Runemist34
Forum Replies Created
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I might actually try this! I definitely find that I get into the routine of my own combos (or no combos at all!).
However, some of the names on here are ones I've not heard before… The "sword" for example, or the fairy step.
Perhaps you could provide some translations?
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Hey! Welcome to the forums!
I started out a little rough, and I understand how things go in the beginning- those first few spins take a lot of bravery! And a full hour on the pole is awesome! That's like, an entire regular workout for me!
My first, and possibly most important piece of advice for you: Do not ever compare yourself to someone else! Those ladies who can pull themselves up with just their arms, or do spins with one arm and their legs completely off the pole? They've been training hardcore for a loong time! Or, they have a dance/gymnastic background. Their bodies are ready for that kind of strain!
I've been dancing off and on for four and a half years- my longest "off" was 8 months. I've only just recently managed to get my basic invert! And I couldn't be happier. I'm going at my own pace, gaining muscle the way I do, and each small step is something to revel and rejoice in!
Your best resources are a local studio, and failing that, the Studio Veena website. I don't have a studio in town anymore, and this place has been amazing. I've learned so much from the lessons and videos, and the members here on the forum!
You can also try DVDs, such as Jamilla DeVille's Art of Pole series. They're really well put together, and have a (rather hardcore) conditioning section on each DVD.
Not all of us polers have amazing flexibility or strength, but we're here and we're still respected, because we love to dance and we love to share! We're all on our own, personal pole journey, and we can all understand that different people have different challenges! From health problems to mental blocks… we're all here to support each other, and not to compare!
I hope you have fun 🙂
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My longest "hiatus" from pole due to a rut was 8 months. I lost a lot of strength during that time, but my body still remembered what to do afterward!
Honestly, I'd say do dancing for warm-up, and then take the focus off it. See about doing some strength and flexibility training, or practicing certain moves because you know they'll improve one of those (strength or flexibility).
I really enjoy doing strength training, and am only just starting to enjoy flexibility… but I know now that when I don't particularly enjoy the dancing, the pole aspect, those are things I can still enjoy, and still benefit from! The endorphins at the end of a good workout also help to condition you to want to do it more 😉
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http://gymnastics.about.com/od/trainingadvice/ss/frontsplit.htm
http://gymnastics.about.com/od/trainingadvice/ss/centersplit.htm
I found these have helped. You can also get DVDs such as Aletheas, and Felix Cane's, both of which I have and find useful for both back flexibility and the splits.
This is one of the reasons you see so much discussion on here about attaining the splits, and about flexibility. It's a difficult thing and has to be maintained, and some people find themselves working against certain difficulties because of the way their body is made.
My one piece of advice from personal experience: Do NOT stretch as far as you can, regardless of pain, in order to achieve flexibility. This will actually reduce your flexibility and set you back way far! Reach till you feel a bit of discomfort, and stay there- count to ten and focus on relaxing your muscles. You may feel the discomfort release, or fade, and when it does, you can move a little farther into the stretch. 60 seconds (about a minute) is what I find best, but… some people wait for longer, and some don't need to go for as long. Just be careful and learn what works for you!
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Personally, I was doing the CKR before I knew about the Basic Plank! Not exactly good of me to not do my research 😉
I find the CKR to be quite easy- Nonflexy has a good point, that you can grip your foot and allow yourself to hold on to that, keeping your grip a little tighter. I do that! I'm trying to teach myself out of the habit now, though.
It was my very first "upside down" move, and I still love it 😉
Try it from the ground, first! Wiggle your way so that your bum is up off the ground and resting on the pole, and see if you can get your legs into position strong enough that you can do a sit up into it. I find that to be a really good way of knowing if your positioning is correct, BEFORE you get into the proper aerial stuff! And, it'll help build your core up so that when you do the move up on the pole and don't have the ground to push off from, you can get out of the move by sitting up out of it!
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I find that, as my thighs are one of the major parts my body prefers to keep fat, I have some of these issues.
The CKR is my preferred way to invert, currently, and there's a bit of a trick to it- place your ankle on your knee. Like, your knees shouldn't be close to each other! This way, they aren't getting in your way (and, depending on the thickness and length of your legs, could be helping out) and you can properly lean back, allowing most of your weight to rest on your lower leg (of your bent leg, obviously).
For the CAR… well, I managed to do it twice the other day while skyping with Krissikiki! This is quite a record for me! This was the ONLY move that I've ever fallen off the pole trying to do. It still scares me a lot, but I'm starting to understand it. You don't want to squeeze your legs super tight as you're leaning back… Cross your ankles and slowly allow your bum to drop, rounding out your back so that your feet start pointing toward the ceiling. Once you feel you've dropped as far back as you can while still holding on to the pole, then SQUEEZE! Turn your knees in toward the pole, clench your butt, and really try to get everything involved! Then, test it!
Take things slowly- seriously! I like doing things from the ground, first, and for these moves, doing a sit UP from the floor, rather than laying back into them. If you can sit up in these moves without the use of your hands for grip, then go from a low pole sit and see if you can duplicate it.
Us lades with lovely legs really CAN do these moves, you just have to adjust for your own body type. Not everyone is going to do everything exactly the same!
And, as a disclaimer, these are my own methods! You might find that the total opposite works better, or that something I haven't thought of comes into play for you. But… play with it. Adjust the height, start from the floor, see how far apart or close together things need to be to make it all work.
And yes… sometimes they hurt really bad 😉
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Floorwork is a great way to make your transition from a spin to the floor to standing up look good- it also is another way you can improve your flow, and strength.
Otherwise… well, you can always bring your feet together underneath you, and stand up butt-first (this looks especially good from behind 😉 ). You can take one step forward so that you are on one knee, and then try to glide your way up. You could also work on things like turns while on the floor, effectively getting you untangled from the pole and into a good position for standing…
I've also seen people use spins to get up!
Another thing you can do, if you have the space and ability, is try to land with your feet already on the ground, ready to go! Or, just as you are landing, use the momentum from the spin to stand up, still turning around the pole.
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Azriel, I'm happy that my post helped!
I'm actually doing an experiment today- see how many things I can get done in 8 hours (while my boyfriend is at work) and write down how long they take! I'm going to try to do lots- cleaning the house, quickly go over to the store to pick up some groceries, pole jam with KrissyKiki on Skype… see if I can fit in some prelimiary homework… All that stuff! I know how long work takes, so that's not really something I need to worry about 😉
But, since I tend to remember things really well when I write them down, I thought maybe I would re-teach myself about how time works, and how much I can actually get done in a day! It even leaves some time in the "evening" to hang out and relax. 🙂
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Lol, Veena, I'm not actually working out for 3 hours! That really is a LONG time! Generally 1 hour is what I get, but I spend the rest of the time either fretting or procrastinating, and relaxing and sitting afterwards.
I think you guys are right in that I'm overthinking things- I tend to do that when time is involved. I don't know what it is, but I simply cannot determine how long things take! I always feel like I have to spend a WHOLE DAY doing homework, or that if I have an 8 hour shift at work, I totally have no more time to do anything else (and then end up spending the rest of the day playing video games or staring at the TV or whatever). Both of these are totally incorrect!
I've really been thinking about starting your 30 day program! I don't have a foam roller, but I suppose I could spend that time working on some other things, such as my physio for my knees and shoulders 😉 I didn't realize that you explained the whys of things as well! That's really, REALLY helpful for me!
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Azriel, I really like your outlook on this one! You sound like me 😉
I like the idea of simply saying that I'll "check my progress" at a certain time, rather than trying to progress to a certain point. It actually puts a lot more emphasis on what's going on in the moment of it happening, rather than the thing you're doing it to get! I've been so… forward-oriented for a lot of my life, I find I don't enjoy a lot of things because I don't give them a chance. I don't seem to want to settle in and practice to get better… because I'm not focusing on the practice at all!
So… I'm gonna try that 🙂
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Oh, forgot to mention: How cool is it that you want to compete in the pro level of Miss Pole Dance Australia! Wow, what an amazing goal!
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Best advice I've heard, ever: Talk to him about it. Explain to him how important this competition is for you, and what you need to do to get into it. Tell him that this is something YOU need, and is something that you've wanted for a long time (if it is, I mean).
Sometimes the best thing you can do is really sit down and say "Hey, can I talk to you about this?" Personally, I find it admirable, and something I aspire to be more comfortable with doing.
A lot of people think of eating junk food and drinking as things to do "for fun," and if you flip that around… doing those things IS fun! So, it's entirely possible that he thinks you're depriving yourself of fun by not wanting to participate in drinking and eating junk food. He wants to have fun with you, help you feel good, and if that's his mentality (about drinking and junk food and fun) then he will encourage you to do those things!
If he's feeling jealous about your hobby, then, personally I think it's his responsibility to talk to you about it. However, obviously, you're picking up signals toward that, and you can certainly come right out and ask him if he is jealous! If not, then perhaps he just thought he was being more supportive by sending you texts while you were away, or perhaps he misses you.
I find, with my boyfriend, that when he does his hobbies, I do mine. We balance out really well in that way. We also live together, so it's a bit easier to figure out times when we are going to do those things and not "hang out" together. But, you could always work out a way of telling him that you'll be working on your dancing, and he can feel free to work on whatever he would like to, without any kind of guilt! Because, that's what we all want 😉
If I'm a little off, I'm sorry. I know that there was a lot of guilt around my own hobbies and things in my last relationship, and we never talked about it, because when I tried, all we did was fight. It sounds like you're in a much better situation, though 🙂
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Welcome to the site!!
It really sounds like you've done your research, and that is AWESOME. Lots of respect on that one!
As far as I know, neither brass nor TG should "rub off," and I've technically never heard of such a thing happening… Though if I'm wrong and this does happen, I'm sure someone will correct me!
I've never danced on anything other than SS, and personally, I love my SS a lot! I've sort of poked a powder coated pole (as in, nothing major, just tested and saw how it was cold), and I find those extremely grippy. I've also heard a LOT of complaining that Brass is very slippery! However, all of these things can be affected by how cold/warm your pole is, and how humid it is in your area. I've also heard that Brass is better when cold, but unfortunately… this only lasts for a short time, because as you dance, your pole will warm up!
Your weight should not be any kind of problem! I'm generally about 165-170 lbs, and I've had no issues at all. I've had friends over doing some tricks, and be they more or less weighty than I am, they never seem to manage to pull my pole down. As long as it's properly installed, of course 😉
As for PS versus Xpole… that IS the question, isn't it? I think they're about the same. I've heard a lot of arguments for and against each, and honestly… I think it comes down to what you, personally, prefer in your pole. They're made to be high quality, and there are only so many options, so… you're going to get a lot of overlap!
As for shoes… definitely look at Pleaser and Ellie brands. I have a pair of Ellie's that are seriously true to size, they fit perfectly, and they are fantastic. I don't get sore feet in them, even if I wear them around the house for like, two hours! I will say this though: Dancing in shoes is a very different experience, and can be REALLY hard if you don't have your moves down really well. I'd say getting shoes isn't something that needs to happen right away.
That's about all I can answer though 😉 Again, welcome to the site, and I hope you have lots of fun here, and with your dancing!
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I currently use my Lil' Mynx SS (not a rotator, but perhaps someday I'll be able to convert it to one!) on hardwood floors, without the pad thing. I never actually got one! I've not had a problem. Linoleum is also fine, and carpet is really good, because the feet sink in and it takes a LOT of strength to move that thing!
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Aww! Yay! You guys are so sweet! Happy Anniversary, and I hope everything just keeps getting more and more awesome 🙂
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Happy New Year to everyone! My year of 2012 was… strange and life-changing, and I hope that this year will continue along the new track that I've set in place!
And, I hope that everyone else has a wonderful 2013!
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Beautiful! Could one technically get the same moves with this Flygym thing? It seems to have a similar setup (though not quite as long…)
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Curiously, both the Pole2Pole link that Chem put up, and the Google Safe Browsing link that Jasmin46 put up are giving me 404 error codes.
After some investigation, it seems that the Vertical Art and Fitness website (for the Vertical Magazine) have been infecting people's computers with Trojans, according to Google. Two reported instances within 90 days. It says three of the pages have trojans on them, and four different types. Not quite sure how that works- it's poorly worded.
It's likely that a "third party," such as a hacker, got into the website and placed their own trojans in it.
Google is attempting to protect you, and depending on your operating system, you may have to be careful. A Mac will not allow programs to install without your express permission- I'm not actually sure how Windows 7 works about that… but I'll be finding out soon! *excited*
Anyways, if you browse carefully, and just put the actual URL into your browser, you should get there and be able to order your magazine no problem!
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You could also just say "dancing," and leave the Pole out of it. Technically, it is correct, and it may help those British Bakers be a little more accepting.
But… I am with everyone else! List it however you feel describes what you do best, and be yourself! I always think that people are going to figure it out eventually, so why not just be right out in the open about who you are and what you're about? 😉
I wish you lots of luck! I also looove baking!
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I totally didn't make it- my motivation just died as winter set in. However, I still have the intention to keep working at it! As I get back to dancing, I shall also get back to stretching. Splits for anytime are still good splits!
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It shows on the website that two eye hooks screw into the ceiling!
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Wow, this looks awesome! I might have to look into one of these, too!
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Sarcastic yay for seasonal affectiveness disorder (also known as SAD!).
In the northern west coast, where I live… we don't often get snow. We just get rain and clouds, rain and clouds… I haven't seen the sun in almost a week! And before that, probably two weeks. It gets tough!
I've not been poling or doing much of anything lately… just dragging myself to work and then back home, staring at the computer. Ugh!
I do find, however, that Byrdgrrl is right- once you get going, you can keep moving! That's the tricky bit for me. I actually find bundling up and going for a quick walk (to the grocery store, more than likely) is pretty good for me.
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Welcome to the site!
Generally, anything of that price is going to be a very bad deal. Likely poorly made, and not anchored correctly, so they may put you in some very real danger if you were to put your weight entirely on them. I've heard horror stories of poles flexing to the point of coming apart (as they happened to go together in sections without locking), or simply falling down upon people. I would hope very much that no one was in a vulnerable position when on one of these poles when they fell apart.
Best bet would be to find a studio with open pole hours, and also to save up some money (especially if you already have $150!) and get a good quality pole that won't put you in danger! Xpole is sold here on this site, and is a great pole. Platinum Stages and Lil Mynx are also great brands- I have a Lil Mynx stainless steel, and have had it for over four years. It's never let me down once!
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Sorry Firebird, but I had to laugh at this little "outing" thing that this other woman did!
I can't believe what some lengths some people will go to in order to create drama! Oh man! And for them to think that you'll feel insecure about your dancing. I bet they were hoping that you'd stop and they could all keep teasing you because you were shy and worried about what they'd think.
And, honestly, I sure hope that's not the case! Keep on going, girl! It sounds like you have a fantastic relationship and a busy life full of amazing things! You're doing GREAT and if anyone tells you otherwise, they should probably be looking inside, rather than at everyone else!
