Pole Tucks & Lifting Body Weight: Strength vs. Weight, or Both?

cccraft started this discussion · 3/6/2013

I've been poling for a little over a month now, and I'm noticing that I still have such a hard time with doing simple pole tucks and just generally balancing/lifting my body's weight from the waist in basic moves (though I'm pretty decent at climbing and sitting!). I'm pretty strong and do a ton of conditioning and strength training in my normal exercise regimen, and recently amped it up quite a bit to condition better for the pole. I'm more bottom-heavy and have been wondering if this is maybe why I'm having such a freaking irritating time doing a solid pole tuck? Or maybe I simply need more conditioning and am being impatient? Any input helps—I'm suuuuuuper frustrated with not being able to do pole tucks!!

12 replies

cccraft · 3/6/2013
Basically, in a nutshell, would I have an easier time doing some of these moves if I actually weighed less, or is it more about strength here?? Thank youuuuuuu for your patience y'all, ha :)
Lee lee · 3/6/2013
I'm top-heavy and I have a problem with moves like the chopper. But, after watching dancers that are obviously bigger than me, I have a feeling that it is more so strength and not so much your weight. If a girl (or guy) is tiny, but has no muscle/strength in their upper body, they will still have a hard time managing moves.
brookelynn · 3/6/2013
Where are your hips when you are trying to do a tuck? if your hips are in front of the pole you will be able to tuck much more easily than if they are at the side of the pole. Also, having the pole in your armpit will help hold the body. You should be standing a little diagonal to the pole - hips in front, shoulders behind and hands at face to shoulder level. Good luck!
Veena · 3/6/2013
Brookenlynn hit the nail on the head with her advice! Sometimes it's just a matter of positioning. Don't be afraid to use the armpit! 💪 If you have the lessons check out the link for a close up and break down of the side pole hold used in the tuck. https://www.studioveena.com/lessons/view/4daedec5-5fd4-4b3f-9f5e-31130ac37250
cccraft · 3/7/2013
Thanks so much for all the responses!! Brookelynn & StudioVeena- my setup for pole tucks is with the pole in my armpit and my hip in front of the pole. I can sort of crunch up, but I have a really hard time keeping my legs together and controling them as they come down, and it's not at all a smooth motion...it's like more of a leg-flailing motion with a little hop to it, haha. I'm getting an X-pole in my apt in the next two weeks and I am planning on doing the online videos and practicing a lot more, so hopefully that will help. I'm kind of starting to feel like I won't ever really get the pole tucks, though...?
Smokegrey · 3/7/2013
cccraft, you'll get there! I had so much trouble with pole tucks too at first. It's a question of strength-to-weight ratio, but there's also the issue of exactly which bits of you are strong. The first time I did pole tucks, my abs (and maybe hip flexors?) weren't strong enough. So while my arms were perfectly happy to hold my weight, I had trouble holding the tuck, and yes, lots of leg flailing. I also had some trouble negotiating the boobs and was all "BUT I CAN'T GET MY ARMS ACROSS!" It took me a couple of weeks to build up enough strength in abs and hips to get a decent tuck. Keep at it, and you'll get it eventually!
brookelynn · 3/7/2013
Try lying on the flat on the floor on your back and do leg raises. You can do leg raises with a variation of legs, one at a time, legs bent, or straight legs to alter the difficulty. This will help build the lower abs and the rest of your core for tucks on the pole.
cccraft · 3/7/2013
Thanks again for the help! I think i'm definitely improving slowly but surely, it just sounds like it's a matter of building more strength in my core at this point... I'm a former gymnast and in good shape, and I do a tonnnn of conditioning and strength training, so i'm pretty strong right now... it's totally my achilles heel of pole right now and incredibly frustrating!
megan12 · 3/7/2013
CCCraft, I feel you. I was pretty strong when I started pole but I'm also very bottom heavy. Can you split grip yet? I find that doing a split grip and just hanging from the pole while engaging your abs is a really good conditioning move for us big booty ladies. Gravity wants to pull you down so it takes a lot of effort to stay in that position. Also, you could try doing what I call pole turns. You grasp the pole with a baseball grip and lift yourself (usually start at a 15 degree rotation) and engage your abs. So eventually you will get good enough that you can do a 180 or 360 degree rotation around the pole, if that makes sense.
cccraft · 3/8/2013
Megan12, I can do split grips actually pretty well, that's one of the small victories I'm def proud of! I'll work on those more with conditioning for my core. I think I know what you mean with the pole turns, it sounds like you're describing almost a cradle spin, or like the precursor or foundation of something like a cradle spin? I'll try it! Thanks so much for the tips—it's nice to hear i'm not the only big booty girl having issues with pole tucks!
Mama Sunshine · 3/25/2013
I too am a fluffy older out of shape gal and I too have this issue, I can do inverts to cucifix but can't do much more then that, My core is very weak with most inverts, so this thread has been helpful to me too, I am also top heavy and they do get in my way, I can do some moves just fine on one side but can't even come close on the other, I totally understand your frustration , I am proud that I have come very far from where I was in Oct 2012, I guess we both just have to work on these issues, I'm confident that we will get them with ease soon :)
FeeDen · 3/25/2013
I've been doing leg raises as brookelyn suggests and the plank position most nights, well when I remember and my lower ab strength is def improving I do find the prep work for shouldermount V's or trucks really hard work though but its def improving with these exercises.