Learn how to get into breaking shape

B-Boy Vouks: It does. Being a successful b-boy or b-girl means being an entertainer and an athlete. It's body, mind and soul. You always have to be aware and conscious about health and fitness and constantly try to push yourself and your body to do things people don't consider normal.

In the beginning, it's all about dancing and you're just excited to discover this awesome talent and genre of dance. But once you decide to make it a career, it takes more thought and dedication. From there it morphs into a lifestyle where dance practice, gym and fitness are all a must just to stay strong and be able to keep up and be consistent.

Then you have to push yourself to do more – learn more, keep yourself inspired, constantly evolve and improve as a dancer. Some dancers choose to add an additional art form such as gymnastics or different types of karate to keep inspired and agile, developing their own unique style. It involves so much more than it seems at first.

I try to work out first thing in the morning, focusing on my cardio and stamina – mostly jogging and running, different top-rock reps, jumping jacks and a set of light weights for my arm strength training. I also do a lot of core work. Then I do another session at night, which features more intensity, focusing on conditioning, strength training and a lot of muscle stretching to help them heal. I do a lot of super sets, too, and make sure that I'm consistent with my training.

It's very important for me to be strong, healthy and fit. The core work is where I get all my strength from when I dance. The super sets are to stay fit, improve stamina and to look effortless when I dance, and to train my joints to be more mobile and agile. The cardio is for health – to keep my heart rate up and to help with highly intensive performance levels.

That is an absolute fact. Your fitness plays a huge role in your dancing. Once you get tired, you dance slower, make more mistakes, become winded and sloppy. Your opponent – and the judges – pick up on that sometimes before you do. You have to focus on fitness and be aware of your breathing during events that feature a lot of battles.

A lot of press-ups and handstands, so you can become comfortable with your own bodyweight and build up arm and core strength. Don't smoke, don't drink or abuse any substances. Educate yourself on health and fitness and find other ways to develop your skills, like taking up gymnastics. Keep yourself inspired. Learn as much as you possibly can. And, most importantly, listen to your body! Work hard – stay humble.