MommaBear started this discussion ·
It seems like this is greatly debated so I wasn't sure which is the way to go. From viewing youtube clips, some tell you to use the momentum from kicking to get into the invert stance, yet others seem to say that you shouldn't be kicking at all? I can't imagine I would ever be able to get up there without kicking, so which is the way to go?
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No kicking allowed...the ones that tell you to kick are doing it incorrectly. You should never kick into an invert because it's a bad habit and also if you can't lift yourself into an invert you probably aren't ready to do one so if you kick you could get injured. You can do it without kicking, just give yourself time to build the strength first, it took me 3 months to invert and much longer to do it effortlessly. I have this pole DVD and when the instructor taught an invert I remember her saying "don't kick into it, it seems easier now but will affect your form negatively in the long run" and I found that to be true, lifting yourself into an invert is a good gateway move for other inverted poses/building arm strength for more advanced moves. good luck!
Veena ·
NO KICKING......I teach you to LEAD with one leg but.....you don't swing the leg and use momentum. Kicking is a good way to injure yourself. 😈
NO KICKING!!!! Unfortunately too many pole schools teach girls to do this. You will have the strength. It took me what seemed like forever to have the strength to curl up into a shoulder mount but that times FLIES. I will also attest to injuries. One of the first pulled muscles I got was from doing a reverse invert. I had the strength to get up there but did not have the strength to control myself on the way back down. Work those CONTROLLED knee ups!
No kicking and like many people say in other posts... if you just started or are still new to pole you shouldn't be inverting anyways! Kicking does make it easier but it doesn't do anything for building up your strength which you will need later down the road.
Solya ·
Definitely no kicking!! When I learned to invert I kicked into it and no one corrected me, result = 2 cracked ribs. Be patient and use those abs 🙂
Okay, that is unanimous - NO KICKING!! I guess I will have to wait till I get some good muscles going and allow my body to do the work. Besides, I kinda like my ribs the way they are - in whole pieces (ouch Solya!) Waiting on abs is going to take quite some time - I've never had or used them unless those are the muscles that deliver contractions during childbirth 😂 Chem - what do you mean by knee-ups?
Charley ·
There are a ton of exercises you can do to get ready to invert. One of them is actually sitting on the floor and working on lifting up into an invert. You should also practice the leg grip from the floor too so that it becomes ingrained where each leg goes. I have lots of students who I have to tell to slow down because once they get up there their legs are in the wrong place...they never graduate beyond inverting from a squated position on the floor until the get the legs right, You can also do things like fan kicks/ windwills that require you to engage your arms and your lower abs to complete the trick. As you get stronger your legs will be able to lift higher. You can stand at your pole and lift your knees up to your chest too. I am probably the odd girl out, but I teach basic laybacks before inverts and once you are strong enough to do a basic cross knee release, you are going to start seeing a big improvement in ab strength - so I tell my students to perfect their x knee up to pole sit, by the time they get it perfected, most are ready to begin inverted prep training. 🏴☠️
Solya ·
I am probably the odd girl out, but I teach basic laybacks before inverts and once you are strong enough to do a basic cross knee release, you are going to start seeing a big improvement in ab strength - so I tell my students to perfect their x knee up to pole sit, by the time they get it perfected, most are ready to begin inverted prep training. 🏴☠️ We teach sitting and CKR way before inverting too! If you can't sit up from a CKR there is no way you can invert without kicking. MommaBear you could maybe speed up the process by doing crunches, leg raises and plank holds daily. We always push those in beginner classes and it gets people inverting really quickly!
I teach basic laybacks before inverts Is the basic layback the same as the plank? Also someone said something about a CKR. What is that? I am new and working on ab strength as well. I ordered a mat and it won't even be here until the end of May or later. Not even going to try and invert with out my mat!
Charley ·
I teach basic laybacks before inverts Is the basic layback the same as the plank? Also someone said something about a CKR. What is that? I am new and working on ab strength as well. I ordered a mat and it won't even be here until the end of May or later. Not even going to try and invert with out my mat! Yes, I consider the plank the beginning of a layback...I have two versions of planks...1) one leg straight and the other bent over top as you would in a cross knee release (CKR) and 2) both legs straight and crossed at the calves/ankles. Students start with 2 hands on the pole, graduate to 1 hand and then with spotting they will graduate to the cross knee release (CKR) I teach the cross knee release from the floor first. So we learn leg position, how to grip the pole and do a sit up, up to the pole. So basically students learn how to come up before they learn to go down. I am probably the odd girl out, but I teach basic laybacks before inverts and once you are strong enough to do a basic cross knee release, you are going to start seeing a big improvement in ab strength - so I tell my students to perfect their x knee up to pole sit, by the time they get it perfected, most are ready to begin inverted prep training. 🏴☠️ We teach sitting and CKR way before inverting too! If you can't sit up from a CKR there is no way you can invert without kicking. MommaBear you could maybe speed up the process by doing crunches, leg raises and plank holds daily. We always push those in beginner classes and it gets people inverting really quickly! YAY! 🥂 Students succeed so much more when the moves they learn are thought out. I totally agree if you can't come up out of a CKR you aren't ready to invert.
Veena ·
I also teach the Planks first.....there are so many moves that can be done without needing to invert! 🥂
Momma....knee ups are actually a 2 part strength builder. The first part is being able to hold your body weight with just your arms. Imagine doing pull ups but using your pole. Knee ups are holding the pole in baseball grip and raising your knees to your belly and then letting them back down. http://localhosthttp://www.mensfitness.com/2008/images/ripped/0808-ripped-hanging-knee-raise-1.jpg But using the pole.
woah woah woah wait a minute...no kicking...into anything?! I have never gone to a school I have only learned off youtube so thats probably why I have not ever heard this. I understand how this could lead to people doing moves they arent ready for so it seems like a good idea. Can someone watch my videos and tell me if I do this? This makes me feel like I will never get my SM 😢 which doesnt even seem to use muscles but for some reason I cant get it.
The shoulder mount uses a a lot of muscles...abs and biceps being the bulk but not all 😀
The shoulder mount uses a a lot of muscles...abs and biceps being the bulk but not all 😀 that may be the case but no matter how many times I practice it I am never sore (except for the excruciating pain of the pole stabbing my shoulder) so I cant figure out if I am even using my muscles =[
Veena ·
You will have some tenderness at first....but if your in the right position it shouldn't be painful all the time. Make sure that the pole is very close to the neck, stay off the spine, but you want the pole way up on the trap (the part of the neck that curves up) The pole should be right by your ear when you look up. If the pole is off near the end of the shoulder you will have a lot more pain then if you keep the pole close. Hope that helps. 🌸
I'm a prime example of someone who is self taught based on online videos.... and unfortunately I use momentum to get into my invert.... 🙁 I feel like I should be strong enough, but at the same time I'm not. I can see people doing it, day after day after day, but when I'm by myself trying to walk myself through the move all by myself I just struggle.. Apparently I can't multi-task!! (Can only think one thing at a time...) I've been working on bringing my knees to my chest and when I climb I'm working on using my arms more than my legs and also have been working on my upper body strength w/ my husbands pull up bar, I can see a little result but old habits die hard!! Towards the end of my work out I highly doubt I could do an invert w/o momentum (the only inverts I've done w/o momentum I find myself trying to hop into it 😠 Sooo not cool). Once you get into the bad habit it's hard to quit!! So I'd recommend not starting it!!
CKR- cross knee release It's when you sit on the pole then cross when one leg on the other and then...yes you let yourself go back, you can use your hands to help you. It's kind of hard at first because it's really hurt your thigh ouch but when you can do that and then go up again (like sit-up) it give you an idea that you're on your way 😛 tiffthebest i'm a beginner too and propably do it without knowing because I begin with youtube. Don't worry about it and work more on your abs it should help. We should always think of doing moves the good way and the safe way rather then learning very fast. I'm pretty sure you'll get it soon.
RoxyPink ·
lift lift lift!! 😀 I have a video somewhere on here...... ahhhh here it is! Just a few examples of some exercises you can do to help.... kinda old but... http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/1019
lift lift lift!! 😀 I have a video somewhere on here...... ahhhh here it is! Just a few examples of some exercises you can do to help.... kinda old but... http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/1019 This video is how I learned to invert properly. It's a great guide on what to work on to build the necessary strength. I was struggling with the chopper until I started doing these prep exercises. Also for SM, I was able to learn it without kicking by doing prances. Lot's and lots of prances. You keep practicing and each time you get stronger and stronger, then you get closer and closer and then one day you prance all the way up and bam! you just lifted into a shoulder mount!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My hand positioning was ALL WRONG when I was trying to do exercises like these 😳 Maybe by gripping right I will increase my hold time and make it past my current .25 second average 😂 Now I have something to work on during "off" days! Yay!
I favorited this video when you first posted it for Sissy!!! I seriously was doing the pole stands last night, but I didn't have my shoulder up against the pole b/c it was uncomfy.. <-- wimp! LOL! But I'm working on all of these, except the last one!! I'm getting closer, and closer, but not there yet...
You will have some tenderness at first....but if your in the right position it shouldn't be painful all the time. Make sure that the pole is very close to the neck, stay off the spine, but you want the pole way up on the trap (the part of the neck that curves up) The pole should be right by your ear when you look up. If the pole is off near the end of the shoulder you will have a lot more pain then if you keep the pole close. Hope that helps. 🌸 btw this helped a lot. The pole wasnt in the right position. I still dont understand why I cant do this move tho lol.
Funny, when I first learnt the invert, my instructor called it 'the kick-up'... Bad habit! Now almost one year in understand how much more difficult inverts are when not kicking into them. Trying to learn aerial inverts seems nearly impossible!
AHA! I am not the only one who has broke to ribs learning an invert taught incorrectly! I am not alone.....heehee Being an ex-gymnast, I figured I would attack it like a pullover. NOT! No good!!! Funny thing- when i went to the walk in clinic to get a script for heavy duty anti-inflammatory......the doctor only heard "stripper pole" and had this great big shit eating grin for the rest of the appointment. Didn't matter how many times I explained I was working out.... Flash forward 6 months later..........My son has a wicked allergy attack....eyes swollen shut. So I take him up to the clinic~ Wouldn't ya know......same little doctor~ Same shit eating grin..... Looks at me and says~ Stripper pole! Too funny.......... Definitely no kicking!! When I learned to invert I kicked into it and no one corrected me, result = 2 cracked ribs. Be patient and use those abs 🙂
