[Deirdre]

Sweet, thanks for clearing that up girls!

[Deirdre]

That’s a great idea, I know that leg feels really awkward for me. Sometimes it’s those small changes (even mental ones!) that make a difference.

[Deirdre]

Ok, tilt tilt tilt. Got it. Well, I haven’t got it yet, but I’m working on it. My leg definitely got higher on the pole (which was still only the back of my knee, which is now very bruised, lol) but hey, it’s a little scary to lean back like that! I put the pole in static mode to make it easier, now I’ve just got to practice. Thanks girls!

[Deirdre]

Welcome, welcome, glad to see you could make it! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Deirdre]

Makes me want to get some new shoes so I can start clickin’! (Mine are all covered in crushed velvet material…)

[Deirdre]

Here’s Luckygirl’s youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/luckygirl1220

Both very good dancers!!

[Deirdre]

I bought the book too, and Deetron– you’re not the only one with a difficult time trying to contract and stretch at the same time! Plus the book doesn’t explain how quickly/slowly to move, and I was 1)afraid to go to quickly and 2)therefore moving so slowly I was tiring out before I got many stretches in. However, I mentally changed how I was doing it and I have seem some improvement in my flexibility in just a few days. The concept I got from this book is it is supposed to be a very natural-feeling movement and not painful– so I thought about the way I stretch when I get up in the morning. I put my arms up in the air and stretch, but I also contract my muscles and move around at the same time. It feels great, but it’s not the same "lengthening" stretch we all do during exercises. So I applied that concept to how I was stretching my legs, and not only did it feel really good, it did help me deepen my stretch. (I stood in a wide straddle stance, tightened the back of my legs and actually *yawned* as though I had just woken up, lol, and started to lean forward as I did so.) The only problem is, I’m not sure how to apply this to Cooley’s positions, because so many of them just don’t feel "natural" and therefor are difficult to do. I was actually discussing this book with my dad, and his doctor has him working on a similar concept to correct body posture– the whole idea is that it isn’t natural for our bodies to sit in one position and hold it while we stretch, so we can see faster and better results by moving and stretching at the same time.

As far as PNF stretching, there are two differences I see. One is that you are not doing a full range of movement while you perform either the contractions nor the stretch that follows. The second one, and I hope I remember this correctly from school, is that proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (meaning your perception of your body’s position in relation to how your nerves and muscles are working together) works more or less by helping you to relax. We have a hard time going into stretches because manyof us find it difficult to fully relax our muscles. Contracting a muscle as hard as you can, and then relaxing/stretching it immediately after teaches your body and brain the difference between tightening and relaxing, allowing for more relaxed muscles and a deeper stretch. It probably does some other things too, I’m just saying that’s what I remember from school https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif

[Deirdre]

That grip is cool alright – but looks like it’s only for double-jointed aliens of the Felix variety!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif However, I love this girl’s practice space.. the props and the smoke!!! Makes me think about theme-decorating my pole-room!!

I know!! Right now I think she’s got a nighttime/star theme going on. I’m so in love with pole dancing already, really how much more cool can I make it?! lol

[Deirdre]

Ok, so I got my reply from Sapphirecatzeye, and…..

"Hello! thank you for your message, glad i could inspire you https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
I’m actually double jointed, i havent been able to see anyone else do the wrap that way besides my sister, who is also double jointed, but you might be able to practice flexing your wrists to gain more movement, but be careful!!
hope this helps some, and good luck with your pole dancing!"

Oh well, guess I’ll put this one away!

[Deirdre]

Yes, true true, she is an uber-flexible girl. I’d like to be an uber-flexible girl someday, so if I ever get there maybe I’ll come back to this hold https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif

[Deirdre]

Thanks, V!! Right back at ya https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[Deirdre]

It took so much work and frustration for me to extend my butterfly– then I started to record myself, and I was able to see what I was doing wrong, and what I was doing right! So if you can, I’d really recommend watching yourself to see what is/isn’t working for you. My hand positions for both butterfly and extended butterfly are the same, but I found what helped me extend was to concentrate on un-bending the knee still attached to the pole, and the ankle eventually naturally falls into position as your other leg and gravity pull the body away. I found this much easier than trying to concentrate on straightening the leg and sliding the pole to my ankle. Same move– different mental state I suppose https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Another thing that helped me was again- the video tape. I noticed my outside leg (not touching the pole) was going to the side instead of behind me, which was throwing off my balance.

HTH! Good luck!

[Deirdre]

Hello, and welcome! I was actually born in Provo…but I haven’t lived there since I was two https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif Now I’m just a hop, skip, and jump away– over in Idaho, so we’re practically neighbors, lol. Anywho, happy poling!

[Deirdre]

Hey, JC! I haven’t watched your vids in awhile, but MAN you have gotten good!!! And keep us all posted on your maybe-teaching a class this fall, that would be great for you to be able to share your talents https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

P.S. Can you bottle up some of that energy and sell it to me?!? lol

[Deirdre]

Here’s a vid that might help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfVUHGSCxbA Note that her arms are straight, but not locked– you’re not just "hanging" there (that wouldn’t look as pretty!), you’re using your strength to hold yourself up.

[Deirdre]

I got Pleasers from smboots.com, the shipping was fast and the prices were lower than a lot of other sites I looked at.

[Deirdre]

Wearing some chunky heels can be like wearing ankle weights— it adds a lil’ "oomph" to your workout! For instance, once you get the shoulder mount down, try doing it with a pair of 6" heels on….whoo—-ey!! lol

[Deirdre]

Exciting exciting! How long are you going to keep us in the dark???????????????????? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_scratch.gif

[Deirdre]

I’m working on a lot of those moves too, and it’s scary when you don’t know if you have the strength to hold yourself up upside down! One of Veena’s very helpful exercises is the shoulder push-up. Another thing I do is get inverted, then slide down the pole until my bottom arm (the arm that’s holding most of my weight when I’m doing extended butterfly, aysha) is actually on the ground instead of holding the pole. It gives me a chance to learn to position the rest of my body, while still building up strength at the same time. I’m less likely to fall, and if I do it’s not far, lol. HTH!

[Deirdre]

Woohoo!!!! Good for you https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Deirdre]

Yea, I hear ya about that darn knee hold, I can’t get it yet either! Here’s what I found with the superman: when getting into the Gemini, after you’ve hooked your leg and are reaching up to grab above your knee, grab pretty close to your knee. I was grabbing a good distance above which gave me no room for that little "drop" that occurs when you flip over. The drop is essential!! If you don’t have a little room, your inner thighs will stick. I thought my thighs were too big for this move because every time I’d flip over, that little bit of fat we all love to hate got stuck to the pole–but when I started grabbing closer the problem disappeared. HTH, and good luck!

[Deirdre]

Once you have the grip, the 50mm will be fine.
Most of my students use the 50mm, and that’s a range of heights from >5 foot to 6foot+

hand grip squeezy things are good for building up hand strength, no idea what they’re called.

Lol…I had to take a peek on amazon to see what they arecalled: "Hand grip strengtheners", "Hand Grippers" or "Hand exercisers". Nothing fancy. Unless you get the Captains of Crush Hand Gripper hehe, aye aye captain! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_salut.gif

[Deirdre]

I have a lil’ mynx chrome pole. Thanks for the link, I’ll have to take a peek right after dinner!

[Deirdre]

That’s awesome, great job!!! Those booty bounces are contagious, aren’t they? https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

[Deirdre]

Wow, thanks for all the info! Maybe I can get a semi-professional looking vid out there with these tips and tricks https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif Or at least one where I don’t look like a pasty-white ghost floating around the pole.