1) Who is Will Davis? (where are you from, what do you do, a bit about yourself (hobbies, etc)
I'm an aerial circus performer and teacher from London, specializing on rope and silks. I'm also the author of three published novels, including The Trapeze Artist (Bloomsbury).
2) How many years have you been training? (Including how you got started, etc)
I first started aerial ten years ago as a hobbie after seeing a modern circus show in Las Vegas. I'd never realised how beautiful and exciting the aerial arts could be, so I found a warehouse back in London where they were teaching static trapeze and started doing classes once a week. Never dreamed I'd be doing it at this level all this time later!
3) Whats been the most challenging/hardest part of your journey so far? and how have you overcome them (set backs, rejections, injuries, basically anything difficult that you have had to overcome)
Last year I shattered my heel bone in a rare accident. It was debilitating and very painful, and required major surgery as well as a tonne of physio. I'm lucky that as an aerialist I could still condition in the air, but it still took me out of action for over three months. That's a long time to be confined to the ground!
4) What does your typical workout/diet routine look like? (With any particular protocols you rate).
I usually train four times a week, and try to suppliment it with some cardio and physio at the gym. I do a lot of stomach conditioning exercises for my core, as this is where we predominantly try to work from in aerial.
5) What new knowledge have you learned over this past year regarding training, lifestyle and nutrition? (And How has it changed your focus for the future).
Sometimes less is more. Technique for dynamic tricks is fast and precision based, which means lots of repetions. But you need to give your body a chance to rest and adapt, and know when to call it quits for the day.
6) Whats your favourite cheat/Treat meal?
Pizza.
7) Whats one supplement that you could not live without?
Flax seed oil. I think of it as oiling my joints.
8) If you had to start your Journey from scratch with both your health & physique what would you do differently and why?
Stretching is a crucial part of training, obviously for all-important flexibility but also for maintaining healthy muscles. It's something I didn't think about at first, but I would pay a lot more attention from day one if starting over.
9) Who do you look upto in the fitness industry and why?
There are so many circus artists I admire and look up to - really too many to name. Modern circus is still young and is being reshaped and redefined all the time. It's a real pleasure to see people exploring and finding their own mode by which to express themselves through its medium.
10) If you had to give one bit of advice to people starting out what would that be?
Make sure you are enjoying it. Aerial is a wonderful thing, and as we train harder it's easy to forget that under a wave of endless conditioning repetitions.
11) What new goals do you have on the horizon?
So many. Circus is very trick-oriented so you are always working on the next thing. Currently I would like to be able to do three switch circles consistently - but I'll also settle for two!
12) Where can people find you? (website, social media accounts)
Instagram @mrwillaerialist
www.will-davis.co.uk
