[Jenn1989]

I don’t have an X stage, but my regular pole had that problem recently. I put some wd40 in the threading at the bottom and it worked like a dream.

[Jenn1989]

My pole is in my small kitchen! It’s not an ideal amount of space, but it does the trick. I have to move my table, I can only climb one time, and I can’t do certain tricks in every direction (extended butterfly, for example), but it’s better than having no pole. My house is only 650 sq ft, and I don’t go to the local studio anymore because I have a pretty bad chrome allergy. I’d say go for it 🙂

[Jenn1989]

I believe Chrome is the most common finish used in most studios. I’m a bit on the sweatier side and I like my titanium gold. (I still need to use grip aids though). It also agrees with my skin as I’m actually allergic to chrome poles and will break out in hives if I use one. I’ve heard that brass is also good for grip but I’ve never tried one.

[Jenn1989]

I was wondering about temperature actually. It’s been below -30C here the last couple of days and the spin has been especially bad. It’s still warm in the house, but I would think that maybe the walls still contract more. You’re right though, I probably should take it down and readjust soon.

[Jenn1989]

I agree with letting go of the scale. I used to be guilty of weighing myself daily and getting upset by the normal fluctuations. I’ve also gained around 12lbs since starting pole, but my measurements actually went down. Now I just try to keep track of my measurements and how clothes fit, and I’ll use myfitnesspal off and on if I think my eating is getting out of hand. It’s funny to see old pictures and notice how skinny my arms used to be compared to now. 😊

[Jenn1989]

CAR is one that’s never felt very secure to me, I never feel confident enough in my grip to just drop into it. My other struggle is my Ayesha balance. There’s the rare magical moment where it works out, but mostly it’s a lot of wobbling around.

[Jenn1989]

Congrats on your progress! Maybe try starting with a slow spinning climb. Just push off lightly with one foot as you start, it really doesn’t take much momentum. Standing up straight on the pole (or pulling your body in) will generally make you go faster, and bending at the knees or extending a limb will help slow you down. Keeping momentum going in certain positions can be tricky, it just takes a lot of trial and error to learn what works 😊 There’s a lot of pretty movements you can do with a pole sit, just have fun and play around!

[Jenn1989]

Bigkitty I use Wondershare video editor 😊

[Jenn1989]

I actually have a blender that I sit upside down because there’s a groove at the bottom that fits my phone perfectly and holds it in place 😆

[Jenn1989]

I usually pole 2 times per week, sometimes 3. I usually warm up first by doing 5 minutes or so on my stationary bike because I have issues with my hips and I find that it really helps to loosen up the muscles. After that I throw on some music and do 15 minutes or so of basic spins, dancing, and climbs to get the pole warm.
I try to focus on free styling with moves I already know one day, then working on a new trick or strength training the next day.
The days that I try to freestyle I usually get tired really fast and the session only lasts about an hour. On strength days it’s usually more like 2 hours. 😊

[Jenn1989]

I always catch myself with my mouth hanging open, haha.

[Jenn1989]

Happy birthday!

[Jenn1989]

Yup, happens to me sometimes. There’s the odd day where I try to pole but I barely have enough energy to get my feet off the ground and I know I just need to take a rest day. Totally normal 🙂

[Jenn1989]

Maybe. They were using a jack hammer in my house because the concrete under the tile was so stubborn. The windows had also been replaced a short while before this, so they could have been in too tight as well. I don’t think you should be too worried about it. Maybe just watch and see that they aren’t getting worse with use of your pole.

[Jenn1989]

I had cracks like this form around my old house too, but it happened before I had my pole up. Were you doing any renovations? Some of mine happened when we took up the old tile flooring as they had to use power tools. Others just formed in random places. I’m not 100% sure what causes them, but there hasn’t been any more/worsening since my pole has been up and mine is up pretty tight.

[Jenn1989]

Yes, rest days make all the difference. Sometimes I try a trick so many times and can’t get it, but I’m able to suddenly do it the first try after a couple days off. 🙂

[Jenn1989]

I have the same problem! I get up pretty early so I started poling before work for 30 mins-1hour. I find it actually gives me more energy going into the day. Sometimes if I’m feeling lazy/tired and I’m not sure if I want to do an intense practise, I’ll just throw on some music and do some basic spins and dancing. Usually after a couple songs I’m feeling good to go 🙂

[Jenn1989]

It sounds like pirouettes if the feet stay on the ground. There’s a couple videos for them in the beginner section here if that’s what you mean 🙂

[Jenn1989]

Are you warmed up? I need to be really warm to have a solid knee pit grip. I also use a bit of dry hands on the knee pits for extra stick. The other thing that really helped me was practising side climbs. 🙂

[Jenn1989]

I’m no expert on video recording either, but I use my phone or ipad to record (I just prop them up against something), and then upload them to my computer and use Wondershare video editor to crop them, paste together, etc. 🙂

[Jenn1989]

That’s what I was thinking. I might start doing the Cleo rockin’ legs & abs DVD again to build some strength, it’s sooo brutal (but in a good way, lol) and it’s way more on the floor stuff than bending if I remember correctly.

[Jenn1989]

Thanks for the replies! I actually had hip dysplasia when I was very young that was surgically corrected, so it could possibly be related to that. I haven’t been to a doctor about my legs in about 10 years, so it probably would be a good idea to ask about. For now I’ve been doing sets of step ups too, which are usually ok. I hate feeling unbalanced, haha.

[Jenn1989]

I don’t either! I’ve tried it, but I feel too wobbly and awkward, lol.

[Jenn1989]

It hasn’t worn off for me! The kinds of videos that I like to watch has changed though. Before I started, I watched only the super advanced stuff because it was mind-blowing and those moves seem so crazy and impossible before you have an understanding of how they actually work. Now I prefer watching stuff that is closer to my own level because I can realistically learn from it and appreciate even the simpler moves. I watch more stuff here than Youtube now because I like seeing people learn and progress. I also can’t listen to any song ever without creating a routine to it in my head, lol. I feel bad when sometimes I totally don’t realize someone is talking to me because I’m putting pole combos together.

[Jenn1989]

I learned on a 50 for the first 6 months then transitioned to a 45. It’s a bit tricky at first because the leg grip is different, but you do get used to it. I’ve had limited experience with 40mm, but the hand grip is incredible!