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How Long Did It Take You to Invert?
I'm at two months now and I feel like everyone and their mother can invert and I can't. Two girls just came in and did it in the first class – I'm seriously ready to give up over here 🙁 I can't do any of the great tricks or move on with anything new until I get this stupid #@($*&#@$ invert down :(!!!
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56 Replies
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Take it slow. I rushed into inverting, and over doing it can cause injury. Then you send more time off the pole. It takes some people a week, some people a month, and some people many months! I was 3 months into pole when I started inverting. But some girls at my studio were consistantly shoulder mounting.
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I know it's hard to not compare yourself to other students in class. But, considering you're only 2 months into pole dancing (& I'm not sure how many times/week you practice) there are so many other pole skills that you can focus on that are fun and challenging and will help you build the strength & coordination needed to invert safely & properly rather than just flipping yourself upside down by any means necessary and putting yourself at risk of injury. Veena's tutorials should be a helpful guide in training progressively & systematically. I can't even imagine teaching inversions to beginners. In fact, I just wrote a blog about this very topic. Check it out: https://www.studioveena.com/blogs/view/Step_10_The_Key_to_Nailing_Advanced_Pole_Tricks_20120813053514
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I started inverting wrong and threw out my shoulder and messed up my back. Not to sound like a downer, but it took me well over a year to be able to do it well, do it good, and have it look nice. But I am old. I would say to start working on pole crunches! 🙂
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I think 2 months is pretty early to invert to be honest. I think I was about 3 months or so, AND I was doing it before I was ready. I didn't have the strength to do it properly and I'm lucky I didn't hurt myself. The worst I did was to create bad habits that I had to retrain later on. Take it slow and enjoy the journey. There is SO MUCH to learn without inverting. I have 2 students who just started inverting today. They have been taking lessons with me for just over 6 months. They both were able to invert (low to the ground and with a spot) sucessfully because they took the time to get there. I know how hard it is, but if you can stop stressing and worrying about it, it will come when you are ready. 🙂
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I've been poling since the start of the year, but cos of uni it has to take a back seat and I don't get to work on strengthening very often so I still can't invert yet. *shrug* I know if I worked harder I'd have it by now, but I'm ok with taking my time :3
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First time, about 1 year, took 9 months off pole and had to start over. Second time took me about 9 months of intermittent practice to get a sloppy invert. I am a slow progresser.
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about 3 weeks, but everyone is different! dont rush it, u will get it promise, just keep working, you can do it!!! 🙂
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Yeh, Rixi is a strong wonder woman! 🙂
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no way LL thats blondebird!!! lol! 😉
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Yeah BB is great, but given the time, I think you could work up to that. U made such quick progress so fast!
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well it will b a year in october and no iron x yet!! and her iron x is redic lol i really havent been working on mine this summer tho, boo
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Don't feel discouraged, Glitterqueen! As others have mentioned, don't rush! Even if there are others in your class that can invert on their first try, doesn't mean they should be.
As mentioned in Keex's blog, you need to build a foundation. This is what we work on in my lessons here as well. One thing builds on another.
In order to see faster progress, working on your pole work, and conditioning outside of your class time would be very helpful. Taking a class once a week isn't really enough for most of us to see an improvement, unless we are strength training or conditioning 3 times a week too.
Also, not every pole move is right for every body, (yes I meant body) https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif we all have strengths and weaknesses. A pole dancer doesn't have to invert, but it is something you can strive for if you like. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif
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veena is so right it took me forever to get superman while others got it right away!!
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I am 2 months in and I can do inverts. Nothing fancy though, just Inverted V & the Butterfly. Those are the only things I'm comfortable with. Everything else scares me to death. I'm always afraid of kissing the floor with my face. So I tend to avoid doing inverts out of fear. Everyone in my class is rockin Scorpios and Catapillar crawls….I have no desire to go there AT ALL..
So just cause I can do them, doesn't mean I want to. lol. Everyone has there own pace. -
I know its tough but try not to compare yourself to others (yep all women do it), we all learn at different speeds. Take myself for instance…i am a tad slower learner but ive come to realize that it is the right pace for me. I didnt invert until i was poling about 3 to 4 months that was my studios policy though, which i totally think is great timing. And i just got the inverted crucifix to where i could hold it longer than a few seconds a few months ago & i’ve been poling almost 3 years!
I really think practicing 2+ times a week + strength & conditioning training makes a big difference in how a person progresses as well.
I only pole 1x a wk sometimes 2x, so i also attribute that to my little bit of a slower progression.
Keep practicing, relax & have fun with it & youll see progress. Time, patience & preserverance is the key 😉
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haha yeah it's crazy how different we can be!
focus on what you can do and not on what you can't yet. =P who says you have to invert? maybe you can work on yogini or the skater poses or other upright moves and have those be your trademark. 🙂
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why are you so focused on inversions? what are your motivations for poling, what draws you to it? is everyone that you see doing inversions ready for them and doing them safely and well? are you putting equal time and energy into upright spins, holds, floor moves, transitions? are you trying to develop as a dancer or just trick out? what are the 'great tricks' you want to achieve?
those are just some things for you to think about personally–everyone has different pole goals, and know that the vast majority of women are NOT inverting at 2 months in. your journey is your own.
my own satisfaction comes from being an all around dancer, being grounded in the earth first, building on that foundation and developing my students to do the same. that is where the magic happens, IMO.
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I was able to invert after only 2-3 months of pole, but it’s because I’m also a Kickboxer and do Jujitsu so I already had the the strength from other activities, I just needed the technique. And will that strength I still spent a few classes just practicing tucks in the correct position before going into the invert.
Take your time, build your strength and one day you will surprise yourself and be able to do it. -
I am also in the inverted too early and hurt my shoulder/back group. I have been poling for 4+ years now and I STILL have issues with my shoulder. It will never be the same. Trust me, you do not want to be in your 40's and wake up to pain every morning or even worse, have the pain wake you in the middle of the night. Take your time and learn the proper technique.
BTW, you can get into a crucifix and many other moves by doing a reverse handstand. If your instructor has not shown you how to do it, look it up here or on the web. When I was teaching I got girls into this move first and then into an inverted crucifix/bat hang before they ever inverted. To me this is your escape move and you should have this before ever inverting. But that is me. Everyone teaches differently.
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My studio won't let students invert until they've been poling for 4 months. They just won't teach it until then. I learned it, but I wasn't ready. This particular instructor taught us to kick into it. Big no no! Other instructors at the studio would have told me to wait. I could DO it, but only with kicking and with poor form. Needless to say, I ended up straining my intercostal muscles. I had torn them in college and to feel that pain again was something I had hoped would never happen. The intercostal muscles are the vertical ones between your ribs that expand when you breathe. The pain was horrible and affected that whole side of my body. Even lifting my left arm (which would stretch my ribs) was hard, and I certainly couldn't put any weight on it for a spin. So, then I became lopsided. Even though I stopped working on inverts to do it right, I was forced to do everything on the right arm! I am still struggling with strength. Worst of all, I used to be fairly balanced in my spins, right and left. Now, I struggle with spins to the left after having to wait for those muscles to heal.
It's really not worth it to invert too early. I'm waiting until it's right. I'll do one every now and then, but only one and I do my best not to kick (even though I still do), and it's not an exception I often make. The injuries from inverting too early have held me back even more and even stunted my progression. Don't give up and keep working toward it (safely), but don't let yourself compromise your health for this accomplishment. It's not worth it!
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I inverted during my third class but the only reason I could was because I threw myself into it which is not safe. It is only within the last couple months that I can smoothly lift myself into it. Take your time so that you don't injure yourself
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Been poling for over a year. No inverts. Nothing close. Still can't do many beginner moves. Learning online isn't working out well for me at all. I hope once I do my studio classes, I can benefit more from Veena. I'm a discouraged poler. I can climb, sit, and on a good day, do a crucifix. Couple of spins, fan kicks, tucks. No inverts. No funny grips. I am furiously frustrated.
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D, Luxx, all the moves you listed are great moves to know. There are people that pole for over a year without being ready to invert. Your not alone there! Are you taking the lessons here, and for how long? It's hard when you feel like your alone but I'd be happy to help you out if you like. Send me an email and we can take a closer look at what maybe hindering your progress. Hopefully you can also find a good quality studio soon too! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif
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I could invert after a few months but did I do it correctly NO !! Consequence was bruised ribs, at 17 months I could say wow I can now invert correctly and with control, so do not be discouraged just keep doing those knee pull ups and Veenas strength lessons!
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When I first started inverting, I think I just about tore every muscle in my back trying cuz I was so hell-bent on doing it. I started on my left side and when that hurt so much, I switched to my right. Now, it's my dominant side : / That was a lessoned learned for me. Now, I exercise more patience. You will build up the strength before you know it and next thing you know you'll be in the air. Just don't quit…you WILL get it : )
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