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A Flag by Flag Day
I was just hit by inspiration, in the form of a sort of challenge to work on getting a flag by Flag Day (June 14th). In order to make this a challenge that everyone could participate in, we could include Western flags/half flags as well as Iron-X/full flags. Everyone could take photos and post them to the site. What do you guys think?
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9 Replies
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I love this idea! The flexibility in having different versions of the flag makes this more attainable to many! I would love to participate!
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luv it. i’m in
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OK, if we're going to do this thing, it might be helpful if I set out some pointers to help us along the way. I don't have my full flag yet, but a while back I was pretty close. The following advice is based on my trials and tribulations in trying to learn the flag. Please feel free to add your own experiences, tips, questions, etc.
Building strength: The key to any flag is oblique strength. Oblique strength is often some of the most difficult strength to build because it involves movements we don't make very frequently, and even less so with weight added. In a flag, your obliques are pulling hard to raise the weight of your legs. Importantly, since you are lifting in a lateral (sideways) fashion, you are also using the quadratus lumborum muscles of your lower back. Therefore, the kind of conditioning you should do for a flag should include both twisting (for the obliques) and laterally raising (for the q.l.) A flag also requires a lot of arm/shoulder strength, although the type differs depending on the type of flag. For a Western/half flag your top arm is using your lats to squeeze the pole in your armpit, and also the bicep to push against the pole. For a full flag, on the other hand, you are using your triceps and deltoids more. This means that the conditioning would be slightly different for each. For example, a person training to do a Western flag might want to focus on pull-ups, while a person working on a full flag might get more out of push-ups. Here are some various conditioning excercises, with the muscles and appropriate flag marked:
– laying side leg raises (q.l., both types of flag)
– side pole crunches (q.l., both types of flag)
– criss cross sit ups (obliques, both types of flag)
– tricep push-ups (triceps, mainly full flag)
– tricep dips on a chair or couch (triceps, mainly full flag)
– pole pull-ups (biceps/lats, both, but especially half flag)
– push-ups (pecs/biceps/triceps/deltoids, both but especially full flag)
Working on the pole: Floor conditioning is of course only part of the training. If you have a solid split grip ayesha of any kind, you are probably ready to work on a full flag. If not, you may want to work on the half flag first. Doing the half flag can also be training for doing the full flag, since it is a good oblique and q.l. strengthener. To work on the half flag, tuck the pole in one armpit, and then grab the pole with that hand, thumbs down. Take the other hand and grab the pole below your top arm. Bend the lower arm and press the elbow into your side, just above the hip bone. Now you are going to lift. When you lift, your torso will turn slightly toward your upper arm. Don't let this throw you off. Squeeze the top arm as if trying to close it against your body. Try to maintain the connection between the bent elbow and your side, and lift your legs as high as you can. Don't be discouraged if at first your legs don't lift very high. Over time and with practice your obliques will get stronger and your legs will raise into a nice horizontal line.
To work on the full flag, come into an ayesha with wide arms, then into a straightedge. In straightedge, straddle as far as you can, and then bend at the knees. This step is not necessary, but the closer you keep your center of gravity to the pole the easier it will be to hold the position, so when you're starting out, you can use bent legs until you get a feel for the position. Another option is to bend just what will become the bottom leg. Once your legs are apart and bent, try slowly rotating the body into a sideways position. From here you can slowly lower as far as you can go. Some problems to watch out for are: 1)Your arms weren't far enough apart to begin with, cramping the bottom arm and causing it to bend later on, 2)Your bottom arm is crumpling under the strain (try some conditioning for this), 3)You're falling out of the poisition quickly because you're going into it too fast, or 4) You bent the top leg instead of the bottom leg, making yourself bottom-heavy.
I hope these tips can help you guys get started working on your flags. I look forward to seeing the photos come Flag day!
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I can try 😀 I have tried many a time and can't seem to even get my feet off the ground for a millisecond. Can a goal be "to try"? lol
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How many reps should we do per day I'll be working on the half flag as I've just started poling but I'd like to know how many sets,reps, and days per week should I be doing these strength excersises. Any tips would help out a bunch please and thank you. 🙂
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@D Luxx: Trying can totally be a goal! That's pretty much my goal.
@SpiralOut – That's a great question. As for days per week, no more than three, preferably with rest days in between. You can tack these exercises onto the end of your poling session, to make things simpler. As for sets and reps, it kind of depends on your fitness level (which I don't know), but a good place to start might be:
leg raises = 15 on each side
side pole crunches = 10 on each side
criss-cross sit-ups = 10 to each side.
pole pull-ups = start with 5 or as many as you can do, add more if you can
push-ups = start with 10, add 1 per week
If you do all of that, you'll be in great shape. If it turns out to be too much or too little, adjust the number or add another set.
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I love this, because the thing i want to do most is a flag! Ive wanted to do a flag before i even ever knew of pole dancing fitness. I used to see pics and videos of guys doing flags on workout sites.
So, for someone who has only been doing pole for two months (but consistently lifting weights fairly heavy for 7 years), what would be the first flag type to try? I know i can’t do a full one yet, ive tried! I havent tried any variations yet. Which variation should i go for as my first goal? I will do a full someday! -
I saw fhe second post you wrote up, so i will be worjing for half flag. Thats what i get for responding before reading it all lol!
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I had to take a week off from pole due to sore fingers, but i did some practice on flag on Monday. My original first try i could barely hold my body out even with my bottom knee pressed against the pole (per Veena's beginner pose in the flag video). On Monday i was able to hold my body out with my bottom knee bent, but not pressed against the pole. Yay for progress! I just need to remember to practice it each time i pole. 🙂
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