Gemini/Left Leg Hang reach up and grab help!

Juicy J started this discussion · 6/5/2012

Hi all, I have been able to do a Gemini/Left Leg Hang well but what I am struggling with is when you reach up and pull yourself up and go into other combinations like the Side V or into Cupid. My instructors have said that when I invert and fold my left leg over for my Gemini/Left Leg Hang, I need to hook that leg higher, so it doesn't get in the way of my hands. I find that it's my hands getting stuck in which I struggle to reach up and pull myself up. I feel as if it's my silly thighs getting in the way of my hands and I tried to hook my leg higher in order to clear my hands but I still struggle with this and can't reach up and pull. Is there anything else to be more mindful of when doing the reach up and grab in this move? Any tips would be muchly appreciated!!! 😀

21 replies

Saphyre · 6/5/2012
Not sure if this will help, but I struggled with "hand entrapment" when I first started to invert and move into other moves. What I discovered through this fabulous website is that it is all in the initial invert! If you watch Veena's lesson on the Basic Invert, you will see that she stresses that you must get your knees above your hands otherwise, your hands can become trapped. So now when I invert, I make sure that I do a sort of "pull up" with my hands when my legs and hips are up, but before I connect my legs to the pole. Think about pulling your hips or feet up to the sky. Also, make sure you are close to the pole before you invert with your hips in front of the pole. I've found that if the invert is done properly, I can move my hands wherever I need them to go! Good Luck, Joyful and set those hands free!!!!
Juicy J · 6/5/2012
Hi Saphyre, Thank you for that tip! Now that I think honestly about what I do when I invert, therein lies the problem - I don't get my knees above my hands! I will give this a good practice as I think it is a good habit to get into from here on.
Juicy J · 6/6/2012
Ok, so I went home and tried to invert higher by pulling my hips and legs up towards the ceiling. I still have no luck being able to reach up and grab once in the Gemini/Left Leg Hang position. I tried this several times and it seems that my left thigh is still getting in the way of my hands, even though my knees were above my hand-level. I feel as if I have to really yank my left hand out in order to even ATTEMPT to pull up! What am I doing wrong? I feel so discouraged! 🙁
Saphyre · 6/6/2012
Don't get discouraged Joyful! It's probably just a minor adjustment that needs to be made. I agree with MemphisKitten. If you could post a video, we could see what's happening and give you better advise. It could be that all you need to do is release your left hand before or as you move your leg into Gemini if you're comfortable with that. Or, maybe you just need to grip more with your knees/lower legs so you can relax your thighs a bit. It could even be that your hand placement is too high when you invert. Your bottom (inside) hand should be at about ear level, with the top hand just above it. So many possibilities.
Juicy J · 6/6/2012
Hi guys, Thanks for your feedback! Saphyre, I will try releasing the left hand before I move my leg into the Gemini and hopefully get someone to spot me so I can do this without the fear of falling on my head! When I attempted this over and over again yesterday, I realised that I do have this slight fear of falling while I am trying to reach up and over. Funnily enough, I can easily sit back up in a Cross Ankle Release or Cross Knee Release, so I don't think it's lack of ab strength as in both of these positions, I can lock in, recline and then pull back up. I'm guessing it's the same sort of concept in the Gemini, correct?
Onahnie · 6/6/2012
I find, to reach up and over my hooked knee when in Gemini, (to get into the cupid or marley), it's easier if I go into the positioning for a jasmine/shooting star (?) first, where you place the top of your right (inside) leg against pole and your inside hand (righT, for me) on pole, maybe just lower than waist and push up on that hand to leverage your body higher so you can grab the pole above hooked outside knee with your outside hand (left). If you didn't want to let go of your leg hand, you don't have to, until you're secure on the pole with your hooked outside leg, top of your inside thigh, and inside hand on pole. Does this make sense?
Onahnie · 6/6/2012
*should say "if you didn't want to let go of your LEFT hand..."
Onahnie · 6/6/2012
https://www.studioveena.com/galleries/view/4f87a0b3-4748-4ae7-9395-40e50ac37250 This is jasmine/shooting star: if you bend forward a bit at waist and put inside arm higher on pole, then you'll be able to have, everage to push left hand above hooked knee.
Juicy J · 6/7/2012
Hi Ohnahnie, Thanks for the suggestion. What you're saying makes sense and thanks for the picture reference. From what I've seen and also what I'm encouraged to do in my pole classes is to be able to pull up right away once in the Gemini. I think pushing against the pole in the Shooting Star position with my right hand is adding an extra step to pulling up and isn't going to help me improve, right? I think once you learn a bad habit, it can become hard to shake later on? I know of one other girl in my class who had the same issue as me and all we got told was to hook that leg higher than our hands so it clears and we are able to pull up. From as far as I can remember when I learnt the Gemini, I've never been able to pull up straight away.
Onahnie · 6/7/2012
Hi Joyful, You're right--it is an extra step, but I found it helped me when first learning to reach over it--at first, as additional leverage (as I wouldn't extend out fully into jasmine), then as I gained more endurance to do multiple moves, I'd extend fully into jasmine and turn it into a combo. :) I don't think it'll necessarily become habit unless you make it habit--i just rewatched my first marley video (from about 1-2 mths ago) and see that I no longer do it. Now, once inverted and my knee is hooked, I keep holding with my lower/inside hand (right hand, as I invert on the right) and reach up and over with the left/outside hand to grab over my knee. BUT, I used to have the issue as you: once I'd inverted and hooked, my knee was almost catching my hand. I found, I wasn't able to habe "free" hands until I had a solid, high invert or when I had a good chopper. I'm not sure which way you're inverting: for the basic, I'd say to bring your crotch/legs against the pole first (you can put then around pole too), but before you grab the pole with them, make sure you , with your hands and body, pull yourself upwards so you're in a straight line and thisway, your knees should be well above your hands. If in a chopper, be sure you're fully upside-down/tilted back and when hooking your knee, make sure to hook above your hands.
Onahnie · 6/7/2012
The other thing is, you say you can do a gemini/outside leg hang--how do you release your outside hand for this? It's the same thing, just keep your inside hand on pole and release the outside hand and reach up/over the knee. :)
Juicy J · 6/7/2012
Mmmm, ok, thank you for your insight on this, Onahnie. Glad to hear someone else who used to struggle with this! To be totally honest, I don't have a strong Chopper. It's one of those moves that still has me stumped and at one stage I was able to kinda do it but not hold that "V" position for very long before I had to hook my legs up into the invert. I'm still practising and working on this... So maybe it has more to do with having a strong invert and Chopper rather than being able to do a CAR or CKR.
Onahnie · 6/7/2012
Probably... I still can't do a CAR or CKR.. (due to inner thigh pain and overall fear), but I can easily chopper/invert/aerial invert/aerial chopper and hook and reach over and go into cupid/marley/spider climb. Just keep practicing--it'll get easier with time :)
pegasusaerialfitness · 6/8/2012
heres my 2 cents if I understand the question correctly... When you invert...think crotch to pole...also...do not "over grab" the pole with the outside hand..Grab low enough and make sure you see knuckles facing you.. and so that you are really secure let your inside leg lower down towards the floor....= that will help you body go up as your reach above the outside leg onto the pole.. Not 100% sure I undersstood the question?
Saphyre · 6/10/2012
Hi Joyful. I haven't abondoned you. I am on vacation and don't have much access to the internet. It still sounds like it's an invert issue. Keep practicing!! Let me know how it's going. xoxo
Onga01 · 6/12/2012
When you said your hands get stuck under your thigh it made me Think that maybe youre hips arent parallel to the floor. If the pole is touching your belly button youre not in the correct position. When you invert make sure your hips are flat, hooked leg pointing right down to the floor. Thats just what it sounds like to me i could be wrong! Good luck and it sounds like youre very close x
Juicy J · 6/12/2012
Wow! Thanks so much, guys! The tips are all really good! @ Pegasusaerialfitness - I wish I could even reach up and grab, let alone "over grab" the pole! Haha! Yes, I have learnt quite early on when I learnt the Gemini not to over grab but my problem is I can't even reach up and grab! I will try to let my inside leg lower down towards the floor...do you mean like in a sliding manner? @ Saphyre - All good! ^_^ Thank you for remembering me! Hehe. @ Marcelle - Thanks Marcelle. I will keep your tips in mind.
pegasusaerialfitness · 6/12/2012
I mean by "over grab" is wrapping your hand around the pole too much. I would land on my (outside) hand in gemini all the time at first until I figured out I was grabbing all the way around the pole too much. and what do you want to do after you reach up and grab the pole?
Juicy J · 6/13/2012
I have such immense difficulty reaching up and grabbing the pole with my outside hand (left in my case) that if I really want to pull up, I push myself out with my inner hand (right) against the pole below me and then grab using the top hand. I hope that makes sense. I don't think I would be wrapping my hand around the pole too much as I can't even get it up in the first place!!! 😲
chemgoddess1 · 6/13/2012
Practice the pull up from the ground! Basically lie down with the pole at your waist, lift your hips and hook the outside leg. From there pull yourself into an upright position. This can be done also as a spin up from the ground. See these two threads: https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/4dc74f57-9a08-4011-a266-64e80ac37250 https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/Difficulty_with_a_move_I_dont_know_the_name_ofha_ha_20110124071851
pegasusaerialfitness · 6/13/2012
I only mean dont over grab on the invert to that you dont land on your hand. I think Chem has the right idea about practicing from the ground first.