JuiceeChoPs started this discussion ·
Ive had my pole for months now and im still unable to ANYTHING but the fireman. Ive tried using the lessons but no help this has become very discouraging! My hands hurt my arms are sore but i cant do a simple pole hold or sit advice please.
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GMwifey ·
Everyone is different and we all learn at our pace first thing. What kind of pole do you have and what kind of finish is on it? How often are you poling, do you do any other kind of exercise? Is it that you cannot get the correct hand placent for other thing, you do not have he strength, or you do not understand how to get into the other moves? I know it is a lot of questions but we want to help you as much as possible. Please do not get discouraged, just think of how great of a fireman spin you must have!
Hi thanks for the reply and assistance i have an xpole chrome finish i attempt to pole daily but again i cant do anything so i get upset and quit idk maybe i dont have as much strength as i thought so idk i feel like everything is all wrong
Hi thanks for the reply and assistance i have an xpole chrome finish i attempt to pole daily but again i cant do anything so i get upset and quit idk maybe i dont have as much strength as i thought so idk i feel like everything is all wrong
Hi thanks for the reply and assistance i have an xpole chrome finish i attempt to pole daily but again i cant do anything so i get upset and quit idk maybe i dont have as much strength as i thought so idk i feel like everything is all wrong
Could you be more specific in identifying exactly what is holding you back from persuing the moves? I mean, with the pole sit, is it the pain of chinese burn between your thighs? If so, that is common, and kind of unavoidable, but good news is, your skin gets used to it, and one day, you won't even notice it! If you think it's more about your grip; not being able to pull yourself up by your arms, then try building arm strength in other ways. Pushups, chin ups, tricep dips, even fun sports like tennis, rowing or swimming are great ways to build lean muscle in arms. But again, your body needs time to adapt, and depending on how active and fit you were prior to starting pole, can influence how quickly you learn. People with a gymnastics or fitness background, for example, often speed ahead of others in pole. But it is never too late to get healthy and fit, your body just may take more time if it's not used to being pushed. If it's about grip, look into getting a pole with a smaller circumfrance. I have a 38mm brass spinny, and it is fantastic for small hands like mine. Otherwise, just experiment with different grip aids available. I like dry hands, and sometimes use hair spray. WHat I have found makes a huge difference is being inspired. If im in a cranky, tired, bored mood then I'm probably gunna have a disappointing workout. When I've been watching some awesome youtube videos of pole dancing, and I have a few tricks in mind or moves I want to try, and I have some great new music that makes me really wanna dance, THATS when I have a great practice session and make progress. Practice makes perfect though, so why dont you try to encourage yourself to stick at your session even when you become frustrated. I mean, maybe you are quitting too early and not giving yourself a chance to "click"? Hope this helps, let me know how you get on.. xo
How long have you been at this? I am not sure what other types of moves you are trying to do but even a fireman spin is NOT a beginner move. It takes time to build grip and arm strength. I had girls in classes for a few months before they could get a full spin out of a fireman without dropping to the ground. There are so many other moves that can be done on the pole, try not to concentrate so much on the tricks. Do you have any idea how many variations of a fireman there are out there? Try playing with those. Work on your body rolls, pole slides, pole holds, floorwork, getting out of fireman in the sexiest way possible. We all do not touch a pole and instantly know what to do or even have the strength to do it. Pole takes patience. I have been at this for 4.5 years and there is still so much I cannot do.
GMwifey ·
From what you have posted I would recommend not poling every day, your body may become stronger by allowing your muscles to rest. The other posters have said some great things to help you. We are here to encourage you and try to help as much as we can.
Veena ·
You mentioned you tried using the lessons, did you mean the lesson on here? If so, did you start from the very first lesson and watch all of the getting started lessons too? All lessons here are place in a specific order. So picking and choosing might not give you the results your looking for as a beginner. Everyone has very good suggestions, 🥂and yes, a fireman is not easy or very beginner. That is why it's placed at the end of the beginner section. Don't get discouraged, I bet if you begin to structure your pole work outs you'll see better progress. ❤️ If you have questions on any lesson please feel free to leave a comment so I can help you out.
Thank you
Thank you all so much for the advice and encouragement @veena yes your lessons but i guess bc i really tried to rush through the work out straight to the action lol im gonna start over and do it right but another question is there a reason why my hands hurt? Is there a such thing as gripping the pole too tight? Could the width of my pole hold me back from moving up in the pole world?
Veena ·
It sounds like you've been practicing everyday. You should give yourself a day of rest in between pole sessions. It's normal to feel sore though. Watch all of the getting started lessons for each section and you find a more tips and suggestions for using the lessons and stucturing your workout :)
Yes there is a such thing as over grip, but also as you're getting used to poling your hands will hurt a bit as it gets used to gripping around a pole. I know mine did. What size is your pole? I have a 50 and boy wish I had gotten smaller size personally. Also the ladies here are very helpful when you're having trouble with a move. I only started 4 months ago and when I did I couldn't even hold myself up. You can do it!!!!!!!!! 🥂
It is possible to get achy hands from having the beginner's death grip. My joints in my fingers were so achy after the first couple of times I tried aerial silks cuz I was gripping way too hard.
Don't forget to warm your pole, things like pole sits are way easier on a warm pole. I start out with floorwork and spins and then climb and 'hug' mine to get it warm : )
So how do i not over grip？im really considering a smaller pole mine is a 50
As your grip strength increases you will squeeze less to hold on. It comes with time and practice. If you want to see the difference in pole diameters, you can look at my album. I love 45's and 38's. :) https://www.studioveena.com/photos/view_album/4ee3f549-75cc-4e73-97b3-4f300ac37250
http://www.rei.com/skuimage/787691/220also using one of these can help with grip strength
I love my skinny poles but i think as a beginner most of the moves SHOULD be ok on a 50mm pole also. I think the most important thing is conditioning! the fun stuff comes later once you've built some strength. Don't be disheartened! I had to repeat the beginners course twice when i first started poling (which is pretty unheard of, most girls pass first time) and i was so unfit i couldnt even make it the whole way through the warmup! Now, 20 months later I can shoulder mount and do all sorts of fun things. Make sure you keep it fun- don't focus on the negatives :D so you can do a fireman! great! make it the very best fireman you can, then maybe try a back hook! practice the pole walk etc, make little routines. i think veena's classes are fantastic but i personally also need guidance in a class setting so maybe if you start taking some lessons at a studio in conjunction with home poling chez veena's it might really help your form at least as a beginner! good luck!
This is such an interesting subject and I'm glad to hear there is someone else who is frustrated! I LOVE all the support that everyone gives on this site. I am not sure if you live in an area where you can take a class but I know that helps a lot. I have a pole at home and take a class a few days a week. I have been doing this for 3 months and feel like I can't do anything! I watch all these user videos and wonder how long it took these people to learn to do what they do. I am overweight by about 50lbs so I know that holds me back. But, I have always been very strong. Even so, I go to class and there will be a new student who jumps in and does inverts right away or masters a spin the first time???!!!!!! It just amazes me. Everyone learns at a different level and I just keep plugging away. I'm sitting here this morning getting ready to move and paint a new house, etc. and I know I'm going to be missing a lot of classes until we're settled. I'm worrying about losing the progress I've made but life happens. I am not going to give up because I love this and want to learn the beautiful are of doing it well. I love MemphisKitten's suggestion of learning 2 moves per week. I think that's a great idea without overdoing it. Also, if you don't have Veena's lessons definitely sign up. She is so clear in her lessons that there is no room for error. Stay on this website and let us all help answer questions and keep you motivated! Good luck and keep us posted!!
One other thing you mentioned is your hands hurting. OMG! Mine ache so bad sometimes I thought I was getting arthritis! There are muscles everywhere and they are all getting a workout. I purchased a Gripmaster. It's a hand/finger exercising device for people who play guitar and other sports for strengthening fingers and hands. I use that every day, 50 times on each hand. It sits in the console of my car and I just use it while I'm sitting at a traffic light. Mindless activity but I think it has helped. I also read someone else saying to take days off in between workouts and that's really good advice. Like I said earlier, I've only been doing this for 3 months. I find that when I can't get to class for a few days the stuff we were learning at the last class is much easier to do. Let those muscles rest or it's just too much on your body. We should stay in touch and keep each other motivated. Keep me posted.
Ladies, keep in mind there are NO MUSCLES whatsoever in your fingers. It's tendons doing the work in the tips of your fingers, where muscles do the work around the palm of your hand and the base of your fingers. This is part of why we see so many hand and finger injuries with pole. To strengthen your grip you have to strengthen tendon which is a different process from strengthening muscle. It's very easy to push those tendons too far and wind up with serious hand injuries. Be patient with training your hands. It's a lot more slow and difficult of a process than just doing some pushups to get your arms strong. Grip devices are a good place to start. Look into the squeezers they give to patients recovering from carpal tunnel surgery as those are specifically meant to increase tendon strength (which is weakened by the carpal tunnel from the pressure being exerted on the tendons of your fingers where they meet at your wrist)
