[chimponaut]

I had the same thing happen almost a year ago. Two days before my competition my doubles partner and I were sneaking in a quick practice before work. I fell out of a move I could do in my sleep. I tucked my head but fell from 6 feet and shattered my collarbone and got a severe concussion. I assumed it was from overtraining but after 8 months of still having headaches I went to see a neurologist who discovered that I actually have epilepsy. He thinks i got it from my first concussion many many years ago. Long story short, after my fall I had surgery to repair a severed tendon in my arm and then had a metal plate put in to fix my collarbone. It’s been a long hard road to get back to feeling strong again. I have so much fear now and no longer trust my arms. Before I never thought twice about crazy drops or moves. Now I get nervous doing anything upside down or high above the ground 🙁

[chimponaut]

Check out North Shore Pole Fitness 🙂

[chimponaut]

I do a doubles routine and both of us have hectic schedules so we prefer to do the showcase as opposed to competing!

[chimponaut]

No, I did Supershag last year and will be doing it again this year. There was one girl that I met from Washington (state) and quite a few people from New York and North Carolina. 🙂

[chimponaut]

I sure do!! I've been teaching there since March. I only work Friday nights though. But if you let me know in advance when you want to go I can find someone to watch my kiddos and come in on a Saturday 🙂

[chimponaut]

And Mechie…..if you ever have the time to take a class at Boston Pole I can work on twisted grip with you 🙂

[chimponaut]

I've been teaching since March of this year and I teach at both a pole studio and a circus school. I have a full-time job as a research scientist  and work 8-4 (and finishing up my PhD). As of Jan, I will be teaching at a local university during my lunch breaks and I should add that I have 2 young kids and do both pilates and yoga twice a week as well so busy busy! At the pole studio, I am down to just 1 day a week and teach two 75min back to back classes and at the circus school I teach one class that can be anywhere from 1-3 hours. I found that I have very little time to work on progressing myself so I have to schedule times and force myself to stick with it. The easiest way for me to do that is to go in before I teach and play around for awhile.

[chimponaut]

Yeah….glad someone else likes Loveage….and thanks I just realized I wrote  stroker ave instead of ace…oops!

[chimponaut]

I started with pole and found other aerial arts afterwards. I also do silks, Lyra, Chinese pole and just recently started doing aerial/acro pole.

[chimponaut]

Yes message me the name as I’m just curious as the place I started at taught me improper technique and after intermediate I was teaching my instructor =\ Also, I’ll fill you in on the details of the pole jam 🙂

[chimponaut]

A few months into pole dancing I tried to fan kick into a lady sit and let’s just say I didn’t have the arm strength to slow myself down and ease into the lady sit….I full on bashed into the pole =\ It hurt so bad I forgot about doing that move until a few months ago!

[chimponaut]

@mechie where do you take lessons? Just out of curiosity as I started my lessons out that way (used to live in Rutland). And just as an FYI if you check out yoga direct on eBay you can get a good deal on a crash mat. I think they were like $250 or BO…and I won mine for $200 and they are located in Hartford, CT so I drove down to get it and saved an additional $50 on the shipping 🙂 And if you’re interested there is a pole jam at D~L in Worcester on May 21st!

[chimponaut]

I use the five fingers for Chinese pole…never thought to use them for pole! They might be a bit difficult to do “dancey” moves in as they have great traction (hence being great for Chinese pole). Not to mention they feel funny until you get used to them. I love using the sock undies!!!!

[chimponaut]

Thanks for your advice!!! And yes it is an old injury (about 8 months or so). Ironically the thing that hurts my elbows the most is holding my youngest son. He is very strong (and turning 2 on Thursday) so he tends to fight being held and almost immediately after holding him my arms hurt for the rest of the day. I find the days I do anything aerial they hurt a lot less as I am aware that I am "using" them so I do a few of the stretches my dr actually showed me (before,during and after), take motrin and ice etc. It's just the "rest" days when I am doing my every day activities that I find that I tend to slack as, I am not as aware of how much I am using them or when until it's to late! I guess I will have to start paying more attention to what I do on my rest days and make sure I follow through and stay consistent on those days as well 🙂

[chimponaut]

Thank you soooo much for the advice Veena!!! I've been so frustrated as my ortho has been sort of back and forth on what I should do. I definitely feel much better when using my arms then when letting them rest so I was wondering what strengthening exercises I could do. I have signed up for a year of your lessons so I will definitely start right on the ones that you suggested!!! As for the heat, how often do you recommend that I use heat and for how long? And with the massage are you actually massaging the actual tendon?? I have tried that and it really hurts so do I continue and over time it hurts less? Thanks again 🙂

[chimponaut]

🙂

[chimponaut]

Has anybody tried this with success??? I have bad "tennis" elbow in both arms and so far cortisone is not working and my dr is considering surgery 🙁 I am trying to avoid that at all costs but I am a pole and chinese pole instructor and do aerial silks and lyra so I definitely over use my arms but I am also good about stretching, icing etc. And ironically both my arms hurt more when I am carrying my youngest son then when I pole!

[chimponaut]

Could also be tendonitis….I have it in both elbows and sometimes the pain radiates up into my bicep. A lot of people who do various sports in which you use a tight grip (bat, club….or a pole!) develop it =/

[chimponaut]

Hey Audball!! I am Vanessa and I've been on this site for a few months but haven't had much free time to actually post much….in fact I only just put a few pics up this weekend. I am actually no longer in Portsmouth….although I do go out there to visit about once a year….I am back in the states now 🙂 I still need to get over being camera shy to have someone take some pole pics of me so I can actually have some to post!

[chimponaut]

Hey everyone…I'm fairly new on here and haven't posted much yet but I am on FB as well and would love to make some new pole friends 🙂 mailto:chimponaut1@yahoo.com

 

[chimponaut]

I sort of had the same problem. I started on a 45 and the studio I went to had 50's. I found it much easier to hold inverts and thigh holds on the 50 but when I'd try it at home on my 45 I could barely hold it. I've since bought a 50 so I tend to play more on my 50 and then once I get it solid I work on doing it on the 45…..but still prefer the 50 for almost everything!!! I also find that I tend to do things a lot better when I have an audience. For example I struggled with the teddy for almost a month I just couldn't take my outside hand off the pole or I would just drop down. I switched to a new studio and asked my teacher for help so she told me to do a teddy and I did one perfectly…and she was kind of confusedas I did it correctly but I assured her that really was the first time I was able to do one! I have had a few other moves work for me that way in that I worked on them at home with little to no success but then I get it at the studio….either I feel better knowing someone is spotting me or I just try harder because I have an audience….or maybe both!!

[chimponaut]

I tend to pole at a studio for an hour and a half on Monday and Wednesdays (that includes warm up and cool down). On Tuesdays, I do aerial silks, Chinese Pole  (sometimes lyra as well) and assissted stretches for 2-3 hours. Although I wish I had a day in between pole and silks but that's the only way it fits into my hectic work and family schedule.  Sometimes I pole on Thursday or Friday at the studio as well but in general I either run, bike, stretch or pole at my house and then take Saturday and Sunday to rest and spend time with my family 🙂
I used to only pole at a studio one day a week and then pole at my house 3 to 4 days a week and have found that since I pole 2x a week at a studio and have been doing silks and Chinese pole, my strength, motivation and dedication have all increased.

[chimponaut]

My all time favorites are:

When the lights go out – The Black Keyes
Psychotic Girl – The Black Keyes
Bad Things – Jace Everett
All around me – Fly Leaf
#1 Crush – Garbage
If Loving you is wrong – Faithless
Russian Roulette – Rihanna
2 wicky- Hooverphonic
We are broken – Paramore
DOn’t forget to breathe – Bitter:Sweet
Stroker Ave – Loveage
Feeling Good – Muse
Pit Stop (Take me home) – Loveage
To Catch a thief – Loveage
Dirty Laundry – Bitter:Sweet
You know I’m no good – Amy WInehouse

Hope that helps https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif