[Charley]

stupid questions but
1) for climbing does it hurt everyones foot top for the first leg up?
At first most people experience pain with climbing, over time as you find your way with it you’ll learn to be gentler against the pole.

2)I seem to be unsure of my ability to hold myself after an invert without hands by my leg vice alone, Has anyone had a really good excercize that helped them become better and handling the pole between legs while upside down…i suppose even good for pole sitting..?
I like to use resistance bands on legs – I find my legs can take on muscle fast. I bought some cheap pilates bands from Meijer and I follow some exercises with those (that came in the package.)

3) after pole sitting I’ve never been able to get into the wrist sit, not sure if its my short arm to ass ratio or posture wrong?
First off with the wrist seat you need to be in a half lay back position. I find I am leaning way out from the pole when I get into it. You want your legs to come up vs. out – I see a lot of people doing this move (including me) the first few times with the legs down and spread – this a much harder balance. Make sure you are not sitting directly on your wrist but that it is slightly over to one side. The pole should run right up the inside of your hip on one side. Be sure you are tipping back far enough and bring those legs straight up and open.

Wrist seat takes some adjustments, so do it slow. I used to teach this move from the floor but realized people were not getting into the right posture – so don’t do it from standing. get on your pole in a sit (low sit – close to the ground.)

[Charley]

The Tg sounds like your best option unless you want brass – which I believe now comes in a removable pole from platinum stages. Brass is a pain to clean. The TG can fade out though – my friend has a TG that she had to replace the A and B poles on because of fading over use.

I still like TG over brass because it’s lower maintenance but you do have the option to get brass – http://www.platinumstages.com – but it’s more money and hassle.

[Charley]

First be sure that you only hand tighten the pole pieces….then, here is a trick I have been using….BEFORE I go to take down the pole..so before I loosen the dome, I loosen the pole pieces themselves…not all the way, but just enough so I know they will come apart once I get the pole down. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

This is the best way to get the pole apart.

Once the pole is down it’s difficult to get apart because you have no tension.

[Charley]

Hi Mindy,

Platinum Stages Vaulted Ceiling adapters work with X-pole. http://www.platinumstages.com

[Charley]

Hey Julie – your actually going to switch legs and arms in this move – you will be in scorpio (inside leg hang on both sides of your body)

Invert on the side your normally would – go into inside leg hang, from there you will go into the thigh hold for a moment bring your opposite armpit around the pole and secure, then be sure to grip the opposite leg (it will be your new inside leg) on the pole and release your outside leg(previously this was your inside leg)

I hope that makes sense.

[Charley]

I was afraid everyone would think we are really b1tchy. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

We really take pole seriously and really want to provide the best experience. We also want our clients to feel like they can grow with us too. They don’t have to switch studios when they reach a certain level – they can go all the way.

I really think our best candidates for instructors are students – if they are interested and willing to do group fitness certs.

[Charley]

Here is how we hire instructors:

1) MUST BE ACE CERTIFIED AND FIRST AID CERTIFIED (or getting ACE certification but MUST have first aid cards)
2) Must be able to dance well, not tricks only and of an advanced INTERMEDIATE level
3) 1 year minimum pole experience (home pole, exotic dancer, etc)
4) MUST have taken lessons with a physical person (doesn’t have to be us, but you must have class experience, if you do not, prospective instructors are REQUIRED to attend classes – they have the option of paying and taking the class as a student or not paying and watching the class – they may not take part if auditing.)

Before teaching a class instructors must be able to show us they can do a 60 minute class with 12 min warm up – cool down stretches and adapt pole moves and warm up/cool down exercises for all body types.

Must have a good personality – this is an absolute MUST. You need to keep students interested, encouraged and excited. It’s not just teaching move after move – you need to be able to link things together and break that down for students.

Qualities we like but NOT required
1) home pole and continues in furthering own pole education and work
2) work ethic
3) people interested in other forms of exercise, dance or gymnastics
4) people with personal training, yoga, pilates, dance gymnastics backgrounds (not I took jazz in elementary)
5) people who want to bring out the best in OTHERS
6) pole addicts! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_mrgreen.gif

The above isn’t required but what I personally would like to see. Any of things on that list is great. Not everyone eats and breathes pole and there are a lot of amazing polers out there with no kind of background what so ever – so to make them required is silly. We also highly encourage exotic dancers to apply with us. There is an authenticity to the way an exotic dancer moves that many people really want to learn. I also like someone who is continuing to work on themselves. That doesn’t mean always doing the next latest crazy move or combo but someone who really wants to learn new things – spins, spin combos, transitions, floor work. I think it’s important that trainers commit to training.

For us – we take pole very seriously as a fitness regiment and believe to provide our students with the best experience our instructors need to be very knowledgeable. They need to be adaptable (i.e some can’t do a split grip thumbs down – teach them split grip thumbs up.) They need to be able to provide the highest quality of customer service.

[Charley]

also check out http://www.hoopcity.ca – it’s a community for hooping.

[Charley]

hoopnotica DVD’s are the best I have seen with the best instruction. I like their travel hoop but it’s a lot of money.

I make my own hoops – but unless you need 8 hoops don’t do this because it will set you back WAY more than the travel hoop at hoopnotica.

Jenn ordered the travel hoop and 2 DVD’s in a package deal.

[Charley]

You did it fab too Roxy. I tried this recently and found it quite easy but you need to be able to do the bow and arrow split grip. I would work from that first, work on split grip aysha and then work on combing the two moves.

Does anyone know the actual origins of this combination? I saw an older video of Robyn (robbin?) Nobbin on youtube doing it and I know Jenyne has done it, also Felix.

I’d like to know who created the move – I actually thought it was Karol but after some sleuth work across forums I found some older references to the combination.

As far as I can find out this is not a named move but a combination. any info?

[Charley]

I use tite grip on my hands every single time I practice. Not because I need help gripping much anymore but because tite grip is an anti perspirant. I find I can get so much more out of a practice if I keep my sweating under control.

I have an unusually sweaty body – my shoulder sweat a ton, underarms, feet, hands but I only apply it to hands a about a dime sized amount and it does the trick for me – there is no tackiness, it doesn’t inhibit spins, just stops the sweating. The same as if you used alcohol.

I don’t consider this type of a grip aid on a regular basis cheating much because sweating is dangerous. I apply antiperspirant daily to my underarms so why not hands and bottoms of my feet? And actually the tite grip has helped with foot odor – I told you I was a very sweaty person https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rolleyes.gif

I use rosin in aerial class and would never get on the trapeze with out it. Most people wouldn’t. So, I say go for it.

PS – liquid chalk is REALLY grippy which is why I don’t use it but it is fabulous for learning new tricks -but if you are a sweaty poler you will sweat right through it – I know I do.

[Charley]

hoopnotica sells DVD’s and from what I have seen of them they are very well done with lots of close ups so you can actually see what they are doing.

There are tutorials on youtube as well – I have found that some are better than others I recommend safirehoop.

Kind of like with pole its better to get DVD’s or search out a hoop class because there are a lot of movements and hand stuff going on that you want corrected so you don’t get hurt.

[Charley]

Sorry Charley! I had chrome mixed up with stainless steel…it all looks the same to me!

https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif They do all look the same. Was just curious if they were now making them – I wish they would because chrome is a much better material to work with…even with the chance of flaking off over time…much grippier. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Charley]

I’ve got a lil’ Minx pole, chrome and probably 50mm, and I’ve never had a problem with it. I tend to stick really well, so something that isn’t powder coated is a little better for me. I’ve never really had the issue of taking it down (if I have guests, they can deal with the pole in the livingroom!). Sometimes I wish I’d done more research and gotten an X-pole, because I hear you can change them from static to spinny pretty easily, and I thought that would be a lot of fun! One day, perhaps I’ll just get me a spinny one, and put up whichever I feel like at the time.
Anyways, good on you to be doing research!

Does LM make chrome now? I know they haven’t in the past because chrome is a coating – this coming from the owners mouth – and may peel off. Honestly most finishes over time will come off – which is why it is better to buy brass or stainless – while they may not be the best products to dance they are true and don’t flake off.

X-pole is easy to switch but for spinny preference I still prefer PS over X-pole because I can just pull a pin out of a PS pole where as I cannot change mid routine on X-pole. However X is overall more grippy unless you get on will with stainless – if you have been trained on stainless then I suggest staying with stainless, brass for brass and chrome for chrome. whatever you use in class is your best bet. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Charley]

Hi Mindy,

We usually have pole jams over at Jenn’s house and basically we just get together hang out and pole play. Since Q got into the mix we usually try really weird doubles and triples tricks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif . But essentially it’s just a bunch of polers hanging out.

We work on new moves or get tips/helps from each other and play around. It’s a ton of fun. If you own a studio and are throwing a pole jam many places will take donations – to help the studio pay for being open and food or what not.