[Veena]

I"m sorry I couldn’t stay…still had some things to finish up before the showcase this Sunday!! I was so excited to see so many make it I hope to be there next week. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Veena]

Breath, breath and BREATH.. this is so important even more so if you have high blood pressure!!

The Valsalva maneuver should be avoided both in pole and weight training!!!!! (Think of taking quick short breaths then holding your breath and exerting force) er ummm…think straining for a "tough bowl" movement. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif lol not what you want!

Here is how I use my breath when I pole
Exhale on exertion…here’s and example…

Invert into Caterpillar:
inhale fully,
exhale try making an audible hhhhhhh sound while lifting up into invert… (jaw is relaxed)…keep it slow. Not a forceful quick exhale.
once up, calmly inhale (I like to do it though my nose)…not short little gasps!!
on your next need to exhale…press up into caterpillar while making your…hhhhhhh…..hold the position and continue to breath, deeply, slowly and with control.

If you find your dizzy or have headaches after poling you might be holding your breath…this goes for spins too!!! No sure if that was helpful…tried to keep it short and sweet. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif

[Veena]

I missed this one!

You most certainly can learn safely at home. But no matter how you chose to learn its up to YOU to listen and follow the instruction weather in a studio class or at home. There are a few good dvds out there and I have my online lessons set up in an order that helps you build strength first and then you move on to pole work. I’ll even tell you what you might want to go back and work on if your having a hard time with a move.

As far as not taking lessons because your too shy or self conscious, that is an understandable fear…but I have found… doing things that scare the crap out of you is the only way you GROW and get over that fear. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_redface.gif One thing to keep in mind is that your instructor is knowledgeable…one sign that you should leave a studio….letting beginner INVERT! Thats a no no.

Hope that was helpful.

[Veena]

Shes a beautiful dancer!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif

[Veena]

Most find the "gun grip"…I think some call it the "magic finger" I think, more secure and its a bit more neutral for your hand/wrist. How did it hurt? Was it pulling on the skin? Sharp pains in the hand, wrist??? First make sure your not placing all of the weight on that lower arm. The "gun grip" is a neutral position for the wrist. Maintaining a neutral position becomes even more important once you begin to do advanced work with the split grip. Check to make sure your not over exaggerating the grip (you don’t need to be pulling the finger away from the others) or twisting funny at the wrist. Remember I talked about the graduated finger hold too. Try that with less of a point. You really want to think of pressing into the pole with the PALM of the hand. Don’t stress about a finger pointing perfectly down the pole.

Wrapping the fingers fully around the pole with the bottom hand could cause unnecessary stress on the forearms for some. When you grip too tightly its easy to stop pressing with the palm and start relying on fingers only. You are more likely to lock the joint or hyper extend at the elbow. Its also easier to curl or over flex the wrist when you wrap all the fingers. Again when you start to do more advanced work with the split grip you’ll need to be cautious to not over stress the forearm.

Always remember if something hurts, check your form first, if its right and your still having problems.. stop performing that particular move. You may have an injury or just need to strengthen the muscles.

Also…if your still having a difficult time send me an email and we can work out a time where I can meet you in the chat room and help you out if you would like. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif

[Veena]

Wow…Welcome to the site!!!!!!!!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Veena]

Thanks Empy…I saw someone do this spin, I can’t remember who or where…I’m thinking it was a vid from the DC convention.

I found a better pic, I didn’t realize it was a good one until today when I opened it to see full view!!

[Veena]

I have the X stage and love it! Its heavy, but that also means its very stable, so its great for shows and it still has spin mode. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Veena]

Perfect!! I’ll go make a room just for Bendy Buddies in chat. That way if someone wants to meet up an not be part of the stretching group they can stay in the lobby. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif

[Veena]

Oh I should post a link here https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
Those of you taking the lessons here…check them out this is the first booty lesson, but you can do them in any order.

http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/4389

[Veena]

just amazing, such strength. It is soo admirable. How did you get to this point? Was it by poling only or are there other things that helped you become this strong?

After we moved back to MN, about a month ago, I started lifting weights again…then I started working on the X. It helped a lot. I use to lifted all the time before I found pole, and whenever I go back my muscles just wake right back up!! The 2 yrs I spent in CA I just didn’t have time to train like I use to and I attempted this move once a while back and there was no way I was strong enough. When I have perfected it a little bit more I’ll be doing a lesson on my variation of it using the true grip. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rambo.gif

[Veena]

Thanks everyone! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_sunny.gif I can hold it longer now but here is a practice vid I did, the x is towards the end…Here’s how I get into it
http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/4334

[Veena]

Some will grasp balance moves quickly while other it may take months of practice. Thats the key, practice. It took me a few weeks of almost getting it and then…falling over when I learned the elbowstand in the middle of the floor and now I do it with no troubles. One thing to keep in mind is also a lack of flexibility…this would make getting the hips over head more difficult and you may feel like kicking hard is the only way to get up there. If your talking the lessons here is the one for elbowstand…start against the wall and notice how slowly and controlled I move into it.

http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/2191

[Veena]

Here an old response I posted a while ago……

If your new to pole dance then backing off it a good idea. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_idea.gif You can still do some floorwork and fun transitions and you can still have fun with it, just dance! Here is a good example of dancing with your pole without all the tricks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs3i-ryO1qM

Now if your not a beginner and your very comfy in your abilities, here are my guide lines, I used for my pregnancy.

With ANY exercise while preggers, be sure you don’t over heat, and don’t raise your heart level too high. Drink lots of water. Listen to your body.

1st Trimester…continue with moves you know but don’t work on new ones. Stick with what you have down and work on perfecting it.

2nd Trimester…No more inverts or climbs. Spins are fine if your joints don’t mind. if your a seasoned dancer it shouldn’t be a problem, but everyone is different. Relaxin affects some more than others.

3rd Trimester…This is a good time to work on dancing with soft hands, pointed toes (watch out for leg cramps tho) and hip rolls and enjoying your new sexy body. Most spins will be out..I was able to adjust mine, I found that by keeping my thighs pointing down, and not bringing them up to my waist for spins like the chair I could still do them and they were not a stain on my Abs. Here is an example of that…you can see I don’t do many spins at all and I keep my knees low.

http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/1751

With ANY exercise you have to talk with your DR first and make sure your fit to exercise while pregnant. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_puke_r.gif LOL

Here are links to other places in the forum where pregnancy was talked about.

http://ver3.studioveena.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=338&p=3271

[Veena]

There are so many booty songs I don’t know how I will pick! lol I better do some squats to beef up the bum!!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif

[Veena]

Welcome, I can’t wait to see a vid!!! Don’t worry we love to see ALL levels of dancers here, no haters allowed https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumbdown.gif We love to watch someone grow https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif

[Veena]

Hi, Welcome…if your the shy kind you can always take the online lesson here! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif Feel free to check out Friday chat, goes on all day every Friday!!

[Veena]

WOW….its great to have you on the site!! I used your photo gallery to teach myself when I was first starting out!! So nice to have you with us! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_flower.gif

[Veena]

THE CHAT ROOM IS ALWAYS OPEN!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif
You could start a thread too, dedicated to those of you who are using chat and stretching together….but the chat room is always open 24/7 https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_thumleft.gif

[Veena]

Sounds like you may have a plaster ceiling. A stud finder wont work then.

[Veena]

I love stretching legs!!

[Veena]

Day, that’s so great I get to meet you…missed out on it in NY. Sissy are you coming?? OMG so many ppl I have wanted to meet will be there…..eeeekkk

[Veena]

I workout 6 days a week…One full day of total rest. No stretching…nothin just rest.

Here is my latest schedule:
2 days of weights (1 day is lower, other is upper) with some pole at the end of my strength training.

The day after any of my heavy training days I do hoop, yoga, dance (not on the pole) If I feel fatigued I’ll warm up and just stretch. If I did a lower body workout I might do some pole tricks that involve upper body.

1 day of heavy pole dancing with tricks…this is typically Mid week so I can keep Monday and Fri or Sat as my weight training days.

This is just for now, I’ll back off in a month or so focusing more on pole and less on strength training…re evaluate then go from there.

I use the 5 min rule…..if I start working out and after 5 mins I still feel weak and blah. I take that as a cue, I’m pushing to hard. It might mean I do a lighter workout or I stop all together and rest that day.

Then

[Veena]

If you wanted…. you could ask a few Veeners if they be interested in meeting in the chat room once a week or how ever often to stretch together!!! Cams or no cams it would still be fun and leave those who needed motivation feeling obligated to show up, therefore more likely to follow through. If the timing was right I might even show!! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif

[Veena]

Welcome!! Ahhh yes the pole can really beat you up…but luckily https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_cheers.gif it does get better.