SpyralBound
Forum Replies Created
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Oh yeah no doubt, I just mean it scares me personally, not that she shouldn't be doing it.
Actually, now that I think about it, this looks like a variation of the Dangerous Brian. Which I'm sure has earned its nickname. That one terrifies me too.
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Can't help thinking that looks *really* dangerous. Any move where the top of the foot is a primary POC like that freaks me the hell out.
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Time spent dwelling on what you *coulda* done in the past is time wasted. 🙂 You're still young, you've got plenty of time to become an ace pole dancer. And maybe use this time to advocate and educate, too – a lot of people outside the community are still not used to the idea of a male pole dancer, so become a champion for your sport. Do some sweet street poling!
(I'm saying this and realizing I have no idea what the culture in Tanzania is like. If it's risky for you to pole in public – like if you might get attacked by other men or something – then of course, disregard the above.)
But yeah, anyway, playing "coulda woulda shoulda" and beating yourself up for not taking up pole sooner, is not making you a better dancer. Floorwork and strength work, as others have suggested, will make you a better dancer. So many beginners are so eager to get to "the fun stuff," the spins and tricks, and have to go back and learn floorwork and transitions later, and they kick themselves for it. You've actually got a pretty big advantage from that perspective. 🙂
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Oh boy, we have Saturday Night Fever on vinyl, but no digital disco of any kind… I might need to get creative for this one.
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From the way you describe it, you're doing actual headstands, like with your head on the floor? Those are *really* tough – Veena herself recently shared a video on her FB about headstands, elbowstands and handstands, and even she recommended against the headstand (with your head on the floor). Even with a cushion there for safety, there's a world of difference between resting your weight on your head vs. on your forearms, elbows or hands.
The feeling you're getting might be related to the pressure of your weight on your skull, in addition to just the blood rushing to your head. Maybe try elbowstands or handstands and see if it still feels that bad?
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So I was going to freestyle tonight but am still sore from my class on Tuesday and decided to suck it up and do a core workout, using a mini-session from my normal strength DVD, and then an assortment of exercises using my balance ball that I looked up online. I really focused on that T-Zone thing, especially when I started to feel my six-pack abs choking up, and it helped a lot! I was able to do more than one set of some of the exercises. There was one called "Birddog" especially for targeting the TA that I definitely felt the burn on, I think I'll be doing that one a lot. http://www.fitlink.com/exerciseHelp?exercise=27&popup=1
So I want to say thanks for pointing me in the right direction, because I definitely didn't hate this workout as much as I've hated doing core stuff in the past. I'm curious to see how sore I'll be tomorrow. 🙂
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When you say pelvic floor, are those the same muscles that are used for Kegel exercises? The term sounds familiar.
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Trickivix, that makes a lot of sense! I can definitely feel the difference between squeezing and not squeezing that T-Zone. Although keeping my belly flat would be easier if I had a flat belly to begin with, LOL. Between belly and boobs I have a very bulgey upper body! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif Sometimes I wish I could squeeze myself like a tube of toothpaste and redistribute things to where they're just right. (Don't we all….)
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Really, I am open to any alternatives to crunches! Crunches are evil! I always feel like I'm barely moving an inch when I try them, which might be because I have a pretty short torso and a roll of belly fat that I'm trying to work off, so while I can do lovely backbends, my forward range of motion is minimal.
Excuses, excuses, excuses…
When I try to do crunch-like exercises, I feel like my abs sort of "lock up." They squeeze tight for the contraction but then don't release when I come back down to the floor. If I try to push through it (it's not a really painful sensation, just makes the moves difficult), they just get more and more tense. Earlier this week when I did them with a DVD, I had to lie there for a few seconds after and let them unwind. I often find myself involuntarily holding my breath during these exercises, so maybe that's part of the problem. I don't know if that tense "locking" feeling is normal, or a sign that I'm doing something wrong. I hope I explained it well, it's a weird sensation.
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Trickivix, are there any DVDs you can recommend for Pilates? At this point, I have neither time, budget nor energy to add more in-person classes, but I am looking to replace some of the DVDs in my collection that have become too easy for me. Also, from what I've seen, Pilates involves a lot of props – do I *need* those?
Danielle had us do some exercises on the pole on Tuesday that I'm going to continue using at home – Chopper Curls (invert into a chopper, squeeze abs so you can hold the legs up, and try to pull your upper body to the pole with your biceps) and one that I dubbed the Inchworm, doing the caterpillar motion with no hands. It's very funny looking – upside-down humping the pole, LOL.
I'd love to know of more Core exercises that I can do using the pole. I dropped Veena's lessons so I could justify getting a membership to my local studio, and now I'm wishing I would have at least looked through the strength lessons first and tried to memorize them. I try to compartmentalize my practices a bit (a freestyle practice, a tricks + spins practice, a floorwork practice, etc.) and if I can have a good enough repository of exercises, I can start doing strength practices too. Danielle also said that focusing on perfecting her invert really helped with core strength, so that should probably be part of my routine too.
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I do feel like I engage my abs when I'm actually on the pole doing tricks, because, well, you pretty much *have* to in most tricks. I mostly notice it if I'm following a yoga or cardio DVD, following along and concentrating on the muscles actively being used, or the form of the yoga pose, and then suddenly the instructor says "abs" and I'm thinking, s**t, how long did I have them relaxed? I'm supposed to be doing this all along! And then I get distracted by the next sequence.
I think that's the part that confuses me – I can invert from the floor and from up on the pole, and do a number of other inverted tricks with little difficulty, so why do my abs just cave in so easily when I do actual ab exercises? It's a vicious cycle. I hate working my abs because I'm not good at it. I'm not good at it because I don't work on it enough. I don't work on it enough because I hate it.
I am //begrudgingly// starting to actually focus on my core, and to try to get over my personal barrier of dislike for core exercises. I guess I was wondering if anyone else has similar issues with their abs.
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I've been blessed in that I don't get the forearm pain from split grip stuff (in the very beginning I did, but it went away fast for me), but the description of this pain rings a bell…
I have an XPole and have an issue with the adjuster rod cover getting stuck when it's screwed on. It happened last summer and I finally got it loose, but it just happened again recently (UGH) and I haven't gotten it to unscrew yet so I can clean & lube it.
Naturally, I've tried to twist the two pieces in opposite directions, gripping it verrrrry tight and twisting as hard as I could. The moment I released, OW! Deep pain all up my forearm. I did this a few times before I learned my lesson – when the damn thing doesn't move and I release my grip to try again, I must release that grip slowly, not just take my hand off. Unsqueeze the fingers while maintaining a hold of the pole, and THEN let go. Minimal pain doing it this way.
I only share because this might help for people who are trying split grip things, or superman and plank, to try to release the grip in two stages (when it's safe to do so, obviously) to prevent pain. (I'm not a doctor or physical trainer or anything so this is just a guess.)
Poleluver – are you sure it's not carpal tunnel syndrome, since you say typing aggravates it? I have a coworker with pretty bad nerve damage in her spine and arms/hands who can barely sign her name because of pain.
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I am cheap cheap cheap when it comes to shoes (like, Payless and Walmart cheap – DSW is a splurge!) so on the rare occasion that I'm looking for platforms, I go for the clearance racks at normal department stores. I got some Steve Maddens for $30 at Burlington Coat Factory in 2011, and then last December scored some sparkly silver sandal-style heels from a no-name brand ("Diva"?) for $7 at Shoe Carnival. $7!
They did scuff up the floor in my pole room (scuffs come off, right?) the last time I wore them, so I probably won't be bringing them to a studio. They slide pretty easily across the floor which I actually don't mind after so long of dancing on carpet and not being able to slide at all. Just have to be careful how I land. And the material on the insole gets slick when my feet sweat. So they do have some drawbacks.
But I think if you want heels for *decoration* mostly, that you wear every once in a while, not every single time, then street shoes from the clearance racks can totally work. Just like with running shoes – sure, you can spend $100+ on performance running trainers with all the bells and whistles, and you should probably make that investment if you're running a lot or for long distances. But if you're just a casual, occasional jogger, you can get away with something much less robust.
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I usually dance on 45s and 50s and don't notice a huge difference between them. I tried a 38 not long ago at a pole jam and was amazed that it made hand-grip stuff easier, but it also hurt like hell for anything on the legs, even a simple CKR.
I've only ever been able to do a split grip inverted V (Ayesha) twice. The first time was on a 50mm brass pole at a studio. The second time, on the 38mm (stainless or chrome, not sure) at the pole jam. I have not been able to get secure enough on my 45mm Titanium Gold at home to even try taking my legs off the pole. For whatever that's worth.
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Ha, my man wears boxer briefs so I was reading that thinking… huh? But then I realized you probably meant briefs. LOL.
I pretty much refuse to buy bras from online retailers, though. I really can't justify paying a lot of money, because these bras are always so expensive, for something I can't try on first to make sure it works. And I seriously, seriously hate returning items, it's a weird phobia/pet peeve of mine, whether to an online retailer or even in store. I avoid it unless totally necessary. (That said, there is a Nordstrom at a local mall so I might stop in, if my wallet doesn't jump right out of my purse and run away the moment I go through the door…)
I've had the same experience of being Too Big for Brand X but Too Small for Lane Bryant. I generally have better luck at LB at least in terms of finding my size, but I've found that a lot of their really cute/sexy bras, they only offer in the larger size range (or maybe they only have a handful of 36/38's in the store and you have to dig for them). I do have four really good LB bras (regular, not sports) that I like a lot for everyday wear. I don't think I've ever tried their sports bras?
And in general, I don't touch Victoria's Secret with a 10-foot pole. Not only am I not a huge fan of their advertising, but their idea of a DD is laughable, in my experience. Another retailer that doesn't understand that you can't just offer a bigger size of your normal bra and expect all to be well. (My opinion)
I don't know for sure who designs all these offerings, but my twisted cynical conspiracy theory is that it's women with small-to-average boobs who don't want competition from us busty ladies and thus have banded together to make sure we stay frumpy. Of course this is totally sarcastic and kinda mean so don't take anything personal from it. Just a joke to make me feel better about the relative lack of selection.
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At any rate, I don't mean to thread-jack this topic with my whining. I'm just frustrated. I am a very frugal person and hate to plop down $45 on something just to find out it's not going to work for me.
And I should also say that other Veeners, azblanco and portableninja (I think), have ordered and worn Mika tops without too much problem.
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From what I've seen, Mika only services up to a 36DD. I am 38 DD and took chance on the "Curvaceous" Tula Top. When I got it, I almost laughed. Those teeny-tiny straps sure do look cute, but they do NOTHING for holding up heavy breasts, and there was not nearly enough fabric to cover me. If I wore it without a bra underneath (The way the models on the site do) and tried to pole, or even just to do yoga, I'd be popping out all over the place.
That's what I mean about clothing companies that "try" to offer larger sizes without understanding that larger-chested girls need more than just a few more inches of fabric.
(Note: I am not bad-mouthing Mika here. It's a quality product and I wear it over a plain black sports bra for a little extra flair. I take responsibility for ordering a product that I suspected wouldn't fit anyway. I am disappointed, but I don't really blame Mika, nor am I encouraging anyone to NOT buy Mika. Just, large-chested buyer beware.)
Looking at the tops on Vertical Edge right now, I see the exact same problem on several of them – teeny tiny straps that just don't size up. Leaving me with the Vamp (which could work but I'm skeptical that the solid black bandeau will actually cover enough breast) and the Covergirl Mesh which, in my opinion, looks awful. Or at least, would look awful on my body. Mesh + belly flab is not a flattering look.
What I'd REALLY love to see is actual plus-size/DD+ *models* on these sites, modeling the larger sizes. It's tough for me to look at picture of a super fit B-cup model in a size S or M and try to figure out if the XL will actually work for me.
It's little things like this that make me feel marginalized as a DD+ woman.
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Good luck with that, Ajrt. I've been barking up that tree for a while and discussed it in the forums, and the consensus seems to be that the mainstream polewear providers (Mika, Bad Kitty, bodybinds, etc) don't take us larger girls into consideration. Finding something that fits, provides support, gives adequate coverage, and is as cute as what the skinny-mini dancers get to wear…next to impossible. You can get some of those qualities, but not the whole package. I've resorted to wearing less-than-ideal tops over my sports bras for at least *some* sense of cuteness.
This is bitter of me to say but it often feels like the clothing industry is repulsed by the idea of bigger ladies being sexy and outright refuses to service us. OR they offer a larger size of a cute bra/top without giving any thought to support, which to me is like paying lip service. "Yeah, we hear your complaints, here's the best we can do, deal with it. If it doesn't work… well, too bad for you I guess, maybe you should be smaller."
There's an enormous business opportunity here for the right person.
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Good luck with that, Ajrt. I've been barking up that tree for a while and discussed it in the forums, and the consensus seems to be that the mainstream polewear providers (Mika, Bad Kitty, bodybinds, etc) don't take us larger girls into consideration. Finding something that fits, provides support, gives adequate coverage, and is as cute as what the skinny-mini dancers get to wear…next to impossible. You can get some of those qualities, but not the whole package. I've resorted to wearing less-than-ideal tops over my sports bras for at least *some* sense of cuteness.
This is bitter of me to say but it often feels like the clothing industry is repulsed by the idea of bigger ladies being sexy and outright refuses to service us. OR they offer a larger size of a cute bra/top without giving any thought to support, which to me is like paying lip service. "Yeah, we hear your complaints, here's the best we can do, deal with it. If it doesn't work… well, too bad for you I guess, maybe you should be smaller."
There's an enormous business opportunity here for the right person.
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Just piping in, my husband's wedding ring is titanium and cost us $45. Mine is white gold and was $200-some. (As of now, 3 years later, it's still quite "white.")
I mentioned this to him and his completely non-professional perspective is that titanium itself is dirt cheap, but it's also really difficult to work with and handle, requiring special tools and processes. That's where the manufacturing cost comes from, not the raw material itself.
Normally I really dislike yellow gold in terms of jewelry and stuff, but I LOVE my TG X-Pole! I named it "Goldeneye" when I got it. 🙂
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I'm 38DD and the Mika Tula "Curvaceous" top did not work for me by itself. I have to wear it over a regular bra. Granted, on the site it says it only goes up to 36DD, so I knew I was taking a risk when I bought it that it wouldn't fit me. It technically "fit" ok, but offered NO support and exposed a bit more skin than I was comfortable with.
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chelle2pole, welcome!
In regards to your last question, it takes more than one practice session to "conquer" a move, even the beginner moves. Transitions, walking around the pole and doing body waves and such, will likely not take very long to pick up. But as you move into spins, holds and climbs, you might find you can't get the hang of them right away. Or you might find one variation easier than another – I learned the Back Hook Spin much easier than the Front Hook, it took several months for my Front Hook to look as nice as the Back.
You will also find some moves HURT quite a bit and it takes time to get used to the pain. Your first time doing a pole sit or pole climb will likely hurt a lot, and you won't be able to stay up there for very long. Don't let that discourage you! If you keep practicing, before you know it you won't even notice the pain of a Pole Sit.
I'm an intermediate dancer and I still have to remind myself when learning new moves that hurt, to keep practicing them until they don't hurt. It's a "mind over matter" thing in most cases. That said, if something REALLY hurts, and I mean more than just the ache of your skin being pulled on but like deep muscular pain, shooting pain in your arms and wrists, stop what you're doing. Rest periods are very important to the beginning pole dancer; you don't want to seriously injure yourself because that could mean you're off the pole for weeks or even months.
So in short, pay attention to what your body is telling you, take your time progressing through the lessons, and don't get discouraged by things you 'can't do.' Because it's not that you can't do them, it's that you can't do them…YET. 🙂
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Ninja … I have a few choice words for Victoria's Secret for that very reason. I got measured at JCPenney as a teen and they put me at a 36DD verging on DDD. Since then I'ved moved up a band size and can generally wear a DD, only certain styles do I need a DDD. But this is a good reminder, I should go to a proper lingerie store and get measured again. I'm pursuing breast reduction surgery and any measurements I can get to send to the insurance company will be helpful for me to get coverage.
I ordered the largest size of Mika's "Curvaceous Tula Top" last month. It technically "fit" but it did not offer anything in the way of support (how could it, with those teeny-tiny straps?), and I was uncomfortable with the amount of skin it left exposed, though I probably should have been able to guess that from the photo of the model on the site.
I've pretty much resorted to layering bras. I'm going to keep the Tula top and wear it over some of my plain black sports bras. Trouble is, those things are old and stretched out so I need to replace them anyway.
The sad conclusion I've reached is that as a DD+ lady I can't get away with just a "fashion" top, I need something with structure and support. And you just don't see that from pole clothing lines, you pretty much have to look at specialty sports bras and hope they either come in a cute pattern (unlikely – the clothing industry does not like the idea of cute clothes on busty ladies) or otherwise are easily layerable.
And the sports bras aren't always flattering, I've found that a lot of them mash the boobs into weird shapes and create no separation or pleasant lines. I've found that for me, any bra with a round "scoop" neckline makes it look like my boobs are hanging from my neck in a grocery bag.
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I use Windows Movie Maker. It's free from Microsoft. If you have Windows 7 or above you might already have it on your machine; otherwise, you can download it from the Microsoft website.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/get-movie-maker-download
I've been shopping around for better ones, though, because I'd like to get more creative than WMM lets me. But it's been fine for my normal videos here.
MAKE SURE before you do this, though, that the file format that your phone uses is compatible with Microsoft progress. Apple and Microsoft like to screw you over on that!
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You can make pole into a cardio workout too, just freestyle and keep moving instead of working on tricks only. Put on some high-paced music and just go! That's the nice thing about pole, it's pretty versatile. You get out of it what you put into it.
I have a scale at home that *supposedly* calculates your body fat and water percentage. For the past at least six months (I wasn't weighing in regularly before that) it's been telling me my body fat percentage is 16.9% and water was 56.6% (some tiny variations here or there; my fat this morning was 17.1% for the first time in forever). I am 5'5" and 170lbs give or take a couple. So that measurement seems … off to me. Even looking at me I feel I'm more than 17% fat – mostly in my chest!
Buuuuuut I'm too cheap to shell out for a better measurer.
