Runemist34
Forum Replies Created
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Hey Kalighhargraves5811!
I’ve had and tried quite a few different pole DVD’s and such, and I also have a membership with Veena’s lessons.
I really do like Jamilla’s Art of Pole DVD’s, and out of all the ones I’ve tried, I find that they are extremely helpful and very informative. She has conditioning exercises (which will kick your butt, seriously) as well as warm ups and cool downs. There are also some performance clips and mini-routines and combos you can try in there.
However, even though they are probably the best DVD’s I’ve found on the market so far, I wouldn’t trade out Veena’s lessons for them at all!
I find Veena’s method of teaching and video to be extremely helpful. Jamilla only shows from one angle, and Veena often has a couple, so you can see what’s going on with different ares of the body. Her conditioning is a little more comprehensive for the whole body, and you can spend time working out (read: kicking your butt) different parts of your body. She also goes over a lot of flexibility training, and safety stuff, even if you don’t have a spotter.
She’s also right here if you want to ask her questions!The first couple of DVD’s in the Art of Pole set cover a lot of moves, broken up right down to a basic walk, and ending (in DVD 2 anyways) with some things you can do once you’re comfortable with the basic invert (which she does teach, of course), like Gemini and Scorpio, and the Apprentice (which she calls a Starfish).
Again, they are awesome lessons and it’s lovely to have DVD’s to go back to often, but Veena’s lessons are excellent, and continue to be updated! You could always use both if you want to, as well 😉
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I’m actually a weird one in that carpet doesn’t hurt my feet… linoleum, though, that frigging HURTS!
I used (and have) a pair of Foot undeez as well, and while I don’t need to use them on carpet, I could see how they would be extremely good for any surface that might hurt your feet.
I found them at a local dance store when I was in another town for a short time, so you could look them up, or at the links these other lovely ladies have provided! -
My pole currently lives in my bedroom, as it’s the largest space I have! I actually feel a little strange just going “Okay, I’m going away now to play music really loud and pole dance.” But, no one seems to mind!
I’ve had my pole in my living room, my kitchen, and the “computer room” before, too.
One of my favourite times was my first pole, in my living room. It was a stainless steel, and it was known as my “stealth pole,” because literally NO ONE noticed it for at least half an hour of being in my house, unless they specifically knew to look for it. They would just go around it, not even thinking that they were adjusting the way they were going. And then, some time into their visit, they would suddenly look at it as if it had appeared by magic in that moment, and ask “Is that a stripper pole?!” To which, of course, I would respond “Yep!”As for finding time to practice, I understand feeling a bit self-conscious. However, I think part of that is the fear of public “sucking.” We, as a culture, are afraid to show failure, vulnerability, effort. We value effortlessness, natural talent (which is usually depicted as being able to pick something up and do it almost perfectly int he first go), and polished performance! So, showing people our failures, our “struggling faces,” and our effort seems to be something that they will be able to pick at, something that we’ll be ridiculed for.
The reality is, though, that if we show the world our effort, our struggles, our fighting face, they will respect us more! People seeing how many days and hours and attempts you try a move, over and over, without giving up, can celebrate with you! Especially since you’re new, and have a lot to look forward to!
I actually love to share my pole dance with people who are around. I got my roommate into it, and every now and then he used to (when it was in our previous living room) just start doing crazy things on it, without my prompting. It never failed to get me back on the pole, too!
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Interesting thought!
My nemesis, as it has always been: Hamstrings. Anything Pike oriented (or splits) is crazy-hard for me!
I’ve had tight hamstrings for most of my life, and when I started stretching them, I had NO IDEA how to do it! They didn’t feel like any of my other muscles, but I tried to push them the way I did the other ones… and it backfired! I ended up with really sore, really unhappy, and even shorter hamstrings than when I began.
So, my best advice for stretching any part of those hammies is to go SLOW. Don’t push too hard. I know it’s frustrating and I know it can be a pain, but you’ll definitely see progress in the long run!
I’m more flexible in the hammies now than I ever have been! I may not have my splits or my pike, but I’m a heck of a lot closer! -
Hey there!
It sounds like you’ve got a decision already, but I wanted to add my experience here, in case it helps you out.
I’ve taken a lot of “breaks” in the past 6 years of my pole dancing. I’ve stunted my progress very much because of it, but I’ve also learned to find, and find again, my motivation. It’s waned, it’s existed when I couldn’t dance, and I’ve danced when it’s not there (which is horribly difficult and I’m very bad at it). I started off, waaaay back, in a studio, and eventually was forced to transition to home-pole due to money and time constraints.Finding my motivation has been a lot of searching of WHY I like to pole dance. What about it appeals to me? Once I have that move, will I want to continue pole? Why? Or, Why not?
I discovered it was because there was so much to learn- there are so many styles, so many moves, and so many ways to put it all together! I knew I wouldn’t get bored if I didn’t want to, and that’s pretty big for me (I get bored easily). I also determined that, when doing aerial moves, I end up feeling like I’m made of magic, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted to feel like! I love the strength building, I love the flexibility goals, but those are things I’m not super good at… and so I try not to focus too much energy on them, and instead keep looking at the things I love about pole.
It DOES sound like your studio is no longer giving you what you’d like, so I can suggest a couple of things: Home poling, while different and sometimes boring, can be made much more fun. Doing skype pole jams, and even having the freedom to just fiddle around and see what you’re made of can be super awesome. It also allows you to plan and focus on what YOU want to do, rather than being at the whims of instructors who want a good Instagram photo.
A different studio may help, and if you find a great one, I think that a somewhat longer drive would be worth it! Unfortunately I have no studios in my area, so this isn’t something I can vouch for personally… but, if I could, I’d do that.
You COULD also consider talking to the instructors of advanced classes, and see if you can request more of a focus around flow. Talk to the other students, too! If a bunch of them would rather focus on flow, and not “the latest trick,” perhaps that would help your studio understand that they may not be teaching the correct thing for everyone. Maybe they could also split up some of the advanced classes- some for tricks, some for flow. -
It took me a really, really long time to get my basic invert, and right now it’s still not great. I have a difficult time with that kind of strength, and I have a difficult time with the upside-down, so there are definitely some mental barriers, but… I did still get it!
What changed it for me was not focusing on my feet. I had to learn to focus on my chest, my hips, something other than my feet. I also learned to make a HUGE arc with my legs! Like, almost reaching forward with my feet and allowing that momentum to carry me upwards.
Have you seen Aerial Amy’s blog? She covers a lot of the issued with basic inverts, and many of them were things I had issues with.I think that you can do it. All you need to do is work on it, be patient, make sure not to jump or put strain on your back or shoulders. Breathe.
It took me five years. 😉
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Hey there!
Well, first of all, I’ll tell you this: Being able to push yourself up AT ALL in a pushup is a big accomplishment in my eyes, because I cannot do a single one. I still need to work on it, it’s still hard. I can’t lift myself up with my arms, I can barely pole hold for more than three breaths.
First time I touched a pole was 6 years ago… and I’ve had a lot of setbacks, a lot of “hiatuses” upwards of 8 months, which really set me back!
But… I am still going at it. I am starting to get moves that I never thought possible, and I an starting to gain more and more strength.I also want to point this out: My weight and my height have NOTHING to do with my health or fitness level. I am 5′ 6″ and about 160lbs, and when I was running (I’ve had to take a month and a half off due to heat! I miss it!) I went up to 190lbs, and I was smaller than I’ve ever been. I’ve also been 180lbs and much larger than I have ever been… and it was hard to keep the weight on.
Your weight may stay the same, it might go down and then up, and it might just go down, or just go up… but your size, the physical makeup of your body, will change.
You can do this! You’re beautiful and amazing. All of you 🙂
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Sounds fantastic!
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Oh yeah, this is all muscle. Due to my sudden development of the lats… none of my bras fit! I’m actually breaking them. The mesh bit between the cups (which is supposed to be crazy strong) is literally shredding itself, which means I need to go up a band size!
None of these things surprise me anymore 😉 -
There can be a lot of factors to this sort of issue, so… I’ll try to get some of the major ones out of the way:
First, make sure you are not exercising too hard! If all this “fitspiration” stuff I’m seeing around is anything to go by, it seems like “work out till you puke” is the goal, and it is NOT. Work out to YOUR level, and not anything past that. If you push too hard, you’ll feel sick.
Next, I must ask, are you vegetarian or vegan? Because this can strongly affect your intake of protein, and especially the correct kind of protein you body needs to repair muscles. Even with rest days, you may not be able to repair your muscles under these circumstances, and you’ll suffer for it. This usually manifests as chronic soreness and weakness, though, so… just a thought.
The next thing I would ask is… are you working out too often, or doing too many other things as well? Rest days are super important, and I know that I don’t feel well when I don’t get time to repair my body. With running, rock climbing, pole dancing, and my work, it became too much for me- I had to drop some stuff to be able to stay healthy.
Lastly, making sure to stay hydrated during a workout is very, very important… but it CAN also lead to an upset stomach if you’re drinking too much water! You should be trying to maintain a general level of hydration, and during workouts, only small amounts of water at a time, now and then. I know that, during my very long runs, I get parched, but if I drink as much as I WANT to, I’ll end up very unhappy with my belly.I also used to get an upset stomach when I did a lot of ab work… but it’s faded now. I think they got used to it 😉
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No, as far as I know it’s a copywrite issue, and as you can access the lessons here at any time, it’s not considered an issue. It would also be difficult to keep those records up to date, as Veena tends to update things frequently.
I haven’t had any issues with simply accessing them on the site, anyways 🙂 -
Hey Jessies!
I wanted to say that I know how you feel- I come from a long line of “people pleasers,” and I think over the generations we’ve perfected the art. Half the time I don’t even notice I’m doing it!
I also don’t feel very accomplished, don’t feel happy with my job, don’t want to be where I am now in 10 years (that is a LONG time though and I think lots will have changed by then!). I also have an anxiety disorder, which causes things to get a little jumbled up in my head. It’s been a tough one to really connect with myself.
That said, the very best and most amazing thing I could recommend is journaling. You don’t have to show it to anyone or talk about it, but writing down your thoughts and having discussions with yourself is the single greatest thing for my relationship with myself I have EVER done. I’ve been doing it for about two and a half years now (I started when my husband decided to tell me he no longer wanted to be with me… it was six months of craziness after that where we finally, properly broke up) and I’ve nearly filled four journals. It’s been an amazing journey and has shown me incredible things about myself.
I agree with the others, too; you sound very accomplished, you sound like you know a lot of things, you have a lot to be proud of. That said, now’s an excellent time to find a way to do things for YOU, so that you are personally proud, rather than just kind of generally.
As for finding one’s womanhood… I suppose I never had an issue with that, but I can say that I know many people who have. Take a belly dancing class (if you can, I recognize you’re in a small town), figure out what makes you feel sexy, move your body in ways that make your hips move, appreciate your own beauty. It’s not selfish or self-centered or anything else, it’s a personal journey!
And remember: What makes you happy will make everyone else happy… and if it doesn’t make them happy, perhaps you need to re-evaluate your relationship with them (or, they’re confused). And, having a child, you’re the one who shows them what life and happiness is like, and they will admire your personal journey, your strength of will and your conviction, far more than your ability to hold a job 🙂 -
Hmm, yeah, maybe contact them when you can, it sounds like it may be looser than mine have been!
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I always said I “stick like a gecko,” especially on my current pole (which is powder coated). Can be great for certain things like static moves or learning spinny pole, but otherwise, kind of a bother.
I find myself trying to wipe my hands and my pole often. -
“Loose” meaning what, exactly? My experience having had two Lil’ Mynxes now is that it’s fairly normal to have the outer pole (that you dance with) to be a little bit larger than the adjuster pole (the inner one), and that occasionally if you grab or move it in certain ways, they may clang or clack together.
No real fixes for this… it’s just how they’re made. I’ve never ever had any issues with stability or safety with them. -
I generally don’t care, as I dance alone in my house. Often I can still wear my shorts (they aren’t super small, though, so that helps) and a pad. I’m uncomfortable with having things “up there” if they can get “lost,” and I’m a bit paranoid, so no tampons or menstrual cups for me.
I will say this, though: cramps and lowered pain tolerance do tend to dampen my “enthusiasm” for trying new and more difficult moves. My dancing during my lady time is more for me to maintain strength, rather than increase it. -
My first inverted moves were things like the Cross Knee release, since I trust my legs a lot more than my hands, and I felt the lock was much stronger.
Inverting, as in the basic invert, is very difficult and any moves after that can be quite scary.
Don’t push yourself- you really don’t need to plough on forward just because everyone else is inverting! You do it in your own time, and you’ll be safer and happier. -
Hey AerialFaery!
I’m sorry to hear this is happening to you! Sounds horrible, and I can relate.
There are a lot of things that could be a factor in losing strength, and feeling sick and achy.
So… Are you getting enough sleep at night? Is it quality sleep (like, is it a deep sleep, are you dreaming, etc.)?
And are you eating enough food? Are you eating the proper proteins, carbs, and fats that your diet requires?
As you mentioned, you’ve introduced a much more demanding workout, and if your body is unable to handle it due to one of these factors (especially the food thing!) you won’t be able to keep up. Without proper food, and sleep, our bodies cannot repair themselves, even with rest days.
Otherwise, I can’t think of much. Perhaps bring the warm up down a bit, and see how you do with your previous routine. It could just be that you’re pushing yourself too hard, and as you’re stressed about your competition, maybe you just need to push yourself after your event, instead of before it! -
The CAR is one of my “nemesis moves,” because though I love it so much, I have never had a consistent one. It seems that every time I get it, something happens and I lose it- be it a hiatus from pole, or more recently, running and reducing the size of my thighs!
However, I do know this: Squeezing is one thing, but it’s more the rotation that will make a difference. Instead of trying to just squeeze your thighs together directly, see if you can rotate (or think about rotating) your knees in toward each other (and the pole) in order to make a better lock. Pushing with your feet out away from you can also give you a much better grip, as we are stronger that way than with just squeezing.
As for the transition from Plank to actual CAR, I want to say this: you shouldn’t be just dropping or falling back when you’re learning this move! Allow your hips to come close to the pole, round your back, point your feet upward, until you are really confident with the lock of your legs in the position you would be in if you were doing a full CAR, but without your head pointed down! You can even practice this from the floor, by locking up your legs and doing a sit UP, rather than a release down.
Both of these ways will let you get used to the feeling of the pole between your legs in this way, and let you gain a bit more confidence.
Good luck 🙂 -
I do miss Friday chat, but anytime I’m not working/able to get online, it’s always “finished,” and there’s no one online. I think it’s mainly my timezone- everyone seems to be located on the east coast!
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I’m with Calipolepixie- I’d love to have Eva Bembo’s fluidity!
But, sadly, I’ll probably never make it to a class like this, being that I live in a tiny town in Canada 😉 I’ll just have to make it up on my own!
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I agree with Veena, and I’ve been using her step-and-sweep method for pretty much every single invert I’ve ever done. Some people just progress slower with certain moves, and the basic invert is one of those I don’t take to easily. This is pretty much the ONLY way I can get my rear up there!
Jumping, also, can cause a heck of a lot of impact on muscles that aren’t ready for it. If you jump, you’re essentially transferring all of that momentum up, and into your shoulders. It stops there, with quite the jolt. This can strain, and even tear muscles… and is, for me, not an effective method of getting up anyways! I’ve never been able to jump my feet up over my head.
It’s really unfortunate that your studio is so ambiguous with their wording. Perhaps you should speak to them about it? -
As with the others, I have very long legs, and nearly no flexibility. I think Veena’s right, in that longer legs can create an illusion of flexibility when it may not be there, or greater flexibility compared to someone with shorter legs.
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Spicyjc3655, I could totally see where you’d get a bruise like that! I know I’ve had a pinch or two in that area… and this is one my favourite moves!
Best think I could suggest is to make sure that your straightened leg is pointing upward before you go for the laying back part of the move. Get your legs in position first, leg your bum come down toward the pole, so that you’ve got most of your weight in that inner knee area. Then you can lay back, and you’ll have everything set up so you’re not pinching when your weight changes. -
Pole dancing really works all areas of the body, with almost all of the muscles, so any exercises would be good! I think a lot of people focus much on upper body strength (shoulders and arms), but the core is extremely useful, and our thigh muscles, and calf muscles, are also used often, though we may not think about it!
If ever I go to the gym, though, I try to focus on areas I know are weaker on my body. That would be triceps, lats, shoulders (like, deltoids). So, you can determine some of the areas you’d like to work on, and focus on those sorts of exercises 🙂
