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Forum Replies Created
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I hear you on Titanium Silver. 🙂 That was the hardest thing about getting a TG, I like silver colored poles much better and they look better in my house. I don’t really like the look of brass in household furnishings. But once I got the pole I stopped caring pretty quickly! It’s actually really shiny like a gold colored chrome pole, not dull like a brass doorknob. AerialGypsy has some side by side photos on the blog.
One thing I did notice is the TG beats me up a little more… I have bruises, calluses, and little friction scrapes that I didn’t get on my old pole. But I’m also on a smaller diameter and doing harder stuff, so that could explain it too. It also makes me want to have longer pole sessions in general which leads to more bruises! TG gives me wings 🙂
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I have a TG pole too. I find a mixture of Windex and rubbing alcohol works best. I don't mean actually mixing them together… just switching off. If one doesn't work, the other usually does. Sometimes I need both.
You might also try using cheap glass cleaner instead of name brand Windex, like from the dollar store. The expensive stuff has additional ingredients to make your glass shiny. They may be also slippery. 🙂
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It sounds like we are similar in size. I am 5'5" and fairly thin. My thighs do not touch however. I have a 45 TG and I love it. I bought it to replace my 50mm chrome, which I always had issues with. My hands did not meet on the 50 and I was experiencing forearm pain as a result, and I had trouble with grip. Dropping down to 45 was great for that. Not only did it help with the pain, but I found I had better hand grip since I could wrap my fingers. I debated getting a 40mm for a long time but after playing around with some round household objects that were 40mm wide, it just seemed too thin for my legs. There is a gap between my thighs and the 40mm diameter would fit in that gap without touching my legs! For you it may be a workable option. But I think going down to 45 would be fine too. It was enough of a change for me.
I find the TG finish to be really helpful in my practice. I think it is my favorite finish. I am sweaty and I found that the TG added a bit more grip than steel or chrome, but not so much as brass which I found to be painfully grippy. I have been able to do tricks on my 45 TG that I felt were months away on my 50 chrome. Others have said they feel no real difference between TG and chrome, so I think it really depends on your skin type. I found it to be different, but even if you don't, then it will still feel a lot like a chrome pole. I think chrome feels a little nicer for static spins, and TG seems better for "sticky" tricks like holds. So what you intend to do on the pole matters too.
Hope this helps!
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Hooray! Can't wait to try these out! Thanks Veena!
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I just got cupid yesterday after trying for months! Charley's advice is spot on. It helps for me to really settle into my gemini first so the knee pit is secure. The big breakthrough for me was accepting that I was going to spin once I was fully extended in the move. Every time I went for that full extension, I would start to spin and then panic, thinking my knee pit was coming loose (and then it would because I would be startled). But watching Veena's lesson, you see her (calmly) spinning into the move. The same thing happens in superman, there's a brief little moment of panic and then all is well.
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Congrats! It seems like a perfect pole for that particular situation: anyone who needs to be able to put it up and take it down often, in the same location with a fixed ceiling height.
My Xpole stays up, so the installation and removal time doesn't matter so much to me. And I knew I wanted lots of ceiling height variability in case we move again (which I know we will). So the Xpole is perfect for me. I think there is really a pole for every situation! And if not, someone will invent another one. 🙂
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Of course, I'm sure the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks. I haven't had children yet, but after I do, I would definitely consider an IUD and I would be sure to ask for pain medication during the insertion. I just find it kind of amusing that in order to avoid the pain of childbirth, you need to endure the pain of almost childbirth. Right now my current method of BC (swallowing a pill every morning) has a pain level of zero. That's pretty hard to beat 😉
I think I have a pretty high pain tolerance, although pole has certainly tested it. I've gotten laser hair removal and waxing and I think plenty of pole moves hurt more. Meanwhile my mom is horrified by the pain of waxing and probably would refuse to do a pole sit, but she delivered two kids naturally with no pain meds. Go figure!
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All this thread has done is make me seriously doubt whether I can handle getting an IUD!
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I started at a studio (which I loved) and then moved away. I miss it a lot and try to drop in whenever I'm visiting my old town (which is sadly not often). I tried a couple of studios close to our new house and didn't really like them. It's hard to explain but it just wasn't what I was looking for. I think our community is a great untapped market for a high quality studio… if only one would open.
There is a well known studio about 90 minutes from here, which I have attended for workshops. I like it there, but I just can't commit to 3 hours of rush hour driving for regular classes during the week. So I work out at home with Veena's lessons and it works great for me. I also cross train with yoga. I have to say my form has gotten much better since using Veena's lessons. She is an amazing teacher. I also saw great improvements once I started to take videos of myself. My old studio was a ton of fun but didn't focus very hard on refinement of technique. Being able to see myself and say "hey, that doesn't look like it should" was a big bonus of home poling.
I also travel occasionally for business and I like to take pole classes wherever I go. San Francisco is one of my frequent destinations, and there is great pole there.
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It’s probably the song. If you change or remove the music it will probably work on mobile.
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Be sure to condition your upper body too. You start out in a pole hold position which is very tight and strong, with shoulders engaged and elbows tucked in close to the pole. But eventually you have to unhinge those arms a a little bit to allow your hips room to move up the pole. Unbending and lifting from a pole hold position requires bicep, tricep, shoulder, and back strength all working at once. Getting those motions coordinated was the hardest part for me. I can do it well on my right (dominant) side but I still struggle to do my basic invert smoothly on my left side – it's something I work on during each practice.
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Do any of you ladies do yoga? I find the muscles I use to invert are the exact same ones I use in shoulder stands and plow. A good way to build the muscles is to start on your back, slowly roll back into plow, and then slowly lower yourself back to the floor on your back. Same for shoulder stand, but you need to be really careful to put the weight across your shoulders, not your neck.
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I have always favored the tuck invert, as chem describes it. I actually have a harder time with the basic invert than the tuck invert. I do a tuck shoulder mount as well (shoulder mount into a little ball and then extend my legs). I think it's because I have pretty weak hip flexors relative to my other muscles, so inverting with extended legs is really hard for me. I'm working to build up that strength.
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Someone stronger than me will have to come along to give you ideas for your next steps. But your video is a great resource for someone like me! Thanks! I already do a lot of basic core exercises, but I'm not seeing the gains I would like. You showed off a lot of interesting advanced variations that I will have to try during my next workouts.
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I'm not the same size as you, but I'm hippy (10 inch difference between my waist and hips.) I have a pair of Under Armor compression shorts that actually make pretty good pole shorts. I got them for running but also use them for pole and yoga. They're plain black and not very sexy, but they do the job and they cover my butt enough to wear outdoors.
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My husband is interested in what I do, but I don't think strict "pole" is any more interesting to him than the other general fitness I do. He can see past the pole and look at it as something no different from yoga or calisthenics. We are both working on getting fitter and stronger together and the pole conversations usually revolve around technical details, exercise science, workout planning, etc. And while I have no dance background, it's sometimes fun to chat about the dance basics I've been learning through pole… flexibility, toe pointing, extension, etc.
The difference comes when it stops being pole fitness and dance and becomes more like burlesque – time to break out the clear heels, thongs, and booty shakes. My husband and I have been to plenty of strip clubs together, so I'm aware of how it all works. I've even considered the line of work and still do occasionally, but I always talk myself out of it because I know that not everyone at the club would be as polite, well behaved, and respectful as my husband is! (He's usually one of the most popular people at a club because he's friendly, tips generously, treats the dancers like people, and isn't a creep.)
The problem is actually me, not him. When I dance in an erotic way, I sometimes start to feel insecure because I don't think I'm as sexy as the strippers I've seen. It's one thing to be able to do strength moves and crazy tricks, but another to have stage presence and charm, and I think I lack both. I once danced a song for him "stripper style." I wore shoes, did a lot of sexy floorwork, and I removed clothing as I went. He really enjoyed it (obviously!) but I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would. I was really self conscious about how I looked and whether I was doing everything "right" based on the strippers I've seen. I think confidence is key, and I don't have enough in myself yet.
I feel like I need to work on the sexy aspect of dance separately from strength building and tricks. I love watching Veena's more sexy performance videos, as well as some of the users on this site who seem to really have that certain something. I want to have it too!
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If you're a paid member of the site, you can access the 30 day take off from the Lessons page. It's just above the beginner lessons.
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Just to second what chemgoddess said, you might want to consider a TG pole. I am a very sweaty person, and my hands sound exactly like yours. I first learned on steel, got a chrome, and finally just got TG. My grip quality has only improved with each material change. So far the TG pole has been awesome for me. I still have to wipe my hands down occasionally, but not after every move like I used to.
I have also used brass poles in studios. While brass was very sticky when I was dry, once I started to sweat I actually slipped more on brass than anything else. It may have been due to the brass cleaner that studios use to keep them shiny. It was really scary for me, so I was turned off brass for that reason. Other people love it. I have never used a powder coated pole so I can't speak for that finish. But I love the TG. It cleans as easily as a chrome pole (windex or alcohol) and once I got used to it, it really changed my outlook on what was possible for me.
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I second Lina's suggestion. I actually learned chair spin before gallop spin. Chair took a lot of work and a lot of mistakes to get it right. By the time I got to gallop spin, it seemed easy by comparison. Not to say either one is easy, I just think gallop is a better stepping stone. Veena teaches gallop as a beginner spin (she calls it the "prance") and chair as an intermediate spin. I would agree with those classifications.
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Yeah, don't let the X-Joint issue scare you out of buying an X-Pole, it's just one extra thing to check. If you aren't careless, it won't happen. I fully admit that I used my pole without checking it on the day it happened to me, and it hasn't happened since. The portability factor was way more important to me since we are so mobile.
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The X-Pole is made up of tubes (the actual pole surfaces) that connect together with X-Joints. The X-Joint is basically another, slightly narrower tube that you put inside the main pole pieces. There are holes in the main pole pieces and in the X-Joint. You put the X-Joint inside the pole pieces, line up all the holes and then use a wrench to expand the X-Joint inside the main poles. It expands and holds the outer pole pieces in position so they become one rigid piece. To take the pole apart, you twist the wrench the other way to tighten (shrink) the X-Joint enough to pull the pieces apart again.
Over time, an X-Joint can loosen up as you use the pole and rotate in place. If it loosens up enough to rotate inside the main pole pieces, then the holes won't line up anymore and you can't remove the joint the normal way. You then have to ram a broomstick into the pole to remove it (no joke, this is what Xpole recommends to do on their website.) This problem can be prevented with careful attention, and really you should be checking your pole every time you use it for safety's sake. Plenty of people never experience this issue, and I only had it happen once in over a year of use. But if you can get away with a one piece pole, it's one less problem to be concerned with!
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And to answer your other question, yes the Xpole is removable and leaves no trace aside from a faint ring on the ceiling which can be cleaned off. I leave the ring because it helps me reposition the pole. It’s very well made, though the X-Joint is prone to rotation which is a big pain when it happens. It’s the Xpole’s chief design flaw. My brand new pole hasn’t rotated yet, so maybe they’ve improved the design enough to remedy that issue.
If you own your home, I might recommend a one piece removable pole from Lil Mynx or PS. It is cut to your ceiling height and won’t have the X-Joint issues. We are renters and may move again, so I wanted an X-Pole that can be modified to fit a wide range of ceiling heights. It’s perfect for a pole that might move from place to place.
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I think any pole from Xpole, Platinum Stages, or Lil Mynx would be fine for you in terms of safety. It's more the cheap poles from adult shops that you have to worry about. I have never personally owned a pole other than an Xpole, but I know people who have the other brands in their homes and are very happy.
Many studios have permanent ceiling mounts, especially those that share their dance space with other types of fitness classes. The poles are removable but since the ceiling mount is anchored permanently, they are as strong as permanently installed poles. But a studio sees tons of people all day long, of all different sizes and ability levels. So the poles need to be tough.
My instructor did not like pressure mounted poles for studio use because she felt like they were not as secure and required constant checking for safety in a studio environment. But for regular home use by one person, a pressure mounted pole is fine. Lil Mynx requires drilling into the ceiling for the "plant hook" mount you described, but it can be spackled over. The Xpole does not require holes, but that's because it uses the ceiling dome to spread the pressure out across a larger area. A friend of mine has a removable 1-piece Platinum Stages pole that also does not require ceiling holes. I've used all 3 brands and while there are positives and negatives to each brand, I think any of them are acceptable.
Sweaty hands is a different story. I also have them and honestly, there is no magic solution. I will have to wipe the pole down frequently no matter what type of finish it is. I have used steel, chrome, brass, and titanium gold (all except powder coated) and I like them all for different reasons. A lot of if will be trial and error for you and figuring out what grip aids work best for your body. But a big mistake people make is mistaking lack of grip strength for sweaty hands. As a beginner you will slip on any pole once you are fatigued. You need to engage muscles and rely less on sticky skin. Different finishes may be easier or harder for you, but if you are strong enough, you can work on any material. There are some general tips and guidelines for finding the right pole finish for you that are outlined in the Flexines blog. But in my humble opinion, I think having the right sized pole for your body is more important than the material.
Hope this helps!
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I got a Titanium Gold Xpole for my second pole and so far I really like it. I’ve heard some people say it is really no different from chrome aside from the color, but in my experience it is. I find it feels stickier when the pole is cold and less slick than chrome or steel when I sweat. There are times that I get “stuck” on my TG pole and have to muscle my way out of a move, whereas on chrome I would just slide down as soon as I loosened up my grip. You might consider that instead of a brass Xpole. It is also a lot less expensive. To be honest though, I also went down in diameter so I’m not certain how much of the newfound grip is from that.
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This is a great thread. I have long hair, but I don't like wearing it down when I dance. It gets in my face and mouth, and sometimes when I do floorwork on my back, it gets stuck! I always felt a bit silly doing head flips with a ponytail or bun. Nice to know that dancers can still be sexy without hair flowing down the back.
