Not enough room!

moonflower started this discussion · 12/21/2009

I'm sure I'm not the only one with this problem, but I keep kicking things when I practice. I just uploaded a video and in it I kicked my wardrobe while trying to do an extended butterfly. I also can't practice reverse grabs properly because I keep hitting my bed post and have a huge bruise on my foot to show for it. I also have a very short ceiling, 7'4", I'm only 4'10" but I still think it's too short. When I shoulder mount, my feet are already at the adjuster screw and I have to scooch down to grab the pole with my feet . My room is the only place I can put the pole up.What do you girls do to practice moves that require lots of space when space is lacking?

15 replies

carriej · 12/22/2009
I just kicked my doorknob. 🙁
moonflower · 12/22/2009
Your doorknob should apologize to you for being in the way!
carriej · 12/23/2009
Tell me about it! My husband asked what the loud noise was and I told him I kicked the door and he asked if I broke the knob off or anything! Umm...no, just felt like my foot was gonna fall off, that's all! 😂 😂
chemgoddess1 · 12/23/2009
I have mine up in my garage and I still kick things...but at 5'8" it is pretty inevitable. Even at the studio I go to I have kicked things (it is long and narrow), mainly chairs that have been left in my path. I really want to bring my pole inside and put it up in my office but there is no way I could do that because of the lack of space.
loopielou · 12/24/2009
I want to move my pole to a smaller room, but I think if I do, I will have the same problems as you're all speaking about on here 🙂 I currently have my pole in my step-daughters room, but would like my own little pole room. The room I'm thinking about is only as wide as me with my arms stuck out though so I doubt it'll be big enough. Does anybody have any ideas as to how much space I should have round the pole?
chemgoddess1 · 12/24/2009
I would say minimum would be however tall you are. I personally would add a few feet onto that to compensate for arms being straight out and also shoes.
Former member · 12/26/2009
omg. i have the SAME problem!!! i rent a room right now because im in grad school (1 more semester, woohoo!) and i swear, when i had my pole up i couldn't do anything because i was constantly banging into my dresser, the closet door, the walls...all sorts of stuff. before i'd dance id have to move my room around a little and id still hit things with my legs (i'm 5'7") and that's not even the ceiling issue! my ceiling in my room is SO SHORT!! i definitely have ceiling height envy lol. i totally understand hunnie!!!
byrdgrrl · 12/26/2009
I thought I would have enough room, but quickly almost demolished my bookcase with my music sitting on top. 😕 I don't know where you are skill-wise, but I went to working on some of the smaller forward spins (eg. fireman, front hook), anything where I don't have to really stretch my leg out. I need a lot of work on my strength, too. Veena has a couple of awesome arm strength moves (pole row, pole triceps push) in her lessons. I also work on my pole hold (another arm strength thing) and my pole sit. I can also fit most walks and transitions in too. Some of this may or may not be helpful to you; I'm still kind of new at this. 😀
moonflower · 12/26/2009
Owwie on the toe, honey rose. be careful! I guess I should be grateful that my pole at least is not in a cold garage. Canadian winter will render the pole useless! Does anyone have any tips on how to practice a reverse grab in cramped quarters? I can't seem to do the move properly unless my body is flung pretty far out or else my hands slip and I'm on the ground in half a rotation. I've been trying to practice it wih my knees bent, but it just doesn't give me enough momentum.
loopielou · 1/3/2010
The reverse grab is one of the reasons I don't want to move my pole to a smaller area - along with things like handspring, etc. which I am trying to learn - I've already banged my toe doing a handspring and I had loads of room then! lol
kamillya14 · 1/9/2010
I had to get rid of a dining room table for space to dance in my 1 bedroom apartment. I rarely eat at the table and instead opted for a smaller table I can fold out if I have company and put away otherwise...
FreeTheSun · 1/9/2010
I have a "take off" area for my pole for the bigger spins (especially reverse grab because I love that one) so what I do is I can only take off in about 1/4 of the space around my pole and can't milk the spin for all it's worth (that I save for the studio) but I can get around without kicking anything (and this is without shoes, because shoes are not an option in the space I have) most of the time. I just have to be sure that I push off at the right spot otherwise I bang into things. Although I kinda look at it as a way of practicing body control and awareness while spinning because if I push off wrong I've gotten decently good at tucking somewhat or adjusting my body as I complete the spin so I don't kick anything. That way I feel like even though it is sorta cramped I'm still improving spins overall because I am forced to have better body control mid-air.
joni1 · 1/9/2010
I had the exact same problem with no room to do spins. I keep hitting my dresser and bowflex as a result all my wide spins sucked. I could do the superman fall before I could do a RG. It wasn't until I joined a pole studio did I have the freedom to spin wide and finally learned all my spins. I did finally managed to talk my husband to let me have the guest room as my pole and aerial silk workout room. 😛 We cleared the whole room and is putting in a Platnium stages extreme portable pole. The room is wide with 9 foot ceiling. Its not that high for aerial silk but I can still do some climbs ,poses and short drops from it. 🤸
moonflower · 1/10/2010
Aerial silk in only 9'? Wow, that's harder than pole with 7'.
joni1 · 1/11/2010
Aerial silk in only 9'? Wow, that's harder than pole with 7'. I know its not that high 🙁 but I get my height aerial practice at the circus school where the silks are 30 feet high. 😮 But I will still be able to do short climbs and drops and at least practice the sequence of the wraps at 9 feet high. The good news with it being only 9 feet is if I'm practicing on my own and fall , its a shorter fall to the ground. 😳 Thank goodness for my crash mats.