Catsanctuary177663 started this discussion ·
Hi, working on superman today, lord knows why, I hate this move for the damage it does to me! Does it matter which way I hold the pole? I know gripping the opposite way arches the back more and maybe it's because I only got this a few weeks ago but this way feels more secure. (pole is in garage temporarily, excuse the mess). Thanks!
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I started to wonder about this too. Traditionally superman is done with the thumb up but noticed a friend of mine does superman with his thumb down . He seemed very secure and comfortable that way . The only negative side that I can see to doing it this way is that the shoulder is internally rotated which can compromise the shoulder. At least I know in contortion we try not to internally rotate the shoulder joint when weight bearing. I don't know if that same principle applies to this trick for pole. I'm curious as to what others think about this as well....
Phoenix Hunter, you are correct. It is not recommended to internally rotate the shoulder when weight bearing because risk of shoulder injury is greatly increased. This is why twisted grip handspring is so controversial. It would be better to externally rotate the shoulder in superman. And it does make the shape look better, in my opinion.
Yes and in the long run it will help when you want to transition into other tricks from superman , like shoulder mount, dove, figure head. I'm thinking it would be harder to just lower out of superman with your shoulder rotated in too. But I can see where it initially would feel easier when learning superman. I think my first instincts were to grab in that downward position too but I was corrected in class .
Ah, yes, Phoenix Hunter is absolutely right about transitions. Flip your grip! Happy poling :)
Very much appreciated. I had no idea about placing weight on an internally-rotated joint. I would guess this applies to legs too, although I'm not sure if there are any moves where this would happen. Are there any other general contortion guidelines that might help polers? Many thanks for the information. While I love poling, I still have to be able to lift bales of hay so can't put any of my limbs out of commission.
Haha! I wouldn't necessarily say that was a contortion guideline , I just learned that while doing contortion when trying to do things like cocoon. It applies for any physical activity. No your legs are very different from your shoulders so I don't know how that would be possible to apply the same principle to your hip joints. The thing that makes your shoulder weight bearing during superman is the fact that your hand is grabbing the pole and Gravity is pulling your weight down. But I would say that veena teaches so much about proper body alignment that I personally use while doing all physical activities. Neutral scapula, making sure you are warmed up before poling or flexibility training. She also explains that twisting the shoulder internally as in twisted grip is a little more risky for your shoulder . So I guess everything you learn here is pretty universal and can be applied to many things
Thanks so much. I do watch the conditioning videos over and over. Want to do things the right way so I don't hurt myself.
Haha! I hear ya!!! And you lift bales of hay!!! Actually all the stuff you learn here will help you with lifting bales too and protect your body :)
Excellent! I rescue 800-1,000 lb pigs so need to be strong!
That's so awesome!!!! :)
