic template.