PolarGirl
Forum Replies Created
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Ooh, ooh … THIS:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BvNd0wp-jv4 -
(I meant cross ANKLE release!)
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Ok! So I don’t know if you are like me or not – but most lotions make me feel wet and “sweaty” — like I’m perspiring everywhere — for a couple of days after application, even if I’ve showered a couple of times (!). At the same time, my skin is super dry, so if I don’t use lotion, my skin has zero friction and I slide anyway. I didn’t even realize I had this issue until I tried a good lotion and it gave me great grip! There is a lotion called Pole Physics that is available online, but I’ve not used it. I read on a thread here that Aveeno daily moisture works great, so I use that!
Also, when I’m trying something new and new extra confidence, I lightly dab iTac wherever my legs are making pole contact (along the shins, top of foot, between the knees, thighs, back of knee — you name it!), and this REALLY helps with grip. I also dab dry hands on top of the itac when doing a cross and release. I find this totally necessary, because I get a bit (ahem) dewey between my thighs when I’m really working hard.
Good luck finding what works for you!
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In response to ferrous’s point about the pole sleeve, I just want to mention that a lot of people have had some serious complaints about (1) the thickness of the sleeve. Even if your pole is a 40mm, adding the pole sleeve might make the pole too thick for you. I have heard that it adds 5-6mm or so. So if you have a 50mm pole like me…forget about it!!! And (2) I have heard reports of people getting the sleeve STUCK on their pole!
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You would be better off training on a pole at the playground for tricks such – and working on strength, flexibility, and floor work/ dance at home – until you have saved enough money for a “real” pole like the ones that have been suggested.
Unbranded poles are not meant to support your body weight and are completely unsafe, even for doing most spins. It would ultimately be a waste of money and carries a high risk of potential injury, which would only put you further behind in terms of advancing your pole skills. Plus, the pole could fall or come apart and damage your ceiling, walls, etc.
Just google “pole dance fails” or something like that, and you can see a huge number of pole videos where someone attempts a spin or inversion on a crappy unstable pole and falls head first, or shatters something in the room, or puts the pole through some drywall. Don’t let that be you!!!!
Good luck saving for your first pole and on your new pole journey!
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Yay!
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When you execute a back hook spin, your back leg is “hooked”, but your knee should NOT be gripping at all. If you were to knee grip, you wouldn’t be able to spin!!! (Unless you are on a spinning pole, but even then the knee grip is totally unnecessary and probably wouldn’t look as nice.
The leg that is hooking should make contact with the pole somewhere along the length of your lower leg, maybe even near the ankle — which is what happens for me when I’m really arching my back to make this spin sexy (because doing so projects my body forward).
The previous posts are correct: your arms are the points of contact that provide all of the grip in this movement.
Good luck!
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I am the same way: when my pole gets warm, my grip sucks. I don’t understand why this would be otherwise. It makes sense to me that for people who have sweaty hands, when you touch warm metal, it’s going to make your hands sweat worse than when you touch something cold.
I can only wonder if the opposite is true for people with dry hands and no sweat.
By the way, I somehow have dry hands AND sweaty hands. Does anyone else have this problem? By that I mean my hands are super dry but sweat with activity. I’m going to try Aveeno daily moisture (since I’ve heard and read pole people say this is a good lotion for polers) the night before I pole and then dry hands during a pole session – because I definitely need a moisturizer too!
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Hmmm. I feel like I totally understand what you are saying here. I can aerial invert with straight legs so I don’t think it’s a “core” issue — but for some reason aerial fan kicks don’t feel super graceful to me, especially on one side. (Fan kicks from the floor are no problem at all, even though I feel like I’m not actually pushing off the floor but working to lift the legs instead…though I obviously I must be pushing off the floor a bit.) It’s like that first leg doesn’t want to lift. The second leg has no issue. So I’m wondering if it could be a hip abductor weakness? Since it’s the lifting up AND to the lateral side that gives me trouble (as opposed to just lifting up), while the lifting up medially is not a problem. Just brainstorming here…
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Romo,
I have a similar problem. Even holding a basic plank can be a thigh grip issue for me when I get really warm. (I perspire a lot, seemingly everywhere, not just hands.) My best solution so far has been regular strength iTac on my inner thighs — which I put on before my pole session — and then applying DryHands on top of that when I start to get sweaty. It’s still a struggle but that has really helped me a ton. I hope it helps you but I’ve grown to understand that it all comes down to your own personal body chemistry. Even still, I’d love to hear any other solutions that other polers have found. That way I can try them too!Thank you for sharing your struggle, by the way. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only sweaty poler. I am definitely the sweatiest one at the studio I attend. In my first class, before I knew about grip aids, I asked my teacher to just tell me now if I’m never going to be able to do anything because I’m naturally just too damn sweaty. I couldn’t climb, spin, anything. Now a few months later I’m aerially inverting and can do handspring mounts, etc. I have the strength, am just continually struggling to refine my grip solutions. You will eventually find something too, just keep trying new things.
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Also since my studio uses 50 and I don’t know of another pole studio nearby and I don’t know anyone who has a 40mm pole, I don’t have access to try before I buy. I would be completely stabbing in the dark if it weren’t for the awesome folks on this thread giving me their two cents!
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Newschik, I think it just has to do with hand size, which definitely comes into play when it comes to pole diameter preferences. While height is a poor proxy for hand size to be sure, the general trend is that taller people tend to have bigger hands while shorter people tend to have smaller hands. Hope that clears things up.
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I would love this.
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As someone who had been an athlete my entire life, I agree that most activities carry risk of injury, even nonathletic activities. But I have to say that pole dance is a pretty extreme sport — dangling upside down often from extreme heights and whatnot — but I think there is also a very high-risk element in the emphasis on flexibility. All sports emphasize flexibility but not to the extent that pole does. Pole flexibility is borderline contortionist.
In speaking with my primary pole teacher about my injury, she admitted that some teachers, even at our studio, believe in increasing flexibility as quickly as possible in any way that they can, while she does not agree with that approach because it CAN, and often does, result in injury that negatively impacts long-term flexibility. One thing that I love about StudioVeena is the focus on SAFE strengthening, stretching, and skill-building — so that we can all enjoy pole over the long haul.
I ultimately just have to disagree that pole is just like any other sport in terms of injury risk, but one thing I love about it is that it is not “just like any other sport” in a number of other ways. I’m not trying to make pole out to be some super dangerous thing, but it can be if you don’t listen to your body and progress at your own pace. It has it’s own unique risks and pressures, to be sure.
The original post was about splits on pole. I simply don’t know if the original poster hadn’t properly warned up or was just extra tight somewhere that day and didn’t realize it, or whatever might have happened. We have to be extra careful with our bodies because our sport is frankly pretty intense.
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Thanks so much, everyone, for sharing. It is SO helpful.
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I have a TG Xpert and it spins just the way you describe. Don’t worry, your weight on the pole will keep the momentum going just like TropicalPole says 🙂
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I just found this Veena thread also, which is helpful:
https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/For_Those_who_have_a_40mm_XPole_20120701020846
Still, I don’t know what to go with. I feel like I’m going to end up with 5 different poles!
Veena says she still prefers the 45 and brings up the height question. I am 5’10” tall and use a 50mm now and can handspring mount on a good grip (low sweat) day. So I think the 45 would be fine for me, but with my sweaty hand grip issues, the 40mm sounds pretty freakin awesome. I’d love to have that hand grip confidence but am unsure about the trade off with thigh grip. I am also wondering if I would lose strength working on a 40mm at home all the time. I’ll still be learning on a 50 at my studio for all the new positions and combos.
I’m so clueless. I totally bought a pole that ultimately doesn’t work for me the first time. I just want my second pole to be a winner. All advice or experience is appreciated!
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I went to a “strength and flexibility” training at my studio for only the second time ever a couple of weeks ago. It was an hour long session and we focused on center split stretches (and corresponding strength work). At the end when my muscles were already stretched to their max max, the instructor had us do our straddle against the wall and came and pushed us into the wall further and had us push back and then release. This resulted in over stretching and my left knee is pretty messed up. It just feels like there is a ton of pressure building in there and I am still unable to do a ton of basic stretches I used to have no problem with. I’m pretty upset about it actually. In the future I will do my flexibility training on my own or will refuse to do partner stretching. I don’t want another setback like this one. It’s really really frustrating. I had gone to that class to advance my flexibility, not put myself a year behind. I’m so sorry to hear that others are going through similar setbacks too.
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Just wanted to say that I did my homework before posting but there’s not a ton of info out there about 40mm pros/cons in terms of people’s actual experiences and preferences. I did find a discussion on here that started out with someone asking about 40mm but turned into a huge digression about the properties of various alloys of brass and had to be moderated by WebMaster. I am specifically wondering about the size and not the metal so I’m hoping you ladies can help shed some light on it! Thanks!!!
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Thanks, everyone! I am likely going to just sell the TG and get a brass pole. Still super curious about powder coated finish though. Anyone else have any experience with this for sweaty gals?
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Thank you, chemgoddess. I will give it a try.
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Thank you so much for chiming in on my question. It’s so helpful to hear others’ experiences with buying or selling used poles!
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Yeah, it makes sense. Thank you so much for the reply. I’d still love to hear other’s opinions though! I know the pole is in great shape and well cared for and some of my studio mates have been over to play and want one of their own. I just want to feel like both parties are getting a fair deal and I really have no idea what to sell for. I’ve seen used poles on eBay for more than the new price from Xpole! I realize that’s not right, and I don’t plan to get back what I paid by any means…but I still just don’t know!
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I agree with some of the above hated moves, but gosh I really adore the teddy. I think it is such an impressive move high on the pole with no hands. I think the straddle really draws attention to the legs, and I don’t really think about the vagina if someone is wearing clothes.
I also like the remi sit but maybe that’s only because I am new to pole and somehow find the remi seat to be pretty painless compared to other moves that don’t seem to really bother other people, pain-wise. Gosh, I’m just learning Scorpio for example, and it is SO painful for me so far.
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Alley, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to hear it. Happy poling!
