[Saeth]

Hello ladies.
First of all I’m so sorry for just vanishing. I’ve been having an awful time with my health and that of my mother’s who is in a terribly stressful situation. As a consequence I slacked off on poling and also my stretching. I will begin again tomorrow and try to have some actual progress pictures at the end of April.

It was so lovely to see all your photos and comments and ladies still joining in. It’s really inspiring and ignited the fire back within me and I hope to journey alongside you all again. Keep at it everyone, and remember even if you drop off, you can always start up again!

[Saeth]

I have a kidney infection so I’m having to drop off any form of working out right now. I feel horrendous! I’m becoming best friends with my hot water bottle, painkillers and my bed. My pole is silently crying! Oh well, I’ll get back on track in a week or two 🙂

[Saeth]

lol Veena, don’t worry, we all have our moments! I was sat there for a few minutes trying to figure it out in my head.

Robyn thank you for reminding me about toe polish, I think I’ll do that to hide the nasty toes going on atm!

[Saeth]

Scarlet: It needs to be done when you’re very very warm. For this reason it’s recommended to do it after a workout though that’s not always practical. When first beginning limit it to once a week and I think it’s after 4 weeks, you can increase it to twice a week. I hope that helps 🙂

Lilfairie: oh gosh training with a bump 😀 Your journey will be very interesting!

It’s so exciting to see everyone joining in. I will do some training when I get home from class tonight, if I have the energy! It was a bit mad after all the Christmas and New Year madness going on and I didn’t get the sessions in that I wanted so I could increase two twice a week stretching. I’m still on the conditioning programme too so it’s been hard juggling rest days, activity and the resulting tiredness.

[Saeth]

Hi everyone,

I no longer kick into inverts. I’m stronger now and can invert without doing so which means I no longer need to worry about kicking the pole either! I stopped doing it when I found out online this is not how you should be taught and then my strength improved and so did my technique once I signed up to Veena’s lessons. I just cringe when my other class mates are told to do this. It’s just upsetting to be taught in a way that can hurt you because it’s not really what you want to pay for, is it?!

Veena: What do you mean by no heel hooking for inverts? In the invert video we’re told to hook the back of the heel with the leading leg, so are you talking about something different? Also, I’m nowhere near to anything fancy like half cartwheel so no worries there lol. Even though our teacher says we’re intermediate level I’ve confined myself to the beginner moves on here!

Lucca: I’m getting my shoulder/arm investigated by a sports massage therapist to figure out what’s going on. It’s not nerve pain, I don’t think it’s tendon either, it feels muscular. I think it’s because our classes have progressed too fast and we’re doing a lot of moves that involve hanging off the pole. There’s no mirrors and no instruction on engaging the upper body. Luckily it’s my last class with that school this week. I’ll be trying a new one to see if they’re any better. I hope they are or I don’t know where that’ll leave me :/

[Saeth]

I’m lucky that it doesn’t hurt anymore. The worst pain was the actual incident and it was a bit sore for weeks after which is pretty fortunate really considering it killed the nail! The problem with kicking, Noble, is that it’s a short cut to overcome something you’re not really ready for. There’s a slight question over my rotary cuff right now and this will have come from the teacher pushing the class too hard, too fast. We’ve been poling for the same amount of time. I totally hear you when you say you’re lacking strength. My core strength is pretty bad and so is my upper body. There’s plenty of things you can do to build yourself up rapidly and safely even without doing the proper move. Pole holds and knee tucks, for example, planks, shoulder presses. It’s just so easy to move too fast in poling. You and me are both paying the price for it, I think.

[Saeth]

I will be uploading my videos on a weekly basis, partly because I am still on the conditioning programme and trying to juggle it with 2 dancing classes this coming week. Also, I seem to be having an issue with my shoulder which I need to get checked out 🙁

Cazzz: If you use Windows you can rotate the video around on windows movie maker 🙂

[Saeth]

Tropicalpole gives great advice. When I first got my spinning pole I would nearly puke I felt so ill from it, so I know how you feel! I just kept doing very short and slow spins (much less than five seconds!), then would pop off, do something else, then back on again. I’m much better now 😀 Do watch your fluid and food level. I find that as soon as mine get even a bit lower than normal, I feel incredibly sick. Hang over with my knees on my hand sort of sick, it’s not very sexy lol

[Saeth]

This is really exciting. Great job girls, you’re all awesome! I really love having goals to work towards but it’s even better when others are involved 😀

[Saeth]

Funny this popped up. I just literally ripped both sleeves on my little bolero cardigan. Embrace the hulk, rawr! It doesn’t bother me, I love the kick ass feeling it gives me. I’m a strong believer in that your muscles have a natural limit according to your type 🙂 This particularly applies to us women. How long have you been poling for, Polereveur?

[Saeth]

I have some concerns about the elbow stand if this is challenge is meant to be do-able for beginners. This move can be quite challenging because of the required core strength and flexibility in the legs. Otherwise I think the list is perfect. There’s a great variety of moves. It’s really exciting 😀

[Saeth]

I love the idea of this, I’ll definitely take part in it. For me some of the moves will be new but I look forward to the challenge. Some ideas for pole moves:

cross steps
extended leg spin
knee spin
Pole hold hop

Will definitely need to use Veena’s terms and/or provide a picture of the move. There’s been quite a few mentioned here that I have no clue over!

[Saeth]

Happystace: I’m like you. I sit down a lot, most of it is due to health problems and I have the worst posture which I’m trying to correct. I also have the same personality but I’m really trying to be wise and sensible lol My love for poling is tempering any crazy ideas because I don’t want to be out for months!

Junie; You’re really not far off! I’m sorry to hear about the hamstring pulls but you raise a very valid point and that is;

Everyone must be gentle with their stretching and ultra warm! Pushing just that little bit more could really have catastrophic effects on your dancing, never mind the splits. This is why I’ve allowed a year, to take the pressure off and really focus on a positive, low risk journey. If you feel a stretch, it’s helping your muscles be more flexible even if it’s only a light or medium one. No need to do crazy risky stretching!

[Saeth]

Hello Furrd. I’ve heard that PsycheTruth on Youtube mentioned quite a bit if you don’t have Veena’s lessons. They seem pretty good to me, high quality and clear. She’s a dancer too, if I remember correctly. She has a number of stretching videos to help work towards splits. Just type in Splits Training. It’s important to listen to your body, don’t stretch until pain. Drink plenty! And after hearing what Lucca said about dislocated kneecaps put something under that knee too! You must be very warm before commencing training and you may find you have to wear heavier clothing and/or more layers than normal to keep warmth in as you’re quite still. Veena holds the stretches for 15 seconds and repeats them so they go; light, medium with a deeper stretch at the end. Her routines are about 25 mins long for each type of split. Veena also advises to stretch only once a week for the first 2+ weeks if you’re a beginner. This can be increased to twice a week. Rest days are vital or you can lose flexibility or risk injury that can put you out for many months.

Melody: Feel free to join at whatever point, you’ll be more than welcome!

Tblue: I feel you on the middle splits lol I was horrified about how far from the floor I was!

All: I think posting progress pictures about every month will work and it won’t overwhelm the thread too much. Also this way it’ll be easier to see the progress too.

[Saeth]

The quick lessons are awesome, Veena! What a great idea. I too would love to see chair lessons, I have quite a thing for chair dancing but often don’t know where to start.

[Saeth]

Oakmama: I used to receive physiotherapy for tightness in my leg muscles that caused grating kneecaps (ouch) and I had to hold the stretch for 30 seconds, switch sides, then repeat it at least 3 times on each side. If you are finding it very hard to hold a stretch I would ease off. I personally aim for a good stretch where my position is entirely stable and painless but still a challenge. If I can’t hold it for the required stretch time, I’ll back off. I personally find my muscles etc almost get “stuck” or sort of catch, resist or grate and this is a sign for me to ease up because straight after that comes pain! It’s a very small and subtle feeling but I’ve learnt to respect that. That’s my body giving little signs to guide my training 🙂 I’ve personally found holding for 30 seconds, then switching, rinse and repeat a good few times to be absolutely fine. This goes along with Veena’s technique of the first stretch being light, the next one being deeper, then the last being stronger and those are held for 15 seconds or more, typically.

Btw Lucca, dislocated kneecaps O_o I’ll upgrade my knee padding now, that’s really scared me! Also if your middle splits are a mess, mine are just a straddle 😀

Speaking of my splits, I got some pics. I laughed when I saw how bad my middle ones are, my respect for anyone who can do these went up 100%! The front with left leg extended was surprisingly straight especially compared to the right one, weird. Maybe I didn’t push that one as hard, I don’t really remember. Anyway this is my starting point after doing both split stretch videos by Veena;

Front split right leg extended: 10 inches from the floor
Front split left leg extended: 9 1/2 inches
Middle splits: 20 inches (lol!)

Thank god I’m not aiming for the middle splits this coming year O_o!

[Saeth]

Hi ladies, nice to see so many joining in! I can’t wait to see how it all turns out for us. We’ll make it so the finishing time is Christmas for the next split challenge 🙂 I haven’t started any work on splits as I’m doing the conditioning programme which finishes on the 2nd. I want to achieve the front splits, either side, I’m not bothered, splits are splits!

Lucca, this can absolutely be an accountability thread also. I’m pretty disciplined myself but unfortunately when I fall off the wagon I need about a hundred people kicking at me to get me going again lol.

Oakmama, maybe there are particular areas that are holding back the progress of your splits? Have you used Veena’s split videos, other things or a mixture of both? It would be worth trouble shooting what’s slowing your progress.

Epsilonte, no problem, better to focus on your healing right now 😀 Though how did you hurt *both* flexors?!

I’ll see if I can get some photos of my starting point tomorrow. I’m really excited and it’ll be even more fun and more encouraging knowing I’m not the only one embarking on this!

[Saeth]

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

Tamarind: Yes, using the roller definitely takes a lot of stamina and I don’t have much of that right now! I did think about getting the rumble but it was more money for me and some said it can be a bit intense for newbies. I might invest in one at a later point in 2015. I do however have a spiky massage ball that I love and it takes less effort.

Shoog; That little fondant roller sounds like a great idea. Is it plastic?

Polecat, I’ll definitely try the pillow and use my forearms more when I can, that’s easier for me and will toughen them up a bit for elbow stands also. I’ve taken a two day break and will try again tomorrow. I do find the process very rewarding and relaxing so I don’t want to give up 😀

[Saeth]

Hello Leea,

Runemist gives good advice!

I’ve been pole dancing for 5 months, once a week. I have huge gaps in my knowledge so I signed up to Veena’s lessons and started the 30 day take off programme with the goal to master the beginner moves before moving on. I have just got my own pole. Despite my patchy education and my extremely sedentary life I am making progress in strength and flexibility which is really encouraging.

My advice to you is this: start the 30 day programme. Start off gently first, maybe for the first two weeks before adding extra conditioning or maybe more practise of the beginner moves. I cannot stress enough that it is far better to progress slower with correct form, true confidence and knowledge of the move than to sacrifice even one of these for a “cooler” more advanced move. Pole dancing is a wonderful thing but it must be treated with a lot of respect. Not to scare you or anything but you can seriously hurt yourself through accidents or have injuries that can put you out for many many months, or it can be permanent. This can be caused by bad form, moving too fast, not listening to your body etc. Not only that, an accident can be enough to put someone off poling forever. You can’t come to any harm being too careful but you certainly can do if you’re not.

Listen to your body. Not only will you grow as a person in confidence and strength etc but you will or should become very in tune with your body. Listen to its cues. If you feel very sore, pained, tired, a bit flat, are hormonal, etc consider easing up or even stopping for a few days. Rest days are vital regardless and I’m a strong believer in that it helps your brain process what it has learnt. You can often go back to the pole and then bang, it clicks. My advice is watch all the intro videos regarding the 30 challenge, stretching, foam roller, conditioning, beginners etc multiple times. There’s a lot of info. Write down key points, it’s a lot to take in!

If you master your moves before learning more advanced ones you will dance better. You will be stronger, more flexible and more confident. You will actually progress faster. Of course there’s no harm in watching videos on the more advanced lessons, or other ladies here or famous dancers on youtube, but don’t rush to this point.

My house is very cold and so my pole, a chrome one, is slippery. I’m often cold too. I warm up intensely and then I grab a clean dry cloth and start to rub the pole, building up speed. I find it warms the metal up really fast and it holds it too. Bonus is that it warms me up even further! Cold pole = slips! Same for a cold you, excess sweat, lotions on the skin, and even dry skin.

Drink plenty, eat the best quality food you can afford, as unprocessed as possible. Get plenty of rest. Don’t focus too much on tricks but also just freestyle, let it go, relax, flow. Recording yourself can be extraordinarily helpful in helping you progress fast. If you get frustrated, stop, breath, practise something you know you can do. Always end on a good note. Sometimes it can take months to master a move so be patient!

You’re starting a great journey, you’ll be amazed at your progress!

[Saeth]

I have the 2014 45mm at home and yes the pole does need warming up. I have that problem in the studio as well the last few weeks because the temp has dropped. I’m not sure if that’s an Xpole there or not. I find that getting a cloth and rubbing the pole vigorously up and down is working quite well currently in my absolutely freezing house. Warms you up too! Just watch those shoulders/arms, may need to warm them up first 😀

[Saeth]

You aren’t kidding about it being a workout lol First few times that I done it I just flopped on the floor after and wondered whose bright idea was to inflict this torture upon myself!

Twingy just means not a constant ache but short slightly sharp pangs of pain that pass in seconds. My wrists and shoulders feel quite sore around the joints. I think what it is my upper body strength is so poor that I’m not supporting myself fully so my shoulders, arms and hands are experiencing a lot of pressure. I do watch my posture, my shoulders, core and spine and I don’t see any sinking or scrunching etc. I suspect also the muscles and tendons are very tight from a lot of PC work so the angle at the wrist is also acting as a stretch. I did try the fist thing but it didn’t make much difference. I’m just a weakling! I’m going to half the amount of rolls I’m doing and try to do more resting in the positions. Regardless anyway I think my arms had been feeling a little sore the last few weeks. It could be the cold that has kicked in and it takes a lot more for those muscles to be limber. I had problems with the muscles in my forearm going tight the last few lessons.

[Saeth]

I’m so sorry to hear of this news. There isn’t much one can say other than to enjoy the time remaining with your mother. Be kind to yourself also. You are starting a new chapter in your life and it’s important to show yourself some kindness to help you through it. Wishing you and your mother as much quality time together as possible, strength and peace.

[Saeth]

Yay! Glad to hear you’re feeling better within yourself. I bet you’re super excited to get back to it again. I started the 30 day challenge too, just done the 3rd day. It’ll be a challenge maintaining it through Christmas but I really want it done by the time I join another studio which starts on the 8th of Jan. Hopefully this will keep me on schedule. I hope it goes well for you!

[Saeth]

Thanks everyone for the feedback, it’s helped me realise that yes, as I suspected, I was over extending. I have gone over the videos a lot and I understand it in my head as well as when I’m doing the exercises against the wall. I think the challenge for me is feeling this while “in action”. I’m ok preparing for a move, invert for example, but I’m not sure if I’m actually applying it while doing something. With no mirrors in the studio it is hard to see and I can’t count on my teacher to help me with it. We haven’t been told that over extending is bad, quite the opposite, I’ve heard “reach up high as you can” so many times! Now I’m having to break that habit. I’m making changes and it’s funny because now my back and shoulder muscles ache after poling. It’s that good “I’ve used these muscles” ache. Before I was “dead hanging” in class and had a different type of pain and my upper back rarely ached.

With the combination of everyone’s suggestions I’m a bit wiser and I understand it clearly. I just need to try and ensure I’m applying it while actively poling. It could be worse, I could have learnt about this 5 years down my pole journey instead of nearly 6 months.

Now, I’m going to lie on the floor and say hello to my scapulars again!

[Saeth]

Just to clarify, I’m not asking specifically for the performance climb but for general poling 🙂