[RoMo]

Hey Dolphinchic and Amerlia – I’d love to! I’ve left my studio a while ago due to COVID and find that while I get a lot of inspiration from IG, I enjoy having people to talk to/share videos with… 🙂 I’m at int/adv level, as well, and strong, but not too flexy… I have a home pole and a very good crash mat. 🙂

[RoMo]

Like Veena says, and I say it to the noobies at the studio I used to go to (ah, the good ol’ days before Corona…), everyone’s journey is different and don’t compare…
The most important thing to remember is that progress is possible IF you practice.
I started 6 years ago with no strength, 80 kilos, and the average fitness of someone who enjoys food and Netflix. I still do.
But, two months into my training I could climb a pole and touch the ceiling, six months in and I could invert…
6 years, two pregnancies + births + getting off the pole for 6 months at a time… but I persisted, practiced and kept at it. I’m at a much more advanced stage and I am still working on my skills. 🙂

Good luck and enjoy the journey!

[RoMo]

Hi @quancutie23

Thanks for the concern, but I’m not afraid of weirdos. Because of the unique topology of Haifa (Israel), my balcony looks onto the Carmel mountains and despite being inside of the city, the nearest buildings that I see are so far away, they have to be using binoculars to see me. And if they are using binoculars to watch my balcony, let them enjoy the view! 😉 I’m constantly going outside in my bra and undies, anyway. I think more of my skin would be covered while I pole! 😀

But yeah, I know I probably wouldn’t fly off the balcony, but I think I’ll keep poling inside, even though it requires more setup…

Thanks

[RoMo]

Has anyone tried to pole on a balcony? I live on the fourth floor and I usually pole in the living room, but it means moving too much furniture. I’ve thought of putting my pole outside, on our balcony, but I have a fear of flying off the balcony… A fourth floor fall doesn’t seem too sympathetic. 😛 Am I just being too paranoid?

[RoMo]

Hi StrangeFox,
Sorry I never got to reply to your last posts… Life gets in the way.
I’m really glad that you’re getting the hang of sewing and enjoying making your own pole clothes.
These days, I’m actually starting a blog teaching how to draft for knit clothes. Once I get it up and running, I’ll send you a link, as I already have quite a few articles that you may find helpful.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, feel free to shoot me an email at ronibmoses(at)gmail.com

Good luck!

[RoMo]

Hi StrangeFox,

I make most of my own pole clothes and I find it very rewarding as I can create whatever I want.
Most of the time, I use a serger, but a regular sewing machine would work fine, as long as you have a zigzag stitch. I use a Bernina 550 as my sewing machine and a Bernina 800D overlock. That sewing machine is overkill (yes, I admit it…) and I’d really recommend going for something much simpler/cheaper. Make sure it has a straight stitch, zigzag and a three step zigzag and you’re set for almost anything! (You won’t need the three step zigzag for sewing shorts, but if you do decice to sew bras as well, that’ll have you covered.)

If you only get one machine, get a sewing machine and not a serger. You’ll need it for top stitching and such, which you just can’t do on a serger. A serger is good for the internal seams and finishing them up really nicely, but that’s about all it does.

Get good needles for stretch fabric (usually 75 is good), good quality thread and fabric with stretch. I like fabrics with stretch in both directions best but if you get a fabric with stretch in a single direction, make sure you line up your stretch in the right direction (going around the body!) as you don’t want to finish sewing and then find out you can’t fit into it. Forget about wovens for pole clothes.

If you need any additional tips/advice/pattern ideas, please feel free to message me!

[RoMo]

I’ve been living in Israel for the past 20 years but was born and raised on Long Island, NY.

[RoMo]

I went to a physiotherapist after my firstborn was born. It really helped. I was religious about doing the exercises she gave me (btw, most of them can be found online – but make sure you are following a reputable site!)
When I got back to pole, I started at home with Veena’s 30 days beginner program and it helped me come to class not feeling like a total newbie. Within about half a year (from returning to class), I had regained all of the strength I had, along with some new found strength (Go handspring!).

I’m currently pregnant with number 2 and I’m terrified of it happening again, as it was tedious and a bit frustrating at times, but doable.

I agree with Veena – give physio a try and see if you are seeing/feeling results. Please make sure to talk to your physiotherapist about it, along with your goals, and make sure s/he helps you properly manage your expectations. It’s not going to happen overnight, but do set a small milestone or two to make sure you are making progress. (Btw, I do that with my pole training all the time and it really helps – even if my milestones are small and seem insignificant to many of the other girls…)

Good luck and enjoy your growing bundle of joy! 🙂

[RoMo]

Hey ptkells3642!

First of all, best of luck in your competition.

Second, don’t fall victim to the sunk cost fallacy. Pole should be fun and should energize you, not drain you. The sunk cost fallacy says that people are likely to keep investing in something when they’ve started because they don’t want to lose the money they’ve already put into something. Your time – Sunday mornings – are no less valuable than the money you’ve already paid, if not more.

Keep practicing in a way that helps you. And compete! Do it for yourself. Just getting on stage is hard. I’ve competed several times and each time it felt wonderful. I’m curvy and awkward and I don’t have flow for the life of me, but (after all the nerves and fear!) I enjoy getting on stage and I bask in the feedback I get. I usually go for artistic/happy songs. I smile at the audience and I love hearing from people how they saw how much I enjoyed performing. There are tons of women who dance much better than I do, but most of them don’t have the courage to get on stage.

Best of luck and have fun!

[RoMo]

@StrangeFox Thanks for the reply.
In the end, I went over the last three months in my pole journal and picked a few goals. I told my teacher that I have defined a few goals for myself and shared them with her. I think she seemed happy that I have goals of my own as it may take a bit off of her looking for new stuff to give us. During the last class, I worked on landing my handspring with my partner and during class when she came by to our pole, she didn’t have to look for tricks for us. Instead, she helped me with my handspring and I finally got it on my own! (During the 3 seconds no one was looking!!! But I have it on my phone and ended up doing it a few more times that lesson.)
I hope the next few weeks I’ll continue to improve. 🙂
Thanks!

[RoMo]

Thanks for the answers. @dustbunny – she doesn’t have enough students to split them into separate classes according to level, although I wish she would. She’s tried doing it in the past but if she only has two beginner lessons a week and two advanced lessons, people start with the “but I can’t make it at this time, so could I please come to the other class…?” and then people are coming whenever they want.

[RoMo]

I’m super sweaty and super slippery so I’m ALWAYS cleaning mine. I use window cleaner or alcohol on chrome finish. I usually forget to do the bottom and find my cat leaves little hearts on my pole with his nose on the bottom few inches. 🙂

[RoMo]

Hi.
I finished reading the beginner’s book but I do not want to review it on amazon.com as I would not feel honest giving a favorable review.
I disagree with the order that some of the moves are presented, but that aside, here are the main issues I encountered:
– Not enough images. The images that are available are nice but there is a distinct lack of them. This is especially felt as your descriptions are not clear enough. I could understand many of the moves based on my own knowledge of pole dancing but when I asked my husband (who does not pole dance) to show me some of the moves, he could not.
– Descriptions are not good enough. (See previous.) Example in point is Back Hook Spin. I recommend asking people who do not know how to pole dance to try this solely based on the text.
– Assuming knowledge. For example, you mention “rotator cuff” but a person without a background in sport or exercise may not know what it is. Same for lunges.
– I would expect more regarding a proper warm-up and cool down. I felt this was lacking.
– Language. Here I find multiple issues, some of which are negligible but some are not. This includes:
— Talking about how moves are sexy. You do this for almost each move and it doesn’t add credibility when you are talking about pole as a legitimate sport.
— Use of slang. For example “bucks”. This is not a form of currency, it is a male antlered animal or a vaulting horse.
— Linguistical form changes inconsistently throughout the book.
— Lack or editing. There are many spelling and grammer errors. One of my biggest pet peeves when reading something that has been self published is when it is obvious that an editor had not gone over the book. This gives a much more professional finish to a piece of work,especially if you have spent much time on it.
— It is clear that English is not your mother tongue. This is not so much a problem, but a good editor can help masquerade the fact.

It looks like you put a lot of effort into this book. I, personally, do not think that learning pole via book alone is sufficient and your book has not changed my mind regarding that. I recommend going over it again. I would be happy to review a revised version.

Good luck.

[RoMo]

I would love to review the books. Currently at an advanced level but would happily review all levels. 🙂

[RoMo]

I really like Arm&Hammer cleaning products. They make a special enzymatic cleaners for cat/dogs which is great and not that expensive. Also, as it enzymatically breaks down any smells, it doesn’t encourage them to go again in that area… 😛

[RoMo]

I’d stick to alcohol for cleaning the pole. That’s what we use at the studio I go to and it’s cheap.

[RoMo]

Yes, without a doubt.

I started pole about 2 and a half years ago at a local studio and couldn’t afford more than one lesson/week, at most two on special weeks…. I got myself an X-pole (used), a subscription to Veena and a good crash mat and haven’t regretted it since.
Honestly, this past year, I’ve been commuting really far to and from work and way too tired to work out at home, but I still renewed my Veena subscription a few months ago, because I do like to have to option to work out with her. I do have to admit that my studio has changed their pricing formula, so now I do two lessons a week, most weeks.

In addition to her being a great teacher, when I was working a lot at home, I’d show her videos to hubby so he could understand what I should be doing and what/where he needs to be to help spot me. It’s a lot better than trying to tell him, “Ok, so as I flip and grab the pole with my right leg, my left will be….”

She often offers a discount on a yearly membership, which makes it EVEN MORE worth it! I highly recommend this site to all my pole friends and I know a few who’ve signed up and are enjoying it just as much as I have.

I am happy to announce I’m 17 weeks pregnant and will probably stop poling at some point in the near future, but there’s a lot more than just pole work here and when I do stop going to the studio, I do hope to find the energy to keep working out at home.

Best of luck to you! 🙂

[RoMo]

I recommend selling tops and bottoms seperately as many of us don’t have standard matching sizes. That was always my problem when buying bikinis – need a top in one size and bottom in another.
Best of luck!

[RoMo]

Where are her videos available for download? What would you most recommend for someone looking to dance, especially more sensually?

Thanks

[RoMo]

I have to agree with what a lot of the girls before me wrote — some of the most “audience impressed” moves are the easiest — CAR, CKR, Plank, etc.

I performed at a school event and did Butterfly, flat line Scorpio and Remi in my dance and didn’t get half as much applause as one of the new girls who did CKR and Plank. The audience LOVED her CKR on spinning pole. I think it’s the “Look, ma, no hands!” effect that does it.

Also, I agree with Runemist34 – eye contact, or the illusion of it, it key. I did get lots of feedback from friends and audience members saying that they felt I was dancing “for them” and that made my dance really stand out.

Whatever you do decide to do, good luck, break a leg, smile and remember that you’re all that and then some! 🙂

[RoMo]

I’m with pointurtoes — I use the Sapphire gels I buy from aliexpress.com. I bought 5 colors, the base and top coat and a small UV flashlight for around $15, including free shipping. I usually get a good 10 days out of a home gel mani, which is great. My biggest tip is VERY THIN layers! One layer base, two of color, one top coat. You don’t need anything to clean off stickiness with the Sapphire colors and top coat.

I have tried doing the gel sandwich with a regular color polish in the middle, but I probably didn’t let it dry enough and the gel looked really bad. I ended up redoing everything a few hours later. Gel base, color and top coat.

Doing my manis at home has saved me a lot of money.

Please note, if you do buy Sapphire, or any colors via online, different monitors tend to make colors look different. The colors I ordered were much warmer on my screen, but seemed to lack that warmth and red undertones when applied. Be flexible with your color choices and don’t get dead set on a specific shade. Also, I recommend to get a few colors. Be able to spice things up.

The biggest pain in the butt is removing the gel. It’s not difficult, just a nuisance. Lightly file top coat off, soak cotton in acetone and place on nail. Wrap with tin foil and wait 15 minutes. Then clean off nail with an orange stick. Don’t forget to moisturize cuticles. No pole. 🙁

Good luck!

[RoMo]

Thanks Suemaz, Yayo and CD Hussey. I noticed that Nexus comes with fabric for a reasonable fee, while the Silkii does not. I have to check with FabPole how much the package weighs and cost of shipping to Israel. 🙂

What are the best resources for a beginner to start learning how to work with Pole Silks? I’ve gone to some of the sites mentioned on this thread but they seem to imply a knowledge of working with silks, already…

Thanks

[RoMo]

Hey Skyember! Good luck in getting back on the pole! 🙂

[RoMo]

What kind of fabric is used on in pole silks? I really like the way it looks and seems like a great way to get stronger as well as have some assistance in moves I’m having a difficult time with. I’ve been thinking of ordering a rigging for quite some time — either the xpole silkii or the Nexus Wrap. My main question is, what fabric is used? What length and width? Since shipping to my neck of the woods is very expensive and fabric tends to weigh a lot, I’d like to source that locally. What fabric should I get?
Also, has anyone done a comparison on the silkii vs the Nexus Wrap? Advantages and disadvantages of each? (I currently own a chrome x-pert x-pole, 45 mm.)

Thanks!

[RoMo]

Dear Lisandra,
I’m extremely sorry to hear you had a bad experience with a studio but please don’t quit pole because of that. Pole is a wonderful sport, and I find that as a “heavier” girl, it’s extremely rewarding and the community at large is VERY supportive. I’m lucky I have a studio near my house, but I also use SV extensively and her lessons are AMAZING. I started poling a bit over a year ago and I can really see the transformation in my weight, body shape and strength. It takes a long time to invert and any studio who teaches it as part of a beginners class is doing something wrong. It took me almost 9 months to begin to invert and almost a year before I could do a chopper but it’s very individual. I’ve seen women who do it much sooner and women who take longer…

I really recommend using Veena’s lessons. They build up from easier moves into more complex moves that build on each other and progression gets easier once you’ve started building strength. (If you’ll notice, she has inverts in the intermediate section, where it should be!) Also, get a good crash mat. Regardless of weight. I know I’m heavy, but I’m also accident prone, sweaty and can’t distinguish between left and right when I’m inverted and a good crash mat has provided me with more support than I’d like to remember… Also, when I am working on new moves, I try to use a spotter. I usually use hubby, although I’ve used friends, on occasion (if they drop by when I’m at the end of a workout…). I get them to watch Veena’s video with me, then watch as I perform a move, helping me understand what has to be where (I seriously lose all sense of orientation when my feet aren’t firmly on the ground, and more so when I’m inverted!), and in case I feel insecure in my grip, have them give me a hand so that I don’t crash. (*Hubby, who is my usual spotter, is a 98lb weakling who couldn’t lift me if his life depended on it. The helping hand is usually used to make sure my head is tucked in if I’m inverted or just to bring an additional appendage closer to the pole.)

If you want additional inspiration, you’ll find many bigger girls who pole. See Emma Haslam who is an amazing dancer wow audiences as she worked her way to the finals on “Britain’s Got Talent” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqzUI5t9qJ4]. There’s also lots of extremely talented dancers here. 🙂

PS – Being bilingual rocks! (At the studio I go to being bilingual puts you in the minority as most of the girls are trilingual… I’d love to learn a third language!)