Ceri123x started this discussion ·
Iv been doing pole for 6 weeks now, i still cant do a basic front or back hook, i cant do a windmill or anything ! Most people can do it now, i feel really depressed cos im the only one who cant do it :( anyone got any advice.
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I'm still really new to pole myself so I'm probably not the most qualified to give advice but I want to say if you enjoy it and it make you happy don't give up. Keep trying and practice practice practice. Watch YouTube videos of people explaining how to do it and when you are practicing watch the video in your head. I had only been to one class and I was so upset because I was able to get all the spins and everything the first night while my friend struggled but when it came to a pole sit she was amazing and I couldn't stay up. I went home and researched the heck out of it. Foun out that if I beat my thighs like a gorilla before trying it it hurts less. So in my third class I tried it and you know what? It wasn't perfect but I did it and I was so proud of myself. So like I said I would YouTube research and practice practice practice. :)
I agree with SpinningBunny. I've been doing pole fitness for almost 3 years now and I still have plenty to learn. That's whats great about this discipline. There's always a new move or trick to learn. Don't give up, it can take a while to get a move, it took me more than 8 months to get some of the more advanced moves and I still can't do the split (working on it though!), but when you finally get that one move you've been working on, it's the best feeling in the world! Whenever I have trouble with a move, I try to practice it 5 times EVERYTIME I'm at the pole. Even if I don't get it, it helps my body to remember the movement and little by little, it gets better. I'm also rather cheezy, I tell myself that if I manage to do the move, no matter how bad it looks, I will have a good day, or I will deserve to eat my favourite snack after, or any other little thing that motivates me. Of course the best motivation is to actually GET the move! lol And I can guarantee you'll never find a discipline with a more supportive community! ;) So keep up the good work and don't give up! Cheers!
Ceri123x ·
I just feel really rubbish compared to everyone else, and iv been doing it for a while now and just cant do a basic move ! I appreciate everyone writing on here, but i just feel really meh about the whole thing !
i know its hard but try not to compare yourself to others as everyones pole journey is different. You will get there believe me just stick at it. X
You have not givne us a whole lot of information about yourself nor the rest of your class. Are you only taking one class a week and that is your only access to pole? Do you do any other type of strength exercises? When was the last time you worked out routinely? Did you grow up with a dance/gymnastics/sports background or is this all really new to you? Is your instructor helping you and showing you modifications to the moves or is she just showing you one way to do soemthing and letting you figure it out from tehre? There are SO MANY factors involved with progression in pole and not all of them are YOU. All I can say is don't give up. Windmills are NOT a beginner move, neither are most spins. If you have not been given the proper foundation your chances of injury are high.
JhennD ·
Yup, why are you so down on your skills? What are your skills? When I started I was scared but I had to do it, no refunds on the classes and I couldn't afford walking away. I was scared that this isn't my skill other people were more at ease, more of everything I was criticizing myself on. I decided to focus on my strengths which were surprisingly climbing and floor work, wall work. Good - I was good at something. I can live on that for hope, and I did. Write down something you are good at, pole related or not. Write down a reason why you decided to do pole, ( can't be 'my friend asked me', because not all her friends are in the class, are they?) If it's something your friend asked of you - why do you think she think to ask you (she was having fun, she was finding pride in her newfound abilities, she wanted you to feel the same excitement)? Write down a goal for yourself in this pole journey ( I want to do a spin, I want to booty shake, I want to walk confidently in heels, I want better flexibility, I want to not blush when I receive a compliment) ANYTHING. Try to meet that goal - then reevaluate if you are right for pole or not. I'm not trying to force feed you pole, but to help you try something new out, give it a chance. True pole isn't right for everyone, but you thought about it, and giving up could be not right for you- now. CHEERS!
CapFeb ·
I try to never compare myself to other dancers because for me personally, it leads me to one ore two things: 1) I either feel ugly because I'm not good like they are, which is a horrible feeling to have 2) I feel like a bitch for listing reasons I'm better than someone. Ego isn't flattering on everyone. If you want to compare yourself to a dancer, do it in a positive manner that will get you somewhere. When my instructor told me that she was jealous of me for mastering the shoulder mount so quickly, I turned around and told her I was jealous because she wasn't afraid to do knee holds. I still don't practice them, I'm actually terrified of anything relating to feet/knees holding. If you work hard, you'll get to where you're going. There's always going to be people who are better than you at everything, pole, work, whatever. And then you're going to be better at it than some people. I'm good at anything involving inverts; my instructor is good at flexy stuff. We all have our own things that we're good/bad at, you just have to find what you're good at and strengthen it. Then go on and make peace with all the other things you want to conquer. One thing I notice about Alethea Austin is that she is the queen of floorwork. Floorwork could be your niche. Explore yourself a bit :3 "The only reason to look into your neighbor's bowl is to make sure they have enough to eat" is the phrase that I remind myself. Just because someone can do one thing doesn't mean they can do it all; and even if you can shout out tricks at them and they can preform them all doesn't make them as happy as you are. Some of the girls at my studio absolutely hate pole and have fallen out of love with it somehow.
CapFeb ·
D:< Hey, I wasn't done writing! Silly phone SV. Anyway, if it's something that's genuinely making you upset, pole isn't for everyone. But if you really love spectating and want to feel the way you did when you first took a pole class, try as hard as you can for as long as you can. In short, pole is a lot like falling in love. You can sign up on dating websites and look really hard (training, conditioning, practicing) and then sometimes you find 'the one' (when you get a move you weren't even trying to do/somehow find yourself in a move you didn't know you could do.) Just give it some time :3
