What took you to the next level? Feeling meh about in studio progress

[Veena]

The lessons here are a perfect supplement to your studio lessons or for some they replace the need for a studio. You can learn only from the website but some really like the social aspect of learning in studio. Others find the studio they attend doesn’t provide them with enough help or knowledge, this is not all studios but anyone can open a studio and be certified.

You’ll find full 30 day programs if you want lots of guidance or navigate on your own. Just know that all my lessons are place in a progressive order so you simply start at the beginning of any section and work from there on…even if you have poled before. 🙂 It can help to learn the same things from a different teacher.

[Allison Erin]

Not sure how helpful this will be, but this has been my experience: I’ve technically been poling for almost a year (started sporadically at a studio), but didn’t see any progress beyond basic spins until I got a pole at home and started using Veena’s lessons. After that, I made a lot of progress quickly!

Everyone learns differently, and I know that even in school, I always did best if I could skip the lecture and just read the textbook on my own. Being able to focus on what I know I need to focus on (and forcing myself to take responsibility for *knowing* what I need to focus on) always helps me.

I go to studio classes once a week, because it is beneficial to have occasional in-person help, and my teacher there often teaches different variations of things that I like to learn. But since I only go once a week, I’m primarily the one in charge of planning and managing my progress. (And Veena’s lessons are an amazing resource that allow me to do that effectively.) For me, that has made a world of difference!

I’d also probably consider the occasional private lesson, if I wanted to spend that kind of money (which I don’t, haha), because that would combine the benefits of focus on exactly what I need with in-person troubleshooting. I can see it being super helpful, with a good teacher.

I hope you find something that works for you! I certainly know how frustrating it can be to feel like you’re not making progress!

[Allison Erin]

Oh, and another thing that helped me *immensely* was taking video of my at-home training! Even if you have a mirror, it can be hard to know you’re in the right position unless you can watch yourself from an outside perspective. And once you do, you can kind of “correct” yourself like a teacher would.

[LatinPoler]

I agree with Allison, I started to see real progress when I started poling at home and recording myself, focusing on what I thought I could do and wanted to do. To me music, dance and flow are important but studios usually focus more on tricks and have just one or two flow classes a week. Now I do 99% of my pole training at home. I found a new studio and I’m going back to flow classes once a week, but that’s it.

[StrangeFox]

It really sucks to feel like you’re not making progress, and I know it’s wrong to compare yourself to others, but sometimes you just can’t help it.

I’ve been poling consistently for almost a year now, and I’m 31. When I first started the only athletic background I had was distance running, so most of pole for me has been about building strength and muscle memory. I’ve always done best if I could supplement class learning with my own learning. Sometimes I even work ahead so that I can make the best use of my time in class.

I agree with AllisonErin and LatinPoler – take videos. It might feel weird to watch them at first but it helps so much. Also, studios do tend to be very trick-heavy and there’s a lot more to pole than tricks. Maybe you’re not seeing progress because what you’re learning in class is not playing to your strengths. Try freestyling and floorwork, spins and flow… branch out and find what suits you best and practice it on your own. It’s really helpful to know you’re making progress somewhere, even if it’s not in class. Plus, you might just have more fun this way. 🙂

A couple of things that I found helped me are:

– I keep a progress journal, as well as progress pictures and videos. Sometimes the progress you make is so minuscule it’s hard to see it. (ie. flexibility gains when stretching for the splits).

– Conditioning. If I stop conditioning, I stop seeing progress. I highly recommend Veena’s programs for pole conditioning – they’re fun, focused, safe, and thorough. I tried to do conditioning on my own but found I wasn’t hitting the right muscle groups, and that I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough.

I hope some of that helps, and best of luck!

[Veena]

Because people like videos! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSYHrZjzSnU

Just reinforcing what everyone else said, you guys are so helpful!!!!!!!!!

[Colleen Larson]

I agree with everyone that it really sucks when you feel like you’re not making progress. I supplement my studio training with Veena’s online lessons. (Her front splints routine, for example, is awesome.) I also belong to another site that offers pole dance lessons. I have a pole at home, and I just practice as much as I can.

[LatinPoler]

I decided to go to “tricks class” yesterday after over a year. And I can tell you, I had this post on my mind all the time. I signed up for an advanced class, because I think I’m advanced. I can invert, I can shouldermount, I can do many splitty moves, I can do a Yogini… that’s advanced! Well, the class theme was one handed handstands. I am not proficient in handstands, I can do a few regular or two handed ones, but not one handed and frankly, I’m not interested in them. I don’t think they are right for me, given my body shape and lack of shoulder flexibility. As Veena says, not all moves are right for everybody. So I let the teacher know I was not ready for one handed handstands. I would have expected her to understand and to give me training wheels or a modification, but her answer was a smirk and a “I’m sorry”, before instructing the rest of the class do another crazy brass monkey-ish handstand. Seriously? I was about to step out of the class but I had signed up for the next class which was flow (with a different teacher), so I ended up basically stretching my splits in a corner and getting very annoyed, thinking about this post. Not to mention I will not take any other class with that teacher. Such a waste of time and money! So bottom line, I’d much rather train at home at my own pace, saving time and money.

[emmasculator]

@LatinPoler…what the crap type nonsense is that?! No modifications??? No introductory steps in the handstands? Just a smirk? Wow. Well that’s just ridiculous! I’m sorry that nonsense happened. That is not a good instructor. Jeez. I’m glad training at home is working well for you though. I am so prone to distraction….or over training that the studio environment works all right for me, but I definitely have been considering doing more things at home.

[Amelia72]

I found I didn’t make progress in a studio here- the classes were too spin based, and I had grip problems. When I stopped going and bought my own pole, I could focus a lot more on stuff that was easier to me- I focused more on tricks on the pole, and using the spinning mode. I worked on spins as well, but they will never be my strong point.

[PoleAdventures]

I had really the same experience. I went to a studio, take 8 weeks courses but I feel SO uncomfortable. They did strength training and I feel like a potato. I could’nt climb but they say thats important to learn from beginning. I wasn’t able to do the workouts nor the basic things….and this is gone the whole 8 weeks. I was sooo disapointed and I quit pole dance. No motivation from the teacher, only high goals that I can’t see with my body.

I stopped pole for 2 months. Then accidentallly I found studio Veena. I realised this is builded in really BASICS. For people who have no or little strength. It’s a easy step by step guide to start from a very little level to a very high level. You can surf around and imagine what you could be able to do next. I was very impressed. I did a subsription befor I had a pole at home, lol!

So with studio Veena I did a LOT of progress. A lot more than in this 8 weeks in the classes. I learned what I want. I focus on what I thought I’m able to do. After 2 Years with pole dance I’m still not the “big-tricks” girl, I still avoid handsprings or similar moves. I have a lot of fear of them….but somewhen?? 🙂

So short message: With studio Veena you can challenge yourself. Look for what you like, focus on what you can and get better and with the lessons here you can choose which level you could be and focus on learning new tricks, get deeper into the ones you can. You can start with the programs from Veena or choose a single lesson. Oh and yeah, record yourself, you will be notice diferences over time!

For me, Veena changed my life, if you like you can watch my progress video from the very start. All progress is based on the lessons here, no other classes or dance background 😉
https://www.studioveena.com/videos/view/59242cf4-82b8-4766-816f-0a54ac110006

[Athena30]

Awesome I listened to everyone’s advice and I demoted my membership with the studio and have decided to take up studioveena. I’m hoping one class a week with the studio and studioveena to supplement on the days I’m going will be enough to help me progress? Thank you