Runemist34
Forum Replies Created
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Hey there!
I’ve been poling for about 5 years… but I’ve not been really dedicated to it until about early December, so… I’m still working on some of my basics 😉
I love it, and I’ve been poling at home for a really long time. No classes in my area, and SV has been the best resource I’ve ever encountered!
I was “at my heaviest” about two years ago, and since then I’ve lost about ten pounds… and several inches. Please don’t EVER use your weight as a scale of fitness! You might weigh the same, but you sure won’t look the same! 😉
What kind of pole did you decide to get? -
Have you been off-pole for a while? Are you paying close attention to how you’re gripping with your legs? Is it perhaps due to the cold, preventing you to get a good grip with the skin of your legs? Have you been training your legs particularly hard and perhaps your muscles are fatigued?
I’ve found the cold problem to be a big one for me 😉
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I visualize so far out of my range that I occasionally question whether a human could actually do the things I think of. Seriously!
I am not terribly good at integrating more powerful, strength-using moves into my freestyle, so that’s why I try to choreograph my dancing around those moves, so that I can get used to the feel of them, the way they might work with the music, and transitions into and out of them. I don’t have a lot of choreography made up right now, but when the holidays wind down, I’ll be doing more 🙂
I have a couple of songs that I’ve reserved till I can “do them justice,” because I consider them to be incredible, emotionally powerful songs, and they mean a lot to me… dunno if I’ll ever get to dancing them though 😉 -
Welcome to SV!
My pole year was… actually really awesome! I got a lot of new moves, and I’ve gotten a lot stronger and much more dedicated 🙂 -
I also love my SV pole! It does, also, make “the noise,” but it’s really getting less noticeable as I dance on it. At this point I’m not sure if it’s me, if the noise is just going away, or if it just fits better in my current place.
I love the grip, I love the colour, and I love the diameter (which took some getting used to!). Best Pole Ever 🙂 -
I’ve really noticed that my own hair grows to different lengths, no matter how hard I try to keep it the same. I’m trying to grow my hair out very long, and I started very short- just reaching shoulder length, though it’s longer when wet (my hair is quite curly).
At this point, I have one part of my hair that is much shorter than the rest, on the top, so it likes to frizz out and make me look like I’m from the 80’s. It’s not a great look, so I do my best to tame it. At other times, I get what I call “triangle head,” where my hair only has volume at the bottom. It’s… great (eyeroll).
However, I did some research about hair breakage and growing it out long. Specifically, as long as you aren’t creating a lot of tension on one particular area (the kind that would be painful after a day of wear, let’s say), you won’t have any problems! I know that I tend to pull my hair back pretty tight, and I’m learning to loosen up, because it hurts after a while.
…I really need a trim, too 😉 -
I’m also needing more arm strength 😉 There are a lot of body-weight exercises you can do with your pole, too, that help! Veena has them in the lessons.
I do some freeweight training, usually for triceps and biceps. I suck at shoulders (particularly the deltoids), but I’m getting there.
Koidragon: Can you link me some pictures/descriptions/videos to those training moves you described? I’m so out of the “fitness land” loop that things like “Light sabers” make no sense in my brain as an exercise! lol -
Messing up in front of an audience is definitely every performer’s fear- I’ve done it before, though not necessarily on the pole. Most of my screw-ups, though, I’ve recovered from during the performance, and it helped me get past some of my fear of screwing up in front of people. It remains a pretty big fear of mine, though.
I think part of this is the “get back on the horse” mentality. Most people have this interesting, subconscious idea that they just won’t get hurt. I notice this a lot in the difference between how I view people and how others view people- other people believe that, if someone gets mad at them, there’s this… invisible line that others won’t cross between verbal abuse and physical abuse. I do not have this line, as it was crossed when I was a kid- another kid attacked me. I still have a strong fear of people because of this, but I can’t really avoid other humans, so I have to deal with it.
However, I harboured that fear, and my anxiety (or PTSD, as the counsellors say) for a very long time before I even had the courage to say that I had a problem. It festered, and my fears became worse with the fuel from my imagination.
So, my recommendation is to GET BACK ON THAT POLE, because you’ll prove to yourself, slowly, that you can keep doing it, and that you will not necessarily be hurt if you do. You could take precautions, like learning techniques to save yourself if you slip out of any position- it CAN be done.
I’ve fallen from the pole from a CAR, actually the first time I ever tried it. I’m now slowly practicing that move again- I love it so much, it’s so graceful when done right! So, I’m gonna keep plugging away, and prove to myself that I’m not gonna get hurt from it again.Um, sorry that was so long 😉
TL;DR: Recognize that this is a sport and injury can happen. Get back on the pole and don’t let your fears take over your love for it!
And as for the embarrassment… I think that no one, ever, will laugh at you for something like that! -
I had previously started this one, but couldn’t continue (moving really did a number on me!) but… I’m gonna start up again! Yeah!
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I do some weight training when I can (nothing major, though, I don’t do conventional gyms), I also do a lot of rock climbing- that definitely helps! Grip strength, shoulders, chest, back, and legs. It’s an awesome workout.
I’ve also been sort of waiting for the weather to get a little better (Please please please!) so that I can go outside and start hooping again… and spinning my staff, and my poi! I’m not sure if they’ll help with pole, but… it’s movement and I consider that a good thing.
I’m hoping to get into yoga soon, too! -
Well, as much as my glutes are feeling some of the pain, it’s mostly located in my outer quads, which are the muscles that should be pulling my legs outwards in the first place… they just apparently don’t like to do it? They’re fine until the going get’s tough and I’m trying to go just that little bit further into the splits. :/
At this point, I’m shuffling my legs back with my arms. It works, but I’d rather be a bit more… uh, graceful 😉 -
I would say to practice the arm placement, and taking your weight, on static first, and then transitioning into spin. The momentum could throw you off, and I think if you haven’t got an awesome hold, it might pull on something you don’t like.
From the video, I’d say her shoulders are very strongly engaged and she’s creating tension by pulling her back into the pole with her arms. Top arm has the hold on the inner elbow, but the bottom arm is on the bicep and the inner forearm. Sort of like the difference between a knee pit hold on an outside leg hook, and the thigh/calf hold for an inside leg hook 🙂
That spin looks AWESOME, but I can only imagine the crazy core strength needed! -
I can look into the magnesium, though I’m pretty sure that is included in my “meal supplement” that I take every morning (though not as an actual meal supplement).
Foam rolling I do on occasion… for the thighs, it’s either very difficult, because I can’t get myself close enough to the ground to actually rest my inner thigh on the foam roller, and on the outside, it hurts like the dickens. It REALLY hurts. So… that’s why I only do it on occasion. -
No insult taken! 🙂 And I tend to miss some internet slang! lol
Thank you 🙂 -
Also, that video… is way too advanced for me! I don’t quite have the flexibility for a full bridge yet, let alone something like a scorpion. I’m still working on my chest/elbow/shoulder/hand stands, too. They kind of freak me out.
This is often what I find. Even with Veena’s back flexibility routine, some of them are just impossible for me, because I can’t put my leg all the way back behind me, yet!
I’m going to review some more stretches, though. I suppose it makes sense that I would have more stretches for my back, just like I have more for my hips and legs. -
Thank you! I’m always doing lots of stretches for the rest of my body (splits, arms, shoulders, hips, calves…), but that was the only one for my actual back. I’m pretty adamant about doing my core strength exercises, too, and I’m very aware of pushing myself too far in a stretch… I’ve done it before (not with my back) and it SUCKED. Never again.
Forgive me but… what’s a “dh”? -
Robinb- totally agree with you! My boobs are about the same size (I’m a bit smaller around the waist, though), so… it really is very hard to find pole clothes. Especially cute or sexy ones! I suppose I sort of see bathing suits as “socially acceptable underwear,” in that if you changed the material slightly, it WOULD be underwear, so that’s why I asked. 🙂
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Is a bathing suit considered “underwear”? What would you say if you were teaching someone like me, who couldn’t find any “proper” pole clothes?
I’m curious 🙂 Definitely something we need to think about -
I think it’s sort of a hard conversation to have… especially when it comes to pole dancing. A lot of people don’t like to think about, or point to the “stripper” side of things, or the roots of where pole dancing has come from, and they try very hard to get away from that. It can also stem from a lot of fear or rejection, because some of us still get the “Oh, so you’re a stripper now?” kind of reaction from the people we tell.
However, you could also make an excellent argument that people’s bodies are built differently- I may not need to wear super short shorts to get the grip I need from some moves, where someone else may actually need the kind of grip they get from their lower bum area, thus needing shorter shorts than I do. When getting into more advanced moves, it becomes very important to wear less clothing. Have they also considered the fact that, as a larger chested woman, I cannot find a top that shows my belly and fits my boobs? I’m sure there are a lot of women like me. I would basically have to come in a bikini top, or perhaps sew my own tops (not an option for many people), or just wear my bra.
Besides, you could be fully clothed, and still look like a “stripper” when you dance, due to the way you dance, and the things you’re doing with your face and hands. You could look totally athletic while also actively removing clothing, or wearing nothing at all. One could argue that our much-loved platform shoes are too “stripper-ish,” and ban those, even though a lot of women love the look of them, not for sexual reasons, but for how they make our legs look, how tall we feel wearing them, and their fantastic designs.Like I said, it’s not an easy thing to discuss, but I think you also bring up some excellent points about what women’s empowerment can mean for a lot of people (as in, for some of us, it’s connecting to our sensuality), and what it means to feel shame around our bodies, and try to cover them up.
I think it’s an important conversation to have, and that Pole as a community and as a hobby is really challenging a lot of the previous notions around women, their bodies, and their strength, in all ways- physically, mentally, sexually. It all depends on what you’re looking for, and what you need. -
Monicaspoleworld: I would die of fangirling too hard. I would be totally over-the-moon excited to meet one of those guys… just as I am totally excited to meet anyone who I can share pole with!
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I’m for it. I think that people are people, it doesn’t really matter what it is you’re doing- women can be just as creepy as men when it comes to anything sexy.
I think that, as a good compromise, you could offer all three: Men only, Women only, and co-ed, so that people have a choice. If you don’t get much interest for one of the types, you could ask about blending them into the co-ed class instead, or offer private lessons at a slightly reduced rate (they would probably need fewer classes, too), so that everyone could still learn and pole.
I think someone that a lot of us don’t think about is the fact that each sex has something different to give, and to work on. Men DO have that raw upper-body strength, which has been proven to me time and again by my boyfriend and my roommate… but they don’t have a lot of that pain tolerance (which was, actually, proven on Mythbusters), and they don’t have the kind of lower body strength women have. They are also challenged by a different center of balance than women are (makes it easier for us to, say, sit on the pole without our hands).
I would love to have some guys around to enjoy pole with, as much as I would love to have ladies around!Like I said, everyone can get creepy about stuff like that. If someone is getting creepy vibes, you could always invite them to talk to you about it (if you’re instructing, of course). No one wants to be uncomfortable about being leered at just because they’re upside down, and their boobs are in their face.
Likewise, I’m sure a guy doesn’t want to be leered at when he’s wearing booty shorts. -
No problem! This is definitely a move I need to work on as well (it’s been a while since I’ve tried it), and writing out that stuff really helped me get it all back into my head 😉
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Really big thing for a lot of these kinds of moves (where you’re facing the pole and trying to lift your legs) is rounding your back. Your quads aren’t really strong enough to lift your whole leg, and neither are your hip flexors- they need help from your core! So, when you get your body into position, think of creating a C shape with your back, pressing away from the pole. This will help your core lift your legs, making them “lighter” for your other muscles.
You could also think of it as pushing your lady-bits up and forward, trying to point them toward the pole, or even toward the ceiling!
Otherwise, for the upper back and arm strength, you really need to make sure to have your shoulders in neutral position. Don’t let them lift up toward your ears or anything, and don’t bring them too far back. Your arms are using a push/pull mechanism, where your top arm is pulling hard against the pole, and your bottom arm is pushing against it.
Please, please be sure to keep at least your index finger of your bottom hand pointing toward the ground. If you try to wrap all of your fingers around the pole, you create a lot of twist in your wrist, and this can cause a lot of strain, and even injury. Be careful with your wrists!!
At first, you might just want to work on lifting your knees up, and not straightening your legs. Get the hand, shoulder and back position in line first. I really like to see this one as a kind of kick, anyways- knees come up, and then BAM you kick your legs out! Looks really awesome.
Greater flexibility in your hip flexors and toward the splits can also help to make this move look cool. Don’t worry if your legs seem like their pointing directly forward at first… the flexibility and strength will come 🙂 -
I’ve never even understood how to get into the remi sit! I would love to work on this one, too, but… my legs/feet never seem to want to get into it!
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I sort of see pole dancing like I do martial arts and tai chi- it’s a lifetime of being a beginner. You’ll always be learning, growing, changing, and making it new. It’s a creative art! I consider myself to be a beginner, and I’ve been dancing for a few years (though not consistently) now!
I do love these quotes, though. I didn’t know any of that about Natasha, and I’m suddenly inspired to check out her stuff!
