Newbie asks a question......

lebe started this discussion · 7/30/2009

Hey So I'm super new at this and wanted some advice. I haven't even bought a pole yet (it's on my lists of things I'm getting with the extra money I make this summer) and I wanted to know if anyone had any good stretches or ways to get my strength up before I start. I don't want to injure myself and I figured that one of the best ways to do that is to start preparing my body now. Thanks!

11 replies

SissyBuns · 7/30/2009
Hi Lebe! I think you might be able to benefit from some exercises to increase your upper body strength while you wait for you pole. Do you have access to a gym or weights? Even if you don't, there are tons of exercises you can do using just your body weight. I personally love push-ups to help develop shoulders and arms. Pull ups are good (if you can find a bar to hang from lol), chair dips or any kind of dip using whatever you want to dip off of LOL. Squuats and lunges can help strengthen your legs ... you'll need that for squeezing onto that pole for dear life LOL. You can also do some ab work (crunches, planks, leg raises) to start strengthening your core...cuz you're gonna use that alot too 😉 👍
Poleluver · 7/30/2009
or if you are interested in involving your pole there is a Dr Amy something that includes a band to work with. I have it- bought it before I got my pole and haven't found it yet?! I would check the other threads on what people look for to see if they're ready for inverts and work towards that ( a lot of abs and arms) in general. Something I'm working on and have found myself in deficient in
Foxy_Rei · 8/1/2009
Veena · 8/2/2009
Also, if you look at Veena's lessons, you can see the types of exercises she does for strength training. Even if you can't see the actual lesson, you can still see the title of the lesson... It's also a good way to get an idea of progression just to look at the order of the lessons even if you can't actually watch them, and not all of them necessarily have to be done with a pole. I'm sorry if that's cheating, but for us self-taught broke people... 😕 Just make sure that you're doing the exercises with the proper form for them to be effective. I would prefer that people don't go to my lessons and try to guess at how to perform the moves by the title name. 😲 That's not safe at all! 👎 There is a reason they are not just pictures with names, but actual video. I make sure to explain the moves so you are aware of proper technique and form.
glitterhips · 8/2/2009
I have to agree with Veena on this one, it's pretty difficult to tell if you're performing the exercises safely if you can't actually watch the videos. I wouldn't really recommend trying to decipher the content by the title of the video. The $20 trial is a great option to preview them, I bought them even though I could already do most of the moves and they were helpful for moves I hadn't gotten to and also corrected things I was doing incorrectly. And if you can't afford that, free weights, and exercise ball and a pull up bar are great things to use until you can get a pole!
miss fern · 8/2/2009
Veena and glitterhips are right - you shouldnt just guess how to do a move from the title and a thumbnail pic, but I don't think that's what Foxy was suggesting! Lol! I mean, you can go look at the titles and see the names "lunge", "squat", "leg lift" etc etc and you can Google them for very very detailed instructions (yes, with pics and vids) - or just ask a trainer at your gym, or any male friend that does any kind of sports! 😉 And that's a good way to start training before you get your pole. By doing the regular strength training you'd do at the gym. Push ups, pull ups, chest press, lunges, squats, bench press, crunches, leg lifts. You can't really go wrong with picking an exercise since you use practically every muscle for pole dancing! You can also check out some of Veena's free lessons on her youtube channel, as Foxy mentioned.
glitterhips · 8/2/2009
Well, on the same hand, I don't think it's fair to Veena for people to go to her lessons and look at the title of the moves and then Google them so they can learn how to do them without having to pay for them either. The lessons are really the only way Veena makes any money from this site and I can only imagine how much she and Webmaster pay for the bandwith each month since this website is growing bigger and bigger every day. I'm not trying to sound rude or pick fights with people, I just think Veena should be compensated for all the time and effort she put into making those lessons!
amcut · 8/2/2009
Yoga and pilates are supposed to complement pole nicely. Veena's lessons are excellent! 🙂 I've had a few months of them as well, and I was very pleased.
Foxy_Rei · 8/6/2009
@Veena and Glitter Um, guys, I wasn't talking about the moves on the pole. I was talking about the warm-up moves and such. You can always cross-reference with YouTube videos and such to find out what the proper form actually is. I'll remove my post...
Veena · 8/6/2009
@Veena and Glitter Um, guys, I wasn't talking about the moves on the pole. I was talking about the warm-up moves and such. You can always cross-reference with YouTube videos and such to find out what the proper form actually is. I'll remove my post... No worries foxy, 😉 I know what you were getting at, and I had to let everyone know that well....as a personal trainer, I feel its important for people to understand that technique, even when doing a squat is really important. I have seen many youtube exercise vids and trust me, there is a lot of bad information out there! There are good ones, but how is a person unfamiliar with them going to know if they are being misinformed? That was my concern. I just think Veena should be compensated for all the time and effort she put into making those lessons! Thank you glitter, that was super sweet of you 🌸 I don't think Foxy meant it to come across as stealing. I really, truly, just want everyone to exercise safely, it can really improve you poling and your quality of life. 🥂 🥂
JiGsAwChIcK13 · 8/10/2009
I would definitely recommend weight lifting. It is imperative to build your muscle strength asap and pole dancing will be that much easier for you. I take pole classes and I have been exercising my whole life and started lifting weights when I was 12 and let me tell you - It was so much easier mastering the more complex tricks since I already had strength and stamina built up prior to beginning lessons. If you intend to begin strength training, make sure you work every muscle group. Often times people want to target a specific "problem area", for instance you are probably looking to strengthen your arms and upper body but do not neglect your lower body. To achieve a well toned and fit body one must give every muscle the attention it deserves. Right now I am on a 6 day weight lifting routine but 3 to 4 days a week is a good amount as well. Everyday I target a new muscle region in this order - back, biceps, legs, chest, triceps, shoulders and forearms. I do 4 to 6 exercises for each muscle group, 3 sets, 12 reps each. I also do jumping jacks (15 to 20) inbetween sets to keep my heart rate up but if you are just starting you can use the inbetween time to rest. If you do not have the time for a 6 day a week rotation you can opt to this schedual instead - back+biceps one day, legs+shoulders (and forearms), chest+triceps. The work out will be longer but you will only have to devote a small amount of time 3 days a week to complete it. Also it is a good idea to change up your routine every 6 months. For instance if you begin with the routine I just mentioned, later you may want to aleternate to back+triceps, legs+shoulders, and chest+biceps. That way your body doesn't get too accustomed to the routine you have been habitually practicing for months. More important notes - if you want to get toned and build strength, add cardio into your exercise routine. I don't know how often you exercise or in what shape you are in but I'm sure you can figure out what works for you. As you get stronger and build endurance you can pump up the cardio. Building muscle is great because muscle burns fat, but to get lean and cut you have to include cardio. Wow okay I rambled sorry, but this is something I'm very passionate about and eager to share with others. I hope this helped! Lemme know if you have any questions/concerns, I'm here to help!