Audball started this discussion ·
Okay so my pole arrived today (yay!) and i seem to have managd to install it (yay!), but I can't do anything! I'm a total beginner. I managed to climb the pole once.. and i can do a fireman spin (badly). But it hurts so much! I'm kind of relctant to go near it again because it hurts! But I will... What moves should I start trying, apart from fireman spin?? Help!!
Sign in or create a free account to reply.
Girl, you've done a lot already!! Work on getting those down and building your strength up--we do NOT want to be at home to Mr. Injury. Check out Veena's transition moves and practice doing some slinkiness around the pole. ☀️
Audball ·
I'm eager to get Veena's lessons, only i've already ordered a dvd which is yet to arrive, and also I want to get a years subscription, so the cash flow is an issue too for now. Apart from fireman and sunwheel, or ankle attitude (which i can only do badly) and a headstand, i'm totally useless! 🙁 is it always this hard to start poling? I'm flexible-ish, and not unfit, but i think my upper arm strengh is letting me down. I've begun lifting light weights, but only about a week ago so I guess it's not going to make a difference yet!
try moves where you dont leave the ground yet - catch spins, back bends etc. I consider those the foundations of pole before you start doing spins. Its like learning ballet, you learn in 3rd position to work your way into 5th position to do those moves. You cant go wrong w/floor work!
Audball ·
Ok sounds good, and safe 🙂 so what's a catch spin?
yea well even with the first spins you know.. i honestly think you should keep working on those. esp if ur worried about it hurting. moving on to anything else will only hurt you more. for now these spins too will help ur body get used to what ur trying to make it do less bruises and burns. And were not used to using our arms in such a way or even all the muscles through out our whole shoulder, that the more you do these, the more you will build up your strength in your arms and ull also perfect those spins to where you wont have to concentrate on doing them and actually dance =)
Audball ·
Okay thanks, it's just werid because I was sort of able to do the sunwheel ankle spin earlier today and the martini spin (i think that's what it's called) but I can't do them anymore. Might try and take a break and let my arms recover from the shock for an hour or so! Thanks for the advice so far 🙂
I know everyones names of moves are different. A catch spin from what I was taught is you step with your inside leg, swing the outside leg around to the other side. The inside leg that you started with will slide up the pole to stop you from spining.
amy ·
i think the best equipment to get stronger on the pole-- is the pole. work on pull ups, work on just holding your body weight on the pole (with bent arms, like as though you've done a complete pull up), every time you walk by the pole!
Hey there, I'm one of those "constantly beginning" people who like to get back to the basics...and always manage to forget to dance for a good half-year, and have to retrain. One of the biggest things: Don't tell anyone, especially yourself, that you can't do anything! You can, obviously, do lots! 🐱 I'd say just move around, feel the music, trust the pole to hold you up, learn about moving up and down it, getting used to playing with what you have. That's what I'm still learning to do 🙄 Don't push yourself if certain things hurt your muscles. If you find climbing painful, perhaps work on other stuff till you feel you can handle it (though I found climbing painful for a couple of times, and the sit still gives me pole burn) but when you learn lots of spins and get really strong, climbing and such will be easier! Otherwise, work on what YOU want from the pole, how you feel when you dance with it 🙂 And good luck! I look forward to seeing some videos! 🥂
Audball ·
Thanks for the encouragement Runemist, I think that's what I need most! And I have managed to compile a video of my first day clips (never used video editing software before.. thank God for macs!) Now to figure out how to upload it... Hmmm!
Audball ·
Okay got a video up. Please check it out and let me know what you think! It's on my profile 😮)
witeroze ·
Apart from fireman and sunwheel, or ankle attitude (which i can only do badly) and a headstand, i'm totally useless! 🙁 is it always this hard to start poling? I'm flexible-ish, and not unfit, but i think my upper arm strengh is letting me down. I've begun lifting light weights, but only about a week ago so I guess it's not going to make a difference yet! you can ONLY do a fireman/sunwheel/ankle attitude/headstand on your first day?? lmao... I couldn't do anything on my first day except a crappy fireman. I was surprised I couldn't even do a simple climb because the girls here made it look so easy 🥂 so have some patience girl.. you'll get the moves you want in no time!
I just watched your vid and your sunwheel is looking so good!! Just keep practicing the moves you know until you build enough strength and then you will be surpirsed at how easy the spins come after that! Way to go!!!
Audball ·
Hey thanks! I still can't believe how much easier it looks.. Hehe and neither can my arms, could barely dress myself today! lol! Thanks for having a look. My sunwheel looks very raw I think, need to stretch my legs out and point my toes.. need to get the graceful part down! Gonna try get back on the pole tomorrow if my arms loosen up 🙂
I know everyones names of moves are different. A catch spin from what I was taught is you step with your inside leg, swing the outside leg around to the other side. The inside leg that you started with will slide up the pole to stop you from spining. Xpose calls a "Halfspin" a catchspin.
Hey thanks! I still can't believe how much easier it looks.. Hehe and neither can my arms, could barely dress myself today! lol! Thanks for having a look. My sunwheel looks very raw I think, need to stretch my legs out and point my toes.. need to get the graceful part down! Gonna try get back on the pole tomorrow if my arms loosen up 🙂 Takin maybe a days break in between might be a good idea forstarting out. Poling every day might be too much. Your muscles need some time to recover and grow 😀 .
Audball ·
Thanks sissybuns, i'm pretty sure I couldn't have poled today even if I had really tried... my arms wouldn't allow it!
kyra ·
Don't worry, you sound like me 3 months ago! Try try try! Don't be afraid to try some new stuff. Sit on the pole and try to let go of your hands from the pole. Spins are great for beginners. 🙂 Try the fankick on youtube, this is great to build up your muscles for the inverts. Good luck (sorry for my bad english) 🐱
Audball ·
I found it really difficult to sit on the pole even while holding with my arms! Not only does it hurt my thighs, but my thighs don't seem to be able to squeeze the pole at all... and that's where I thought I had muscles! I think I did the fankick, i presume it's the same as the windmill. I found that fun, but it really hurt my upper inside ribcage (right under my breast basically!) from holding it against the pole during the fankick. Is this normal, or could it mean that i'm doing it wrong? I can't see myself doing inverts anytime soon, I can't even do a one arm spin, and my abs leave a lot to be desired, so i'll definitely keep working on my strength 🙂
Pole is really difficult to begin with (or I found it hard). I couldn't even lift myself when I first started and I think if I hadn't paid for a 6 week course, I would have given up and I'm so glad I didn't. When I started, the teachers I went to just did basic things every week. So we would start by doing pole sits - or pulling ourselves up into that position and then sliding back down again pretty quickly! lol The first spin we learnt was the chair spin, followed by the front hook and the attitude one (don't know the name - where you hook your leg or ankle on the pole and put your other leg behind you in the attitude position). Also climbing - that's where I built up the most strength, just trying to climb. And finally we would just hold ourselves up to the side of the pole and seeing how long we could hold ourselves up with our arms. Stick with it tho - it's worth it. It's frustrating and challenging and rewarding and exciting all in equal measures. Love it!
Audball ·
Thanks loupielou for the encouragement, i'm surprised at how hard it is. People make it look so easy!
byrdgrrl ·
Every body is different, so you'll find some moves are easy and some are just plain hard. I can side climb all the way up my ten foot pole, but I've tried and tried and I can't do more than one basic climb. 🙄 Several other people on the thread have mentioned this but I think it bears repeating. Work on your upper body strength and your ab strength. Veena has some excellent strength exercises in her lessons if you have them. Another important thing to remember (and I tell myself this all the time): Just like any other skill, IT TAKES TIME to learn and to improve. Stick with it, and you will get better. 😀
Audball ·
Thanks byrdgrl, I know you and everyone else is right, it takes time. But i'm so frustrated, I tried to pole today after taking a 1 day break, but my arms are still sore from the 2 days before, so they literally wouldn't work! Could barely hold myself on for a fireman spin. I even found it hard to pull the gearstick into 2nd gear when driving home tonight! Oh dear! In regards to the lessons, I got myself a dvd from the same person I got my pole from (UK supplier). Turns out the only move on the whole dvd i can do is the fireman! even the strength training moves are too difficult for me to attempt! So I will definitely have to get some cash together to get Veena's lessons when my bf gets home from his trip. Also, one more question, I feel like tomorrow my arms may still be sore and weak tomorrow, so should i maybe leave the attempt at tricks another day? Is there anyway I can end up leaving it too long? Or is it best to wait until the pain in completely gone? I appreciate everyone's encouragement and advice, thanks x
I've been poling now for about a year and have had a month or so break over Christmas and New Year. I went to my first class last night and this morning, my arms are completely broken - and I know that tomorrow it will be worse (it's always the day after the day after for some reason! 😀 ) When I first started though I was the same as you couldn't even change gear for the first few lessons. You will get used to it tho - it's like nothing I've done before as far as muscle use goes (mind you, I'm not big on exercise and think it must have been at least 10 years since I'd done any exercise before I started pole 😂 ) It is frustrating but it will get easier and it will get better. Just keep working on the moves you are trying now and keep trying to climb and then one day things will start to click. It took me about five or six lessons to start understanding what I should be doing. Maybe rather than trying spins, etc. you can just have a bit of a dance around, look on YouTube and see if you can get any tips for floorwork and just get used to the pole. There are so many polers on YouTube, you're bound to get some inspiration there.
Audball ·
Yeah I guess taking lessons is good, because you know that all the muscle pain, and the frustration is normal! My arms are feeling a bit better today, but don't know how strong they'll be! I'll do the dancy thing anyway and see how I go 🙂
