[Charley]

I stretched yesterday a half hour or so and will ofcourse be doing stretches today since I teach.

Am sticking with my routine of pigeon, sitting on blocks in lunge position and sitting in straddle (there are more, forward fold sitting/standing, butterfly, happy baby, frog, etc.)

As far as stretching when you are sore, you still need to be warmed up. SO it’s not good to work so hard in one day that you are super sore because your muscles will be tighter. I know it’s hard not to over practice since pole is so addictive but be careful. I’d suggest a nice soak in epson salt and light stretching, don’t stretch deep and try to hold them for a super long time (I usually hold my poses 3-5 minutes.) Take it easy on your self https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Charley]

PS poles have a 12 inch ceilng plate so that would work for you and they also now offer a skinny pole.

I hate to say it but I would stay away from Lil Minx as their pole badly damage my ceiling so I am not a big fan.

PS is your best bet and they even make a vaulted ceiling adapter if you need one and all of their poles come standard with a spin option. I believe I heard the skinny removeable is available in brass and stainless – not too sure. If you are used to chrome you might find stainless to be a bit more slippy than chrome and it takes a little longer to warm up.

I have 3 of the PS 2” removeable poles and they are great https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Enjoy your new pole! And new pole room!

[Charley]

You have a great cataloge to do some cool combos!

What about?
carousel to back hook or front hook
back hook to front hook
attitude to front hook
carousel to attitude
attitude to fireman
attitude to fireman extension or fireman kick
front hook to attitude

and for some new spins:
boomerang – this is tough so don’t worry about keeping your legs high at first
The chair spin (and loads of variations on this one)
The side spin
the side spin with leg extension
Basic Cradle (not split grip, I mean the baseball gripped version)

[Charley]

MAN! Last night I was doing a search on aerial stuff- to find out about home rigs and I came across a site that had some links. I wish I could remember.

Try googling aerial silks or aerial hoop. Aerial arts seems to be going mainstream so even if you cannot get silks I’d suggest trapeze or aerial hoop/lyra.

[Charley]

I am waiting for Veena to weigh in on this, but sometimes it’s not possible to get all the stretches in, in one session.

For those of us without a lot of time I am wondering if we would get just as much out of our stretching if we split it up like 15 mins in the morning, another 15 minutes later in the day and 15 mins before bed?

[Charley]

Took yesterday off but I did stretch today same regiment as always. 25 mins or so

[Charley]

I would say that if you get paid to teach pole, you are definitely not amateur – only because it’s unfair to those who actually have been poling a short time or have little knowledge of pole.

I don’t think that dancing in a club is enough to say that you are a professional pole dancer in terms of talking about pole tricks. Not all club dancers do tricks and not all club dancers even care about them. I guess you’d also have to look at it from the standpoint of what they can and cannot do, years doing tricks.

I guess you would have to look at it like how much do you know. It’s hard to classify these things. On one hand a club dancer is infact a professional dancer – she gets paid to dance – it is her profession. So I would guage it off tricks. But if you are getting paid to teach someone how to do pole tricks, then you would no longer be an amateur as this is your profession. Semantics?

MOST comps not held a clubs would likely require you to register as a professional or in an advanced division. I know it’s unfair because although I teach I am no where near professional level tricking, yet feel I could compete with someone at my own standard. It would be unfair of me to register as an amateur because I would be far beyond their level.

For example Berty’s Boo Boo is an AMAZING tricker and dancer but she doesn’t teach (yet) so she could be ranked as an amateur and she’s done it for less than a year but I would find it unfair if she entered a contest as "amateur" because I think of amateur as beginner. Get what I mean? For all purposes she could compete in the USPDF but she’s been doing it less than a year (maybe over now) so under a year I would rank as amateur, obviously she’s not since she has surpassed most advanced instructors.

[Charley]

What about making a large flat platform to put under the pole? I would think a large platform atleast 4ft by 4ft would disperse the pressure more. You cold cover that in a laminate or real wood if you wanted. I’d probably go with 1 inch thick ply would and cover it up. And you could always go larger with the platform. I think you can get a thicker plywood too.

[Charley]

I have 2 intermediates who have repsectively been at it about 12 weeks a piece and they still are not inverting. They are still doing spins, static upright poses and they have learned 1 layback – cross knee release. SO if you mean bigger tricks I’d say about 8-9 weeks in most students will have already started their pole sitting, climbing and poses. Inverts are still a ways off for them since they were already taught under a different instructor and neither could do it well or safely. I never teach inverts unless a student has a whole slew of other moves first. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Most people learn their first trick which is a spin on the first day of class. I used to teach the fireman first but lately I teach the back hook first. Just to switch it up.

[Charley]

Georgia – same here with chopper.

How does one improve their forward fold? I touch my toes for minutes on end, standing and sitting. TRY to fold forward in straddle to little to no avail https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[Charley]

IF your hooking the leg that is on the pole behind your heel….you can pull yourself into the pole and grab the pole with both legs and go into a crucifix, this would be a bit more basic than going into the flatline scorpio https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

Still one of my favorite ways to come out of this. Very easy and it sets the buttefly off as being as pretty as it really is. Good to have time between power moves so people can digest what they have seen and them ofcourse from a crux the sky is the limit as to what you can do out of that.

[Charley]

Are we talking about hip flexion as in tight hamstrings and lower back flexibility right …having trouble folding the body over…like touching your toes?? or Tight Flexors of the hip joint…interfering with bending backwards ect..?

I think we all have a little of each issue. I know my hammys are TIGHT!!!! They love to rebel. Also for me my hip flexors and abductors are very weak. I notice simple movements such as lying on my back and lifting one leg are difficult, not in my hamstrings but I feel it in my hips. I am excercising currently specifically to build strength in these areas using resistance bands. I have very little range of motion in my hips https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

Also, forward folds are so difficult for me, so any advice would be so awesome!!!!

V- I am have been using your vid off and on for about a year but unfortunately more off than on. As of late I can see a difference because I stretch about 3-5 times a week. I need to get on it everyday.

[Charley]

visualization is new to me but it does work. I am not sure WHY it works but it does.

As of late I have been dreaming of splits, so I think if I continue stretching daily they should come soon. Soon being 6 months to a year.

I’ve NEVER been able to touch my toes much less anything else, so time and dedication are key. Like the article says FOCUS. I sure am and I am really hoping to get there. I know you can do it, I know I can do it! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Charley]

Well grip strength is an issue with this. Be sure your hands are clean, pole is clean and warmed up first.

Secondarily, When I do this move I am resting my tailbone on the pole and my shoulders and doing a slight back bend – for me this made balancing it much easier. I actually look towards my feet so my head is not down but but looking up and back at the feet to get a nice bend and to put my shoulder more into the pole for stabilization and grip.

This move requires solid grip and a lot of shoulder strength. It’s tough on the shoulders. You’ll also need a great deal of back strenght and core strength.

This was one of the more difficult moves for me too. I still find if my pole isn’t well cleaned that I do slip out of it.

To get an idea of where your body points should be on the pole try a handstand rubber pencil and work on looking at your feet – again the back bend part will look nicer and the pole will be more "in" your shoulder and you’ll feel the pole at your tailbone.

[Charley]

Hard… anything requiring hip flexibility:
boomerang spin (can’t get legs to raise any more than parallel to the ground https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

Oh me too Notradaya! It’s so disappointing! I wish I could lift them higher, but for my teddy bear/ boomerange all I can get is them sticking straight out like you. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif It’s hard to pinpoint the cause though coz that could be lower back flexibility issues (I have a very bendy upper back, but not lower, nearer where the hips are), or hip flexors or hamstrings. I have been stretching my hammies and hips for about a year now and still no improvement in that area! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cry.gif

I am much in the same boat and I am figuring it’s part flexibility issue – the connective tissue in the flexor and abductor must be opened up and partly lack of abductor/flexor strength.

I’ve been using a pilates band for resistance and doing range of motion exercises in hopes to build strength and eventually open up more.

I also bought pilates blocks so I can sit in a lunge position for 10-20 minutes comfortably to open up the connective tissue. It’s an idea I got from a yin yoga instructor. Yin focuses on longer deeper stretches to open the connective tissue as stretching elastic muscles is essential opening up the joints is also essential. SO the idea is to start in an easy stretch and hold that pose and over a longer amount of time allow you body to get comfortable and slowly fall deeper in the pose.

[Charley]

Great thread!

Yesterday:
breakfast – coffee and water
lunch – 2 pakets of oatmeal
snack – blueberry yogurt
cheeseburger and fries before class
dinner – cheeseburger and pizza

WOW! that was kind of bad…

[Charley]

If you’re good with scorpio on both sides it’s not too hard the thing is getting it sped up. The key to that is the thigh grip.

This move is a staple for me now but I wish I could do it faster and maintain the body lines but I have to take a second to hold it.

[Charley]

I encourage people to work on the x knee before inverting. You can practice this safer than an invert.

Hard for me –
the iguana mount
holding a regular handspring – it’s been difficult since doing the twisted grip
split grip bow and arrow, pencil and lunchbox – lost this grip awhile back because I don’t use it so much
straight edge in elbow grip – it’s very hit or miss for me
rocketman – that still hurts

EASY https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
shouldermounts
twisted grip handsprings
climbing
superman
forearm grip everything

[Charley]

The nose breaker is an inverted drop stopping short before you actually hit the floor.

[Charley]

Aaaaargh, Im the one guilty of saying that it might be a holly drop!!! *blushes to an unbecomming shade of purple*
I got confuzzled!! Happens to me a lot!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif
Sorry Nilla!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif

There are so many different names for moves it’s nuts! No need for any shade of purple! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif

I used to call the x ankle the fallen angel only to be told that the fallen angle is the scorpio only to later learn that some studios do refer to the x ankle as the fallen angel, but the fallen angel can also be a scorpio https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

[Charley]

Your arms should not be above your head for a body spiral! You should have your arms bent so that you are holding, not hanging, as you spin around with your armpit tucked into the pole. It isn’t until you get the strength and grip on that inside arm that you will be able to release the outside hand and bring it down.

YUP! and for me – my outside hand is on top of my inside hand.

This is a pretty tough spin. You said you were very new to poling? I am not sure how new you are or if you take classes but this might be a spin to shelf for awhile so can work on other simpler spins and build up strength.

A good strength builder/conditioner for this spin would be fan kicks (I call them windmills).

[Charley]

Typically in class our warm up is 12-15 minutes (level pending) When I did an advanced workshop with Wendy Traskos we warmed up for about 20 minutes, When I do silks/trapeze that is about a 15 minuted warm up.

My warm up with Wendy started with sun salutations so I do this a lot in my classes, other times we just wiggle around the pole and begin slowly stretching our shoulders out then move to the floor and do a floor routine which includes mild stretches.

In silks/trap class I am told to begin in downward dog, the pigeon, then straddle – all stretches are held for quite a long time but are held very mildly until I am warm enough. I do not recommend this for new people as this method I’ve been told is based on yin yoga which opens up the tissue rather than elastic muscles. The other portion also involves climbing to the top of the silks and releasing yourself down slowly with legs in a V – so this is a rather extreme warm up.

You want to be limber before dancing but not so limber that you can tear a muscle which I have done from being overly stretched out. Stretching weakens your muscles so consider the integrity of a rubber band – if it’s too stretched out it will break.

If you have a stair stepper or treadmill, 5 minutes on that at an even pace will begin to get the blood flowing or you can use your pole and use transitions to warm up, after the blood is flowing stretch mildly and only hold stretches 10-30 seconds based on your comfort level. You really don’t want to feel pain or discomfort in these stretches.

In a cool down I teach and do myself deeper stretches, as Veena recommends.

[Charley]

Does your teacher show you how to link the transitions with the moves? It might be something you want to work with her on.
You could always ask her for a routine too. When I get requests for routines I write them up even if it’s just one person.

I freestyle, I always work with a song a few times before a performance and then have a general idea of it’s ebb, flow and peaks and work from moves that feel really good on my body and moves I know I can do well.

Generally speaking for practices – I will start just dancing and moving around the pole – no tricks, then I will freestyle with a few tricks thrown in and then by the 3rd song I start pulling out more things from my aresnal. There are days where I work with just tricks but I ususally will do them a few times and try to go into them from a transition or something.

[Charley]

https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Charley]

https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Yes, sad girl drop as named by Jenyne! Before I used to call it a "peter pan drop" since you are in peter pan when you do it.

It’s so lovely. Jenyne does this combo – yogini-rocketman – sad girl drop and it’s so stunning and breath taking! Bertysbooboo has it down to science, I’m still working on it.

If you call up the USPDF highlights I think the whole combo might be in that video :d