Am I ready for an inversion?
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Well I'm certainly not ready, I cant lift my knees past my waist/chest even when lying down and doing this on the pole is near impossible as my fat hip gets in the way and I'm too heavy so I slip down. maybe with grip cream I could do this. but again, cant lift the knees, stomach in the way 🙁 I had a feeling my inverting technique was shabby, but that's what I get for being self taught. However I can monkey climb, does anyone else find it easier to climb with one leg (and other inner upper thigh) rather than 2?
Veena ·
However I can monkey climb, does anyone else find it easier to climb with one leg (and other inner upper thigh) rather than 2? I'm not sure what a monkey climb is....but if your trying to do a pole climb you don't use your upper thighs. The pole should run from the top of the foot/ankle across the shin up to the inside of just above the knee. There's nothing wrong with being self taught, so don't worry about that, have you thought about the online lessons here? I have strength training moves and stretching too, proper form is always included in the lessons. ☀️ I'm editing this because I just saw your vid. 😀 Your pole climb looks fine to me. 🥂
I thought monkey climb was another word for pole climb. I have thought about online lessons but I don't have a bank card I can use online, just a cash card I'm afraid. I may have to switch, lessons would be very useful. My right leg is in that position just sometimes I feel my left leg gets in the way. thanks!
violet ·
So happy to see this post! Unfortunately I am one of the ones that did it wrong for too long and ended up injuring my back in the process. BOOOOO 👎 So now that my back is feeling better (after 3 weeks of PAIN) no more inverting for me until I can get my core strength better. It sucks not going up to the Gemini, Scorpio, etc.... cause i LOVE those moves. But my ab strength just isnt ready yet and I HAVE to accept that and work on that so that I can do it properly (not using my legs to help pull me up). I'll definitely be doing those exercises recommended, along with my already daily dose of crunches & sit ups. 😀
Wow, thanks. This is really good information for me. I am new to poling and I haven't learned the basics of inversion. First, I didn't know ANYTHING about putting my shoulders down and back. I'm re-thinking the gym where I pay for lessons since they don't seem to stress the safety. I have to say I am glad I found this site. It is nice to see that I can learn safely and I now know that I need to slow down before I hurt myself! I would like to do this for a while and I def. don't want to hurt my chances of continuing by giving myself a back injury! Thanks so much Penny Girl
I feel like it might be a little early for me also and I know I'm not in shape but I won't ever be as much as some of you ladies. However I hope our class will go slow with it. However I think I would pay for an extra solo lesson a week just to get it more correctly instead of glossing over it until it gets right. ( where that is only what we are working on.)
Thanks for the inversion tips. I can do the first 3 of your tips. I don't know that I can do #4 b/c I am not certain I understand the description. I can do a helicopter (chopper) so this just sounds the same only bending the knees into a crunch (fetal position). Is that correct? I've been at poling for 2 mos now. I've just begun learning inversions. I don't seem to have any problems getting inverted other than some strain in my middle back (think bra line). Is this a result of not enough ab strength? Or perhaps its a strain/movement my back hasn't seen?
I don't seem to have any problems getting inverted other than some strain in my middle back (think bra line). Is this a result of not enough ab strength? Or perhaps its a strain/movement my back hasn't seen? That's the same pain I have been having right in the middle of my back...I think it's because I am not properly engaging my abdominals when I pull up. WHen I do it and really squeeze my abs, I notice I don't get the pain. I was wondering the same thing. If maybe the pain is just something I get becuase I'm not used to inverting, or if it's just becuase I'm not technically strong enough to be doing them.
violet ·
I don't seem to have any problems getting inverted other than some strain in my middle back (think bra line). Is this a result of not enough ab strength? Or perhaps its a strain/movement my back hasn't seen? That's the same pain I have been having right in the middle of my back...I think it's because I am not properly engaging my abdominals when I pull up. WHen I do it and really squeeze my abs, I notice I don't get the pain. I was wondering the same thing. If maybe the pain is just something I get becuase I'm not used to inverting, or if it's just becuase I'm not technically strong enough to be doing them. I had that same pain a few months back but kept inverting anyway, finally I pulled/strained something and had to be off my pole for 3 weeks due to it 🙁 After that I learned how to properly invert (wouldnt do ANY inverts until I could properly lean back, engage my abs, etc etc....) and havent had pain since. So if it is anything like mine, which it sounds very much like the pain I was having before it got BAD, then I recommend practicing the way you invert. Get that down so you dont end up hurting yourself. Also give yourself rests so the muscles can build and heal. 👍
No prob Violet...Good sound advice. I'm going back to basics. YAY! 😀
hotma ·
I'm glad this kind of thing is discussed,.. as I just went to do a basic pushup and fell on my face. I'm beginning to think I'm a gal who has no business ordering a pole at all,. and yet it is coming soon! So,. in a year or so when this applies to me I will revisit. In the meantime,. and I realize the lessons are in order,. and I even saw strength training addressed on its own,.. are there things that were more "encouraging" to try first? or just,. as yall have said,. do it in exact order shown in the lessons? thanks!
Fleur ·
For all the ladies who are getting pain in their upper back between the shoulder blades, you are most likely straining your rhomboids. They are a smaller muscle group but are critical in proper scapular motion. Try doing some rows to strengthen them or at least warm them up nicely before trying to invert. Having a pinch there DOES indicate you aren't quite strong enough to invert or you're not wuite warmed up. Fleur
to assist most of you who wonder if you're ready, after 2 years, I still don't invert - laybacks excepted... You do need ab strength and you cannot "fling" into the position - nor can you drop your arms. PoleGirlSonia had a student not listen to her about that and dislocated ribs - you have been warned. We're in a sport that is hard physical work. ensure you're conditioned prior to doing the trick. Even seasoned dancers have learned things off newbies who have learned techniques correctly. Take your time with inverts - they may be cool, but they are also dangerous and you need to be physically ready for them. anyway, inverting's for crazy folk...
hotma ·
Wow dislocated ribs - that's a sobering thought. 😉 i appreciate the feedback though,. as a newbie. i am taking it slowwwwllllyyyyyyyy.
I don't know if anyone has approached the subject, but are there any moves, or variations of moves, or even things one can do while dancing (such as slowing down?) that can help with strength? I'm very, very unenthused about doing crunches or lunges or anything unrelated to the actual dance...I just don't enjoy it, about the same as I don't like going running or something. I dance because I like dancing! So, I was wondering...any tips? I get kind of frustrated, because I feel like I'm doing great, and then I can't do certain things (like inversions) that I think I should be able to do.
Veena ·
I NEVER do crunches...boring 🙄 so I'm with ya there, also only run if I'm being chased 😂 Slowing things down its a really good way to gain strength, it takes a lot more effort to do things slowly that putting momentum into everything...like the invert. I don't know how advanced you are so....try handstands, elbow stands and climbs are all great for strength too. 🤓
Haha, I'm with ya there on the running! And pretty much everything else 🙂 Here's a good question...having watched your videos, what would you recommend for a person who knows HOW to get into an elbow or handstand (starting with the elbows, of course) but has never, ever done anything like it before? Seriously, I only just learned how to do a somersault! I can, ironically, do one backwards better than forwards (as in, fling my body up and over my head?), but something like an elbow stand I've never done before. I was thinking about trying it on my big, soft bed, just in case I do something wrong and don't break my neck!
Veena ·
For the elbow stand, the majority of the pressure should be on the elbows/forearms, not the head. As with all moves engage your shoulders, so don't slump into them, keep them strong and working. Try this move against a wall that way you wont miss the pole and fall on your back. I will be doing a lesson on this move too. There is a lesson now but I'll be going into greater detail in the new one. ☀️
I inverted for the first time today on my first try. I've been dancing for 4 months or so but three seriously and have had my own pole for 3 weeks. I have been dancing a lot and doing the lessons and decided it was time. it was so much easier than I thought it would be! 😀
faerie9 ·
You do need ab strength and you cannot "fling" into the position - nor can you drop your arms. PoleGirlSonia had a student not listen to her about that and dislocated ribs - you have been warned. This is such a fab thread. Rouge LAmour, please can you explain what you mean by 'drop your arms'?
Fantastic thread! I recently started inverting and I now know why my hands are glued between my calves and I cannot do anything but slide back down the pole. My form is off so I am going to drop the inverts and work on strengthening my abs and arms more so that I can do a proper invert and maybe then I will not just hang there lost lol thanks for the tips
I'm one of those who has also had problems with upper back pain when inverting. I was at my pole studio this morning and did pilates with one of our instructors. We did a pilate move where we were lying on the mat and we engaged our powerhouse/lower abs to lift out hips off the ground and over our head, spread our legs in a V, then lowered them down with our powerhouse. I noticed how I can use that move to help me with my inverting. So far I've been jumping into my inverts due to me being taught that way at another studio. I want to be able to invert (whether from the floor or from a climb) using my ab strength and do it with proper form.
umm not to ask a stupid question but how exactly can you hurt yourself inverting before your ready, or kicking up into inverts because at the studio I go to because that's all we do, you invert on your first night and go from there,(i first got suspicious when we were told we can't fall like that) but I tend to research more than most people i have class with so I don't want to do something that will do more damage than shin splints in my arms(if anyone knows anything about that I would love to know) because being that far out of commission would not be cool.
umm not to ask a stupid question but how exactly can you hurt yourself inverting before your ready, or kicking up into inverts because at the studio I go to because that's all we do, you invert on your first night and go from there,(i first got suspicious when we were told we can't fall like that) but I tend to research more than most people i have class with so I don't want to do something that will do more damage than shin splints in my arms(if anyone knows anything about that I would love to know) because being that far out of commission would not be cool. 😮 They have you inverting on the first day??? Seriously? Wow. The list of possible injuries could go on and on but some of my main concerns are bruising/breaking a rib from banging it against the pole while jumping. Pulling/tearing a muscle anywhere, arm, abs, back, obliques.... Falling if you jump up there and can't catch yourself Banging toes, shins, legs against the pole while you try to throw a foot up there These are just a few that I could think of. An invert should be slow and controlled. You should be able to do it from the floor or from standing without having to kick or jump up. It's more of a tilt back then a jump up, ya know?
Thank you ms Sissybuns I figure I'm good even if there is a problem because I have perfected the art of crashing without injuries(I crash at just about everything I do), but I brought a friend the first night who happens to be pregnant, so that wound up being majorly uncool, so I haven't brought her back, but I have been woried about muscle damage, and joint damage because since I started 3 weeks ago I've gotten something like shin splints in my forearms from doing what I think yall call the boomerang and some shoulderblade pain from spins so I'm scouring the forums for saftey tips on the things I probably shouldn't be doing. Are there any moves upside down or sideways that should be jumped into?
