yrngrl
Forum Replies Created
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I use a bit of itac on my knee pits and inner thighs for stick. On my hands, which are very sweaty, I use Dry Hands in winter, but in summer I need more sweat control and use either Dirty Girl or Tite Grip an hour before and then a little Dry Hands during class if needed. I put Tite Grip on my feet too for really warm days.
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I have, but for running. I had an IT band issue that flared up just before my first full marathon (in Detroit, incidentally). It helped. It didn’t solve the problem, but it mitigated it enough for me to get through the race. Without it I doubt I would have gotten more than a few miles.
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I’m nowhere near, but I am popping in to say I took a workshop with Karol recently and it was fabulous.
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I tend to still push it running when I’m sick (unless I’m running a fever or really really wiped out), but with pole, I tend to rest until I’m better. I figure with all the inverting and poses that require your strength not to give out (or else get injured if you fall) I’m not going to take a chance falling out of something because I’m feeling weak.
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I’m 40. I started pole a year ago, and am thrilled to be in the best shape of my life (I have abs at last!) I love the feeling of accomplishment from getting a new trick, and for someone who was overweight and sedentary almost my whole adult life, I’m constantly amazed by what I am capable of.
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I prefer the Mika shorts too. My favorite is Mikaela.
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I have a 5 inch mat, and I love it. I’ve deliberately fallen and didn’t feel a thing! The best part is having it has made me less afraid to try new moves that I know I should be strong enough for.
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Tacha I’d get the small… I’m a 32C and am in between a XS and a S, bust measurement-wise. I have the XS top, it’s a little snug but wearable.
As far as the Brazil bottoms, my hips are a smidge under 33″ and wear the XS.
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I usually wear booty shorts meant for dance, I have some by Capezio and some Balera. Cheap, comfy, and short enough for good grip.
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My ceiling is 7’5″, xpole suggested the 750mm extension in place of b pole.
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I have a low ceiling… I had to use a long extension instead of B pole to make it work, but that did the trick.
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Just keep trying, and you will get stronger. I struggled to do even the simplest things when I first started (almost a year ago) and now I’m totally blown away with how much stronger I’ve gotten. Be patient with yourself, it takes time, and don’t overdo it, your body needs time to heal after exerting itself in order to get stronger.
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Also, proper running shoes for you, or just proper running shoes? Depending on your body and how you run, you might have particular needs (for me, I need stability shoes or else I’m in trouble).
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That it is bad enough to make you want to cry makes me worry its a stress fracture… 🙁
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I started last April. I haven’t lost any weight (not that I wanted to), but I have gotten much bigger muscles in my arms, shoulders and back, visible abs (totally shocked about that one!), and lost an inch off my waist and hips.
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I guess I’m trying to say it feels a little patronizing…. like “oh, it’s ok sweetie, we know you can’t help what a pig you are, here’s a special competition JUST FOR YOU! We know you can’t hang with the “real” dancers.”
Somehow it feels different when you make a special category for 40 and up (I’m there, too- almost!) or men, or whatever, because you can’t help being a man, or older. There’s no shame attached to those labels.
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As a formerly plus size person (ok, obese), I have to say I don’t love the idea of a competition for just plus size dancers. To me it implies that bigger women don’t belong or by virtue of their size have no chance competing against smaller dancers, which isn’t necessarily true (a trained plus size woman is going to be better than a thin newbie, c’mon), and the fat girl still inside of me feels offended by that idea. I didn’t get into pole until after I lost the weight, but I did dance (and perform) in various styles as an obese person, and while maybe I wasn’t as cute as some in my costumes, I could absolutely dance.
Competition should be about skills (with any separation into categories outside of skill level over factors 100% outside of a person’s control, such as gender or age).
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It’s not hard to loosen it on your own. Unscrew the cover at the bottom, loosen the 3 screws, turn the pole to loosen it just a bit (I only needed to loosen mine one turn). Make sure the flat parts of the threaded part of the pole are lined up with the screws again, tighten and replace the cover. There’s a lot of videos on youtube on xpole installation if you need to see what to do.
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Mine is on carpet too, but loosening it up from the ceiling a bit made it spin smoothly and it’s still tight enough to be secure. In 7 months since I got it, it hasn’t budged.
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Make sure it isn’t too tight against the ceiling. That’s what happened with mine.
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Good luck! I’ve been there, and all the hard parts really were worth it in the end.
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Getting a crash mat has really helped me try tricks I’m nervous doing (but am strong enough to do, of course). I’m finally getting over my fear of caterpillar climb.
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I only recently started wearing them, 6″ is more than enough for me at this point! 🙂
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My boyfriend got me the one in the second link for xmas, the thicker version (he’s always worrying about me bashing my head in when I’m practicing!) I push it aside when I’m just practicing spins and stuff, and I don’t always use it for tricks I have been doing awhile and am confident with, but man oh man is it nice to have. I tried deliberately falling on it and can’t feel a thing, it’s great. And it really helps give me the nerve to practice tricks that I am strong enough for (but scared of!) For instance, I couldn’t caterpillar climb in class to save my life because I would freeze up from nerves, but with the mat there it made me braver… and lo, I can do it.
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I couldn’t do even one before I started pole. Now 8 months later I can do 10. I can’t believe how much strength you can gain from pole!
