[Crickett]

BTW physical dyslexia is called dyspraxia

Holy crap! There’s actually a word for it? That makes me feel better somehow. I’ll look it up and see if it sounds like my issue.

Also makes me feel better to know that body rolls stymie better dancers than I. The frustrating part about body rolls (and basically any move for that matter) is that people who do it well make it look so damn easy. And it’s like "why the heck can’t I do this?"

Honestly I’d be happy to master just aerials and spins and leave the floor work to the more rhythm-inclined, but I figure I should at least have a go at it. Thanks for the advice, I’ll try it next time I belly up to the pole =)

[Crickett]

There’s soreness but also if I try to pick something up wrong at work there’s a sharp pain that shoots through the center of my forearm. It doesn’t feel like the normal adjustment soreness you get when a muscle has been used properly.

Also, sort of off topic but sort of related, when I try to walk around the pole, if I put any of my weight on my high hand, it slowly slides down as I continue to circle the pole. It makes me have to hike it back up every couple of rotations. I’ve tried a death grip, a normal grip and light grip but it still inches down.

I notice that Jamilla is able to walk around the pole while leaning away from it without her hand creeping down. Is there some kind of trick to it that I’m not aware of, or do I just need more strength in my fingers and wrists?

Seems like I’m grippy in the places I should be slidey and slidey in the places I should be grippy. And blistery everywhere https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif

[Crickett]

I feel your frustration. I ended a session in tears today because I can’t manage a simple front hook or back hook properly. Either I lose my momentum too soon and end up having to drop the last six inches or the pole gets jammed in the crook of my knee and I come to a screeching halt. Either way I’m having difficulty managing a steady slide all the way through the move.

Also for some reason I CANNOT do body rolls. I manage the first roll okay but if I try to do any consecutive rolls it just looks like I’m humping the pole! And no, I’m not doing the rolls backwards, as in hips first and chest last, though I did start out that way.

I’ve sort of got an uphill battle ahead and I knew that going into it, but I’m starting to wonder if I’m just not "cut out" for this. For some reason I’ve never been able to make sense of dance moves. It’s more than just being a newbie, it’s almost like a kind of physical dyslexia. I can watch someone perform a move dozens of times but if you stuck me in front of the pole right after I’d just stand there with a blank look on my face.

I’ve tried breaking the moves down into steps like in Jamilla’s Art of Pole DVDs and even then I STILL have a difficult time keeping my arms and legs in check. I’ll slow-mo the demonstration of the move and even focus on one body part at a time, like the knee or ankle, but after it’s over I can’t seem to remember exactly how it went. I end up using the wrong arm or leg sometimes, even.

The only reason I decided to get into this in the first place is because of aerials. I’m extremely flexible but I SUCK at floor work. Remember that scene from Fantasia, with the hippo in a tutu? Yeah, that’s me. But if I can’t even manage a simple front hook I’m not sure there’s any hope for me. I don’t want to give up because I’ve wanted to do this for two years, and I spent 300 on the pole plus 80 for Jamilla’s Art of Pole series, but I can’t help wondering if I’m just wasting my time.

Oh, and the PMS isn’t helping either.

[Crickett]

Yes, it is inside my arm. Feels like it runs right through the center of the bones in my forearm. I have been using the split grip as I’ve been working on the six "beginner" moves demonstrated on the DVD that came with my Xpole, and that includes the carousel and cradle.

I would however recommend doing strength exercises and flexibility exercise for the forearm and hands.

Can you point me in the direction of any online clips that demonstrate these excercises? I’ve been doing a basic stretch where I extend one arm with palm at 90 degree angle and gently pull back on my hand to stretch the tendons in my forearm. I haven’t had much luck finding stuff that targets the forearms specifically.

I used to push and push and push…I even got to a point where I couldn’t even pick up a shoe without crying out because I hurt so bad…

That’s me. Stubborn as an ox and twice as unwieldy!

in the Pole Junkies forum there is an excellent thread about proper grip techniques to avoid injury.

I joined PJ at the same time I joined this site and I’ve read the thread you’re referring to, but to be honest I got a bit lost in all the grip jargon. I’m very much a newbie and I had trouble following all the sub dom split grip sub split stuff…sorry https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif I did watch the youtube vid linked about range of motion and if I’m doing it correctly I believe I have 180 degree range in my forearm, but it sounds like I need some stretches and strength excercises to overcome the pain.

[Crickett]

I can’t tell you how relieved I am to read such widespread and unanimous praise for the Art of Pole series. I ordered the whole set about a week ago and was nervous because of my experience when I ordered my first "pole". Suffice it to say that all poles are NOT created equal, and I learned that the hard way! I’m glad I won’t be getting burned again.

[Crickett]

Oh and also I use a 50mm chrome Xpole, to answer Foxy_Rei’s question.

[Crickett]

From the sounds of it your grip is too good, almost… your hand won’t slide on the pole so it won’t rotate around when you spin, right? If that’s so then the Mighty Grip will only make that problem worse. Watch your hands when you spin and see if you move your hand to the opposite side of the pole as your body (so your palm would be facing you)

Yup, that’s what happens. I start out at a neutral position with my palm facing straight out, but I find especially with the carousel move I end up with my palm facing inward and my palm/wrist sort of snaked around the pole.

It sounds like I have to find a way to combat the "AIEEEE!" reflex that kicks in when I’m completely at the mercy of centrifugal force.

One good way to condition your hands (for strength) is to belly up to the pole, take a baseball grip right at eye level, take both feet off the floor, and then loosen your grip to slowly slide down the pole to your knees. The point is to control the descent.

I will try this, thank you! I’ve been working on strengthening my upper arms by climbing a foot or so up, baseball gripping and holding my entire body weight for as long as I can, but I never thought to incorporate grip training into it as well.

Thank you both very much!