Forum Replies Created

Page 5 of 8
  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 14, 2013 at 11:00 am in reply to: Song choices for a national comp audition?

    How about something 'old skoooool' (haha)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PPC7s2_Qh8

    Or this. It might be more my taste, but I can visualise some really powerful stuff…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77TlfZwvWxQ

    Or, perhaps something with more ups and downs, with a tempo increase?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G45p1GqI_tA

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 14, 2013 at 10:43 am in reply to: URGENT HELP PLEASE, I BLEACHED MY DYED BLACK HAIR & NOW IM ORANGE

    Welcome to trying to lighten heavily dyed black hair – the red/orange colour is just what happens to most of us.

    I would agree with Misspolejava (from seeing it happen a number of times) – with your hair having had so much colour in it for so long, bleaching it to blonde in one hit is a bit much of an ask, and to do much more to it now could give you a chemical haircut. Also as Dwiizie said – bleach may not even lift the colour you have in your hair. I would suggest getting a rinse (I don't know if that is what they are called where you are) – ie, a non-permanent die (they say I think 8-10 washes on the pack? Can't remember) with no ammonia, in a brown colour you aren't adverse to, and then let your hair settle down before gradually taking it blonder, with either a salon or with Dwiizie's recommendations – but wait, or you may end up with a very short hair style and mush in your hands. Lots of conditioner!

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 13, 2013 at 4:23 pm in reply to: Giving private lessons

    I guess part of the point is, that none of the people who taught those of us (myself, portable ninja, kasanya etc) meant us any harm, nor did they believe they were teaching anything wrong – however, by not having the right experience, or enough experience, and pole specific expertise, they did not see, and in fact could not see, how we were being taught wrongly. I am sure they are still teaching, and there will be many other people out there with similar stories. I have also been asked to teach pole, and there is no way, absolutely no way, I would risk damaging someone else by lack of knowledge the way I have been. I hope to teach one day, but not until I am absolutely sure I have the utmost safety of my students in my control.

    I was fortunate, I went to a studio where I was seen by a 7-year competition winning instructor, who took one look at my poling and told me to go back and start at the very beginning again. Trust me, I wasn't happy to hear it at the time, but I am grateful now 🙂

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 13, 2013 at 2:21 pm in reply to: Ayesha

    Hi Celeste21

    I agree, your lines are lovely 🙂

    Looking at your photo – the move you are doing would more likely be some sort of elbow grip straddle invert?  – it looks like your body is touching along the pole, which means it isn't the ayesha, (hard to tell from the angle though) and it isn't the reversed inverted V, as that requires your body to be beside the pole, not behind it. I'm not entirely sure what it is, but I would agree that you should try focusing on the butterfly to get used to your body being away from the pole before trying these moves. Veena has a really good set of lessons on here, which go through a process specifically designed for you to train at home and to build the strength in the right places 🙂

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 13, 2013 at 1:27 pm in reply to: Giving private lessons

    There are so many good responses here so I won't go too far into it but yes, you NEED insurance, CPS training, first aid certification etc. I was taught the improper technique by a school that was filled with fitness instructors who weren't specific pole instructors, and have tendonitis in my wrists as a result. I am a fitness instructor, have studied physio therapy and have been a martial arts instructor for years, and I didn't realise I was doing things wrong at the time because it was a different type of specialisation. There is so much more to teaching than knowing how to put your own body into the moves – you also have to be able to see where someone else in engaging wrong as soon as they do it. I was strong enough physically to do a lot of things with the wrong engagement, and thus am now paying for it.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 13, 2013 at 1:16 pm in reply to: Is there such a thing as too much poling

    Listen to your body, it will tell you what you need. If you are feeling too sore or twinges, then slow it down. I personally am an advocate of big workout sessions, as long as you are eating and sleeping well, and getting rest days – but I have worked this out for myself with trial and error. 🙂 I go to the studio 3 times a week, for a fairly intensive 3 hours each session (combination of pole and lyra). I have a complete rest day from pole in between, but do light other stuff. This has worked for me – but I come from a background of doing weight training and martial arts every day.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 9, 2013 at 5:09 pm in reply to: Got a job offer…OMG scared

    There is an old anecdote (and actual psychological thing) that is it human nature to move away from what we fear rather than towards what is good for us. That is, fear is a natural reactor within us psychologically, and we have to fight ourselves a little to take steps towards things that might well be good for us, that might open up wonderful doors, because of fear. By the sounds of it though, you already know what you are going to do 🙂 🙂

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 9, 2013 at 4:09 pm in reply to: Got a job offer…OMG scared

    Do it – you already said you are unhappy in your job. Risks are scary, but if they weren't everyone would take them… haha. 🙂

    Jokes aside, there is an old method I use to make decisions with – and because of this method, I have travelled the world. lived in multiple countries and have had incredible experiences.

    Think of the worst possible outcome of staying, and the best possible outcome of staying. Then the worst possible outcome of moving, and the best possible outcome of moving. If the best possible outcome of action (moving) is worth the risk of the worst, then do it.

    My general thoughts though are, I would prefer to take action and fail, having tried and learnt something new, than to do nothing and experience nothing in the process.

    Well done! 🙂

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 9, 2013 at 10:32 am in reply to: x-pole sport (static) or xpert (spin/static

    You have to do it more than once – actually, a lot more than once. 🙂 It will take some getting used to, but it seems to train your body to get used to the movement I guess… But yes, even myself – I have noticed I don't get car sick anymore.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 6:26 pm in reply to: Fitness questions

    I don't like 'health' foods either. You can have burgers and macaroni and cheese and all of that, in moderation, with better ingredients than comes out of a packet. Make a burger yourself with whole meal bread, lean beef, and add lots of vegies and salad in it as well. Make the mac and cheese with rigatoni pasta and a white sauce with some real cheese, not the weird fake stuff that comes out of a tin 🙂 Try this – eat low sugar, balanced food for the week, then one meal every week – only one, eat whatever your heart desires. Cheat meals are really important, both for physical and psychological reasons 🙂

    Cutting bread (and compex carbs) doesn't work for everyone, it never worked for me. But just be aware of when you are eating them – complex carbs are a slower burning fuel, so eating them early in the day will be better than at dinner before bed.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 6:18 pm in reply to: Fitness questions

    Cheers Vixen, same to you 🙂

    Well, you look to be training a good amount, and eating real foods, it may be to a point with you where you need to really individualize your food intake. Making everything yourself is a fantastic start, but with the regular exercise you are doing, you may find you aren't getting enough calories in, or in the right way. Over the next couple of days, write down everything you eat – no cheating! – and if you like, email it to me. I can have a look and see whether there is anything easy to pin point. 🙂 You have already made some fantastic gains, so it might be that you have plateau'd (don't we all hate that word) and you need to shake it up a bit.

    CloSmo, I would say at the moment you aren't eating or exercising enough – very tough with an injury I know! 🙂 But the biggest thing that will help you is fixing up your food intake, especially if you are injured as you might have to take it easy for a little while. It isn't always about cutting food down – eating more 'good' food, more often, and a variety of it, will do a lot more than eating small portions of high sugar content food.

    I am very pro-resistance work, and would suggest that even over cardio – but then, that is what has worked for me 🙂 For me, the biggest results go – diet, resistance/weight training, cardio, in that order.

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 5:14 pm in reply to: Training

    I am sorry to hear that your community is falling apart. 🙁

    There are a few different ways to help with plateaus – they won't work for everyone, but here are some that have worked for me (in various things, not just pole)

    – take a break. I know this sounds strange, but if you are doing pole every day, then your body may be too fatigued, and you need rest. Taking say 3 days off to just sleep and lounge around can do wonders.

    – start something physical but slightly different. Swimming is a great one, or something like martial arts, hoop or silks – working slightly different muscles (and their stabilizers) will give the main muscles you are working a bit of a kick.

    – Change your focus. This only has to be temporary – if you are primarily focusing on say, strength gains, spend say 4 weeks creating a routine that is purely about music interpretation, or doing certain things on the beat. Find a song you absolutely love, and focus on creating something that isn't about tricks, but rather beauty.

    – Work the opposite muscles. This is key to major strength gains – you need to work the muscles on the other side of the ones you want.

    🙂

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 1:03 pm in reply to: Fitness questions

    Unfortunately Vixen, bodies plateau – well done on the gains you have made, but yes, there comes a time where just portion control isn't enough 🙂

    What is your eating like now? How much are you exercising?

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 11:50 am in reply to: Fitness questions

    Hi ladies

    CloSmo – I see you are currently exercising – how much exactly? Looking at your diet, my initial reaction is that you are not eating enough, especially not enough protein, and you are having sugar in almost every meal (fruit, soft drink, fruit toast, spread, muesli bar, yoghurt – assuming it isn't pure greek style that is). Sugar is a killer when it comes to dieting alas, and while fruit is good for you, you aren't balancing it out with proteins (other than the little bit in yoghurt and milk) and vegetables. Also, I agree with Pankake, get more snacks in – eat more often. Can you look at changing a snack – eat some raw carrots, green beans, and a hard boiled egg – or something like that. Have some hummus in there, also some lean meats. All your carbs are in complex or sugars, try get vegetables in and increase it. Get some tuna or sardines into your diet if you can – you also don't have any good oils going in that I can see. The frozen meals you can buy are incredibly high in sodium usually. I can see you are paying good attention to portion control, and well done, but if the type of food you are putting in isn't able to give you usable energy, then your body will hold onto what it can and store it.

    Also,  try to eat a bigger lunch and breakfast (or more snacks during the day) and a smaller dinner. You want your energy to be there to be used, not sitting in your body to sleep on 🙂

    I am definitely the same – when I am at the 'high end of my weight' vs the 'low end' (I also love this terminology). I went through a body sculpting phase, and also times where I have had to 'lean down' for competitions to be under a specific weight. Those times for me though, I had to eat like food was going to run out. I am not a naturally small person by any means, so I had to create a stronger metabolism for myself by fueling. I can tell you what I ate for when I was competing if you like, but each person is different.

    Stop worrying about kilos – trust me, if you are now looking at pole or anything strength based, the weight aspect will be variable as you build muscle (which will eat away at the fat) but is much heavier. I am 'heavy' for my size and appearance – most people don't believe my when I tell them what I actually weight, but it is because I have dense muscle – I had to stop worrying about the scales a long time ago, and now if I want to keep track of anything, I use a tape measure.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 11:05 am in reply to: x-pole sport (static) or xpert (spin/static

    Quirky, everyone I know who has started spinning pole actually finds a decrease in motion sickness in other aspects of life over a little time – we were actually just talking about it the other day in the studio. You should try it 🙂

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 8, 2013 at 11:03 am in reply to: My husband just doesn’t GET it…

    Quirky Quirky Qwirky… you are missing the opportunity in front of you! Get him in some little spangly shorts, take him to your studio and get him to have a go on the pole himself (ok, maybe not the shorts). Imagine – a husband-wife doubles team… matching outfits, cheering crowds… 😛

    I just had a pole put up as a surprise from my partner, and he hasn't been able to get off it – shoulder mounts and flags – what an opportunity for him to use his man-strength.

    Or… the gun range. Whatever works 🙂

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 5:09 pm in reply to: x-pole sport (static) or xpert (spin/static

    Here is a post thread about the differences 🙂

    https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/265

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 5:07 pm in reply to: x-pole sport (static) or xpert (spin/static

    Spin and static are both incredibly enjoyable, and progression in one helps the other. Having the option to swap between is a huge bonus. If you are in a situation where you can upgrade, go for it.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 2:44 pm in reply to: Advanced plank advice

    Good one me… I meant brass bridge, not jasmine. Sorry Sassylina 🙂

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 1:58 pm in reply to: Advanced plank advice

    Crap – *short arms 🙂

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 1:57 pm in reply to: Advanced plank advice

    I have sort arms too (and a long torso) – for me, I have to make sure my hips are really pushed into that pole, and the pole as close to my girly bits as possible – as an instructor once told me 'put the pole in your neighbours yard, not your own'.

    Try getting into it from a jasmine (then pike a little to get your bits closer) to get used to the angle of it, that is how I got it.

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 1:47 pm in reply to: Injured back and wondering what I can do on pole :/

    You aren't going to like what I am going to say – but when it comes to either your back or your neck, you have to be really really careful. Has your chiropractor given you exercises to do? Especially a newly injured back, I personally wouldn't risk doing anything outside of some basic maybe arm or leg work – and even then it would depend on where you ar injured, how inflamed it is, etc. The whole point of pole is that to do it properly you need to engage all of your muscles – back especially. I am sorry hun, I would give it a nice healthy break for now.

    I hope you get better soon

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 7, 2013 at 10:58 am in reply to: xpole for sale.

    So I had a looksee in the store – not even the x-pert (spinning) with brass finish is that expensive with tax and delivery – does it come with extra mounts for vaulted ceilings or something? Did you get extensions? Are you sure it isn't the x-pert (spinning) one? Is it definitely chrome, and not TG or brass?

     

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 6, 2013 at 4:43 pm in reply to: My husband just doesn’t GET it…

    Ha! Perfect idea. Start making one, using old door hinges and gaffa tape. 😀

  • Koidragon

    Member
    August 6, 2013 at 4:25 pm in reply to: My husband just doesn’t GET it…

    You could offer a challenge…

    http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-Stripper-Pole!-Stripper-not-included/

    "hey, honey – see this? hint hint? hiiiinnnttttt? 😀

    No idea if this would be strong enough though 🙂

Page 5 of 8

Register FREE!

To continue browsing please create a FREE account. No credit card is required and you get 7 days of full access to my lessons.

Already a member?