[Shellectra]

Oo how come? The injury happened from a stupid aerial invert which im never doing again – inverting but without feet touching the floor to begin with.  twisted grip is very comfy for me and it was the arm/side that isn't twisted that got injured

[Shellectra]

Thanks girls, I feel a bit better now.  No more trying to hold myself up then and I'll just do my stretching and pilates for a few weeks instead 🙂

nymph i didnt know you can get non reverable nerve damage, yikes! How did it happen? I didn't really know nerve damage was that serious really, maybe cos mine is very minor (no pain at all, was tingling in the whole arm and muscle twitching initially, but now only a funny feeling in the forearm a few times a day).  I will be good and not touch the pole then cos i dont want further damage! I went to the physio agian today and shes changed my nerve exercise so that I target the median (i might have that wrong) nerve cos I've fixed the ulna one.

I didnt think slightly pulling a muscle in your shoulder/back area could cause al this!  poling isnt all safe hey, at least I can pilates safely LOL

[Shellectra]

rephrase: rushed to the er.  not ran as my leg would be unfunctional lol

[Shellectra]

If its causing you THAT MUCH pain it sounds really serious?? I would have ran to the ER

[Shellectra]

@PowerTwirl, I set the Background Eraser tool to black and trace around, I use a smaller sized brush when near the outline of the body for all the nooks and crannies and small areas, and make my brush huge to black out the surrounding areas – that last bit is the easy part! It takes me about half an hour per pic cos I'm a perfectionist hehe

[Shellectra]

I just use adobe photoshop to edit and enhance my pics, and most of all black out the background 🙂 I can do a few of yours if you want black backgrounds!

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Thanks so much for that Amy!!! I will try what you said 🙂 And Veena thanks heaps that stretch looks perfect!

[Shellectra]

I wear human hair clip in extensions all day every day!! I only take them out for bed, and have done so for 8 yrs 🙂 I buy mine from http://www.headkandy.com they are the best!

[Shellectra]

joyful – Not much tarnish at all on mine, a small fingerprint sized area at the very top of the pole and a few dots about waist height, so really not much tarnishing at all!

chwenny – i live in australia so I got mine off the australian xpole website 🙂

[Shellectra]

I'm guessing the pain will go away the more you've done the move.  Elbow grip is a very comfortable aysha grip for me now, I used to get bruises from it but I can do a dozen in a row now and get no inner elbow or arm bruises at all!

[Shellectra]

Grip is SO much better!!!!!!!! I wipe the pole down maybe twice max in an hour-1.5hr session with some glass cleaner on a cloth and it gets the grip back for me, but otherwise I barely slip, and if I do it's cos my hands are suddenly sweating (they seem to get sweaty if I think about a move too much and get nervous LOL)

I AM SO HAPPY I got my brass xpole!!!!!! it's so much better to use than a chrome one for me 🙂

[Shellectra]

I'm thinking maybe when it tarnishes? I have some on the top of my pole, a little area of blackening, but otherwise it looks really clean so I haven't used brasso on it yet

[Shellectra]

oh really peace! I've always used glass cleaner oops.. i need to get me some rubbing alcohol actually!

joyful – yep your right the base and dome are not brass!! i am guessing titanium gold? its a shinier, more slippery metal.  cheap hey!!!!!! its okay though i was annoyed at first about the base and adjuster cover being not brass cos my lower hand in upside down holds sometimes holds the adjuster cover but I don't seem to slip 🙂

[Shellectra]

thanks mizvix!!!! they may take me more time with more arms and legs in the shot but I can let you know if they are okay to do! email them if you like and i'll take a look 🙂

[Shellectra]

I've only used glass cleaner on my brass so far (its a 2 week old brass xpole) but to be honest it doesn't really need a wipe down cos its so grippy! After I use Brasso on it, does anyone know if glass cleaner will cut through the residue that Brasso might leave on? Or do I need rubbing alcohol?

[Shellectra]

Ahh yes I get what you mean!! I've never had muscle tone that low down so I'm kinda excited! It's not that painful, I can just feel it when I bend in a certain way but its a good post-workout pain 🙂

[Shellectra]

Thanks guys! If anyone wants the background of their pole pic/s blacked out I can do it just email me at mailto:shellectra@gmail.com i love doing it 🙂 I can do any color background really!

[Shellectra]

Thank you 5 butterflys!!! Yes you can achieve a lot with a home pole, and the lessons on here were just what I needed!! My strength has increased sooo much, my biceps are huge LOL.  And yes please email me pics and I can black out the background/s for you, I love doing it and dont get sent many so email me 🙂 The one tip I have is let your body rest for a day or 2 in between poling sessions, especially when you start getting into split grip and inverted moves.  I find resting up well prepares me for the next practice and I avoid injury that could happen if I over pole.  It's hard to rest, cos I feel I will 'forget' moves but I think sometimes its better the longer you put between a move if your having trouble with it!

[Shellectra]

ps they are not the most attractive tg handsprings but hey my firsts! 🙂

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Well I got the TG handspring!!!!!!!! I'm still in a bit of shock, I put a video up if anyone wants to see! I think my hands are higher than they could have been, but that means I'm lifting up into it / using strength right? So happy!!!

Now to get the damn split grip balance..

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True, lets not give up!!! I gave up on my cartwheel mount for a month or more cos I was getting nowhere and it felt inpossible and now I get my feet over my head every time (just had to straighten it up properly to call it a success) so not giving up and trying trying must be the key

[Shellectra]

ohhhhh  I can't do an Aysha in regular split grip, can you?? I try to and feel a constant gravity pull on the side I would usually dismount on and I can't balance at all I just come down 🙁 Whereas in TG my aysha is incredible, Ir eally want the regular split grip though 🙁

For those who went from TG from an invert to succeeding in handspringing or lifting up with TG, how did you do it? What exercises should I do to further strenghten my back and arms so I can do a TG handspring from the ground?

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I know its very amazing! One day hey 🙂 Is it aysha in TG you can't balance in?

[Shellectra]

I can't at all hold a split grip from an invert, i just fall right down and can't balance (unless I kick up by a cartwheel mount and I can hold for a bit then)

TG from an invert I can hold forever and can go from straight edge to jackknife to aysha, playing around with my legs and its quite comfy.  i'm working on holding out away from the pole eventually leading to an iron x one long day away

[Shellectra]

It's FAR more grippier than chrome!! I would call it a 'dry pole' cos thats how it feels lol! I think I have to get used to it and how to move on the pole cos I still cling too hard (expecting to slip) and so I 'pinch' skin on my legs etc by overcompensating.  Still muuuuch better! If my hands sweat enough though I still slip a bit, but thats my stupid hands. 

Another WEIRD thing I have noticed is I don't slip down the pole at all cos it's so grippy, but when in an elbow grip, forearm grip or twisted grip my lower hand slips AROUND the pole wtf? As in the direction you would spin in, so I get into my position and about to get my legs off and my hands slowly slip to the left or right and I can't find my balance sometimes cos I'm 'moving' lol! Something I'll have to get used to, but still relieved I ain't slipping towards the floor I guess!