MommaBear started this discussion ·
Okay, I know I shouldn't be attempting these at all yet, but I couldn't help myself. I cheat by going into handstands, both facing away and facing the pole. I actually manage to get a great grip while cheating. 😀 I tested the waters and let go quite a few times and stuck!!! So, is this is a big no-no or it is okay to test the waters a bit with my cheater handstands?
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Veena ·
I tell dancers to get use to a number of inverts by using the handstand first! Its a great way to get familiar with the positioning of a move. I don't know if your taking the lessons here or not but, I have you try some of the inverts from the handstand or reverse handstand position. 🌸 Its not cheating at all.
What you are doing is fantastic! The reason why inverting shouldn't happen right away is that most people do not have the core strength yet. This can injure your back, or you could fall. I took it really slow when it came to getting inverted. I did a lot of gripping the pole as I would for an invert and tucking my knees to my chest, holding them there as long as possible, rinse and repeat! However, in the meantime, what you are doing to practice your leg positions and getting used to gripping upside down is completely acceptable and encouraged! ☀️
I am secretly hoping that the more time I spend upside down that it will reverse the gravitational pull when upright, thus canceling out the effects of aging 😂 Venna, I am not taking your lessons because they are online, and my pole and computer are in two different rooms. If you ever transfer your lessons over to DVD format, I will be all over them! One thing I will say is that I went looking for a different take on the pole sit and found your lesson. I thought yours was way easier and it ended up that your teaching was the way I was doing it anyways. The way Jamilla teaches it is to position your inside leg, then your outside arm, then to cross over with the other leg, while grabbing with the other arm - I just could not get it the way she taught it, I kept on hopping up there and ending with the same end result, but not following her step-by-step to get there. So, I went looking for a different take on the pole sit and came across your lesson. Your lesson and the way you taught it was exactly the way that it was feeling natural for me to do it!!! Whereas, I found Jamilla's step-by-step to be a bit awkward. So, kudos to you! Off to continue my cheater inverts . . . . which by the way, I have found that certain positions are giving me a great stretch in my back that I haven't yet experienced upright. 🙂
Tine007 ·
Not cheating, best invert prep ever 👍 👍 👍 !!! I could do inverted crucifix way before my first basic invert and still use this "bottom-up" approach when learning new upside-down moves (pretty much anything that would work from an inverted crucifix, currently it's caterpillar and butterfly for me). It's great because - your brain gets used to the upside-down position (so you won't freak out after doing your first basic invert). - you can practice the leg positioning so you know what goes where once upside down. - safety: the floor is always in reach, just put your hands back down - it gives you time to think - you can sort out legs and hands separately - even being able to invert, it doesn't waste your energy on getting up but leaves it for the new move you are working on. - handstands themselves are great strength training moves and will help you with anything pushing away from the pole while inverted (but give the rest of your body time to catch on 😉 ). - handstands are pretty! Fun to experiment with different leg positions 🙂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 I am secretly hoping that the more time I spend upside down that it will reverse the gravitational pull when upright, thus canceling out the effects of aging ... I have found that certain positions are giving me a great stretch in my back that I haven't yet experienced upright. Your odds are good 😉 Hanging upside down is good for you, not only for your spine - and called "inversion therapy". Here's the Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inversion_therapy
