[Kobajo84]

For the sake of getting a good quality pole, Lil Mynx has some good poles at a reasonable cost. I would say that would be a good option as a second pole if price  & quality are your goals.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

I may have someone interested.  I will let you know either way when I find out!  I have class tomorrow night so I will find out for sure tomorrow night (Thursday).  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

***NEW WORKSHOP ADDED AS OF 2/23/2011***
By popular demand, Pole & Body would like to announce the addition of an Advanced Workshop on Sunday March 20'Th 11:00am-12:30pm.

Karol's Sick Tricks- (**Advanced-Must be executing inverted moves**) Anyone who is already executing inverted moves such as superman, shoulder mounts, leg hangs, etc. is welcome to sign up for this class. This one is for all you wanting to learn Karol's amazing signature tricks, combos, and unique transitions!! Some of the moves covered in this workshop are: Rolling invert, Roxy Spin, Superman Fall, Holly Drop, etc. Karol will help you concentrate on perfecting your technique with each move, learning correct grips for various moves and flowing into the move while dancing with music.

We have also added additional private group lesson times to Sunday.  Please contact me for further information.https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

 

[Kobajo84]

Ignore that last message- wrong posting all together….where's the edit/delete option??????

[Kobajo84]

Yes, I’ve sent you a message regarding details for private group lessons.

[Kobajo84]

@Glitter- I'm planning on attending a local Bad Kitty Exotic Wear party this weekend and hoping to be able to pick up some Mighty Grip. I will let you know if I get some or any others and what I think.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

My husband will be there too! He's driving me.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

Pole dancing is a completely different form of overall body exercise. Dancers like Sarah have been training their entire life. To get to a desired goal you have to have patience & persistence.  I have had a lot of people with great upper body strength try pole dancing only to discover their strength isn't what they thought it to be when needing to engage certain muscles. It's a process that develops your body over time.  Just stick to your goals & don't rush your body.  Every lesson is a valued learning experience, even the easy ones.

[Kobajo84]

I have levels 2, 3, and 4.  I liked level 2 at first then it started to get slick on me.  So I got level 4 and couldn't tell much of a difference the other day.  I was told it works differently with everyones body chemistry and I think I am one of those people it doesn't work with.  Try the samples before you make a purchase.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[Kobajo84]

Completely understandable.  I will keep you posted on future events at our studio.  We would love to have you sometime! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

I'm getting really excited! Can't wait! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

Elisabeth,

Very excited for your new DVDs coming out soon! Can't wait to see them! I love your two previous DVDs.  Please keep us posted on your release! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

@nymphdancer- We still have a private trio group lesson available for Sunday morning March 20'Th 11:00a-12:00p (eastern time zone).  If you have a couple girl friends rounded up, all three of you can make a Sunday roadtrip.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif If you're interested, private message me for more information.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

We hope you ladies can make it out! If you have any questions regarding hotel information, feel free to message me.  We have multiple hotels within seconds to our studio.  If you have children that you don't want to be bored to pieces during that weekend, our studio is conveniently located next to an indoor water park hotel. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

In combination of working on strengthening your back muscles it's also just as important to work on strengthening your abdominals. Rule of conditioning is to equalize your workout on both sides.  Our abdominals are just the opposite side of our back.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[Kobajo84]

Doing a shoulder mount for your first time on the pole is not typical.  The shoulder mount is such an advanced move that many students need to work their body up for it- as in condition their muscles to prepare for the proper use of body mechanics to safely execute this move.  If your body is not ready for such a move you could cause serious and painful injuries.  Sometimes injuries may not be felt until the next day.  Veena has such great lessons here on her site that are well organized and very affordable.  A great place to start would be to take advantage of her lessons.  You can also try local pole studios in your area so you have an in person face to face experience.  Sometimes having someone there to guide you really helps.  Everyone advances at different paces, it's just important to remember to start things out the right way and not learn the hard way after weeks to months of rest post injury. 

[Kobajo84]

Veena has a stretching series in her lessons that can be performed. I also just wrote a blog about BeSpun's Stretching and Conditioning DVDs:

https://www.studioveena.com/blogs/view/BeSpun_Conditioning__Stretching_for_Pole_Dancers_DVD_Review_20110209095243

Do lots of research, there is a lot of tools out there for stretching.  The Valentino Brothers just released a DVD for Side Splits and Back Stretching which can be purchased from http://www.Badkittyexoticwear.com.  I purchased mine but haven't recieved it yet for a review, however here is a link for the video trailor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX_c0w52cwM

The key to stretching is being patient. Increasing flexibility can be a slow but rewarding process.  You just have to be perisistent and arm yourself with knowledge.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

 

[Kobajo84]

If soreness does not subside after a week or gets worse see your doctor.  You could have torn ligaments.  It's normal for the first few days to have soreness but if it persists or gets worse then that is your indication that you need to further investigate to prevent aggravating the injury and potentially making it worse.  I would refrain from lifting anything more than 5 pounds or 2 kilograms for a week on the affected side.  Do slow range of motion exercises to keep the joint from becoming stiff.  If pain is present during these exercises- stop. I have heard of people having this happen before with sometimes repeated episodes  where the joint is displaced and needs to be reinserted. If you find it pop out of socket again without immediately returning, see a medical professional immediately.  Replacing your joint into place can be very painful and requires properly trained and strong professionals that can exert the force necessary to perform such task. In the meantime during your rest phase, you can use an alternating therapy of heat and ice compresses. If pain from soreness is intolerable an over the counter anti-inflammatory pain reliever can be taken as indicated per manufacturer directions. 

[Kobajo84]

@Amyyyy -The knee can be a common injured joint in the body that can take years to develop into painful injuries. Typically pain is the red flag that something is wrong but in the beginning stages of knee injuries, pain may not be present. Repeated injury to already injured areas can create a greater problem for the area including development of scar tissue that inhibits movement.  The stiffness you may feel can be a result of inflammation to the area. When straightening your leg you are closing in on an area in the knee which becomes smaller as opposed to when you bend you are allowing for the inflammation to have a larger area.  I would give it a rest for at least a 2 week minimum and if the area becomes irritated, swollen, painful, red, warm, or movement becomes worse- see your doctor immediately. 

[Kobajo84]

My first pole was a black Lil' Mynx rotator pole and I still have it up in my house and use it from time to time.  I really like it a lot because it's grippier and great for a beginner learning new tricks that require sticking to the pole. At the studio I work at we have stainless steel Lil' Mynx 20 foot static poles. I have found that of all the poles I have a couple favorites that I can work on better than others.  One of the poles in particular is much more slick than the others.  Once the stainless steel poles are warmed up properly, I generally don't have any issues with them at all.  I also have a chrome 50 mm Xpole which I use primarily for at home workouts because I am able to relocate it to other areas in my house depending on what I'm working on.  Some moves require more room.  I would say overall Lil' Mynx is a great pole to start on.  As you progress you may want to move on to other poles or add more in to your collection.   Like what a lot of other people said, it's really personal preference. 

[Kobajo84]

It is possible you could have fractured your tailbone or are experiencing nerve pain.  It's hard to tell what it is so I would recommend seeing your doctor to rule out anything serious.  If you're coming down into the pole when going into a CAR it is possible the force could injure that area.  It's important when performing any moves as such you're not dropping with force but rather a controlled descent.  When teaching this move, new students are taught to use a hand behind the tail bone on the pole to guide the body down.  Treatment for fractured tailbones/coccyx is rest to let the bone heal on its own.  It's important to get this checked to assure its not nerve pain.  Nerve pain can be very debilitating and extremely painful if gone untreated. 

[Kobajo84]

I do a warmup that includes stretching and strength training exercises.  As you're warming up take some of Veena's strength training exercises and incorporate them into your warmup. 

[Kobajo84]

"I strongly suggest just tuck inverting–that is, positioning yourself as if you're going to invert and then bringing your knees up to your chest and then back down (slowly)–until you are strong enough to tip all the way back and hold when you attempt to invert."-https://www.studioveena.com/users/view/f899a664-02dd-11e0-ab19-12313b090e12 said on 2/1/2011.

I wanted to quote her and add to make sure your hips are in front of the pole.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[Kobajo84]

I purchased the conditioning and stretching DVDs.  Will post a blog review when I get them.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

Thanks everyone! I ended up emailing them and because it was the weekend when I ordered, the item wasn't processed until Monday.  They said everything went through fine.  I guess I'm just spoiled by amazon.com since I live close to one of their warehouses and things come almost immediately a couple days later.  LOL.