Newbie Frustrations

cbr600girl started this discussion · 4/10/2009

I've been practicing and practicing. I keep slipping (hands have no grip), I have no upper body strength to do a climb. When I can climp up the pole and I grip with my thighs, my thighs rub all the way back down. I am getting so frustrated. Also, I seem to be to chicken to even try a elbow stand. I go to bring my legs over and I go to the side, or bring my legs back down right away. I don't know what my problem is. Any advice or similiar stories? How long did it take you guys to climb, do inverts, etc? Thanks! Selena in So Cal

8 replies

Foxy_Rei · 4/10/2009
I know what you mean about doing elbow stands (or handstands!)!!! I get easily disoriented when upside down and can't quite comfortably hold my weight on my arms from above. I've slid down into an elbow stand from an inverted crucifix and can hold my legs in a V, but I usually end up grabbing the pole with my legs within half a second and clinging on for dear life. If you can invert, maybe invert, slide down to elbow stand-height, walk your hands around the pole until you're leaning against it (pole against your stomach). Then practice just staying there! The pole is there to steady you so move your legs around and get used to holding your balance and just being more confident with being in that position. I started out with spins and that was a good way to ease into gaining upper body strength. You wouldn't think that just spinning in circles holding onto a pole would do much, but you'd be surprised! My hands are extremely sweaty and even about a month and a half into this, I still have to wipe off my hands after every spin (or 2 at most). You said you're working on climbing and sitting, have you done any spins??? 🤔 I'd say just spinspinspinspin until your arms fall off for a little while, maybe a week or two (or until the soreness wears off), and just do simple moves like pulling yourself up into the pole into a sit using just your arms. I combine this with a thigh and ad exercise kinda thing - pull yourself up but put your legs out into the open V position and hold yourself there. But that's my 2 cents... may not work for you, but maybe it will 🙂 Good luck!
Rouge_LAmour · 4/10/2009
Veena has a great video ab out how to use your shoulders. Once I saw that, lots made sense to me - including reducing injury. However, it also strengthened up my lats and traps and that gave me far more strength. Attacking the clay in my garden over summer was good too, all that butch pick-axe action really strengthened my upper back. Inverts are overrated. only cos I can't do them. It's also muscle memory, one day you'll find you can just do whatever it is you've been trying to do for ages. I find I now drift into other thoughts during the Latin based dance fitness class I do. Yup, planning dinner an writing a shopping list while doing salsa steps...
rubberstarlet · 4/17/2009
I'm a newb and just to scared or insecure to try different moves. I've been doing squats,abs and push ups at my gym, for better body strength. After 4 pole classes in Hollywood, I Finley got the elbow stand! Its easy if you have a low enough bed and practice there. Just hold on to a leg on the side and toss your half up haha. Yea just start with spins, and work up to the fan legs. then just practice a climb and hold on. it took be 2 months to learn just basic stuff. I'm not flexible at all so that puts me behind also.
Veena · 4/19/2009
You can also try the elbow stand or hand stand against a wall, until you get use to the feeling of going upside down For upper body...try doing some strength moves in addition to your pole. Remember it takse time to build muscle and strength. Your muscles need time to rest and repair, so don't use the same muscle group heavily every day, leave a day of rest in between, for muscle repair.
Crickett · 4/23/2009
I feel your frustration. I ended a session in tears today because I can't manage a simple front hook or back hook properly. Either I lose my momentum too soon and end up having to drop the last six inches or the pole gets jammed in the crook of my knee and I come to a screeching halt. Either way I'm having difficulty managing a steady slide all the way through the move. Also for some reason I CANNOT do body rolls. I manage the first roll okay but if I try to do any consecutive rolls it just looks like I'm humping the pole! And no, I'm not doing the rolls backwards, as in hips first and chest last, though I did start out that way. I've sort of got an uphill battle ahead and I knew that going into it, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm just not "cut out" for this. For some reason I've never been able to make sense of dance moves. It's more than just being a newbie, it's almost like a kind of physical dyslexia. I can watch someone perform a move dozens of times but if you stuck me in front of the pole right after I'd just stand there with a blank look on my face. I've tried breaking the moves down into steps like in Jamilla's Art of Pole DVDs and even then I STILL have a difficult time keeping my arms and legs in check. I'll slow-mo the demonstration of the move and even focus on one body part at a time, like the knee or ankle, but after it's over I can't seem to remember exactly how it went. I end up using the wrong arm or leg sometimes, even. The only reason I decided to get into this in the first place is because of aerials. I'm extremely flexible but I SUCK at floor work. Remember that scene from Fantasia, with the hippo in a tutu? Yeah, that's me. But if I can't even manage a simple front hook I'm not sure there's any hope for me. I don't want to give up because I've wanted to do this for two years, and I spent 300 on the pole plus 80 for Jamilla's Art of Pole series, but I can't help wondering if I'm just wasting my time. Oh, and the PMS isn't helping either.
Rouge_LAmour · 4/23/2009
Also for some reason I CANNOT do body rolls. I manage the first roll okay but if I try to do any consecutive rolls it just looks like I'm humping the pole! And no, I'm not doing the rolls backwards, as in hips first and chest last, though I did start out that way. Body rolls defy even the most amazing dancers, but once you get it, you'll be fine. My tips are: Stand a (smallish) step away from the pole. grab with both or either hand Bend your knees slightly, esp if you have lower back issues. stick your tushie out bring your head to the pole(sticking your tush out will help this to occur naturally), stick out your tongue and think about licking the pole. (crass, but this may work) now, move your head like your licking an icecream (or Brad Pitts chest, whatever takes your fancy), long lick. follow by pushing your boobs to the pole, arch your back and keep the tush stuck waaaay out there. keep your back arched, then bring in you tummy above your belly button, pull your head backwards keep the back arched, bottom part of your tummy / hips, so bring in your tushie take your shoulders and upper tum off the pole. bring your knees into the pole. then sit. The trick is to think of only one part of your body on the pole at any one time. (hands excepted) Think of the worm from breakdancing or even how a cat stretches. Try to emulate those movements and it may help. It's an arch or curve of the back, well, that's how I see it. If I get some time I'll try to make a video of it for you. I have days where I can't even do a fireman - and I teach!!! It will get better. Promise, but it's the Pantene Promise: it won't happen overnight, but it will happen. BTW physical dyslexia is called dyspraxia
Crickett · 4/24/2009
BTW physical dyslexia is called dyspraxia Holy crap! There's actually a word for it? That makes me feel better somehow. I'll look it up and see if it sounds like my issue. Also makes me feel better to know that body rolls stymie better dancers than I. The frustrating part about body rolls (and basically any move for that matter) is that people who do it well make it look so damn easy. And it's like "why the heck can't I do this?" Honestly I'd be happy to master just aerials and spins and leave the floor work to the more rhythm-inclined, but I figure I should at least have a go at it. Thanks for the advice, I'll try it next time I belly up to the pole =)
amcut · 4/24/2009
WAH! You guys are both going to be super-jam in like two months! Seriously. If either of you give up, I'm so coming to your house to beat you up.... well, not really. I'd probably just make a nice competitive offer on your pole. Elbow stands are good in that you can practice them anywhere. I like to put my legs on the couch, get my elbows into the stand... straighten out my midsection, and then after attempting to slowly raise my legs to no effect- I like to fling them back. If you fall a couple of times.. on pillows, grass, whatever is soft you realize it isn't that bad.. kind of like how when you were a kid and nothing hurt- except you're older and sometimes it does.. but it still isn't that bad. And in an elbow stand, you can't really fall on your head. Which makes it a thousand times safer than anything else we do. Cricket- once you get that muscle memory in for your basic moves, they'll be just as simple as everything else you do regularly. So unless you make a serious habit of falling over yourself while walking (and I'm not talking about basic clumsy, because most of us are!), I'm sure you will be WONDERFUL. It's just repetition for grace and strength building for ability!