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Question
I started power lifting about six months ago, well my new year’s resolution for the last 5 years is to get fit and that is already happening. So this year is my year of doing things on my bucket list that I have always made excuses for or was to intimidated to try. Pole dancing is one of those things I have put off for too many years, so my question is will pole dancing negatively affect my power lifting? Or will doing both just make me better and stronger with both?
Thanks.
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12 Replies
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I know nothing about power lifting so I couldn’t give a reliable answer but I hope there’s no conflict and you get to enjoy poling.
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Thanks tblue41945, I hope I get to enjoy poling as well!
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I don’t know much about lifting, but my guess is it would help your poling (strength is really helpful)… I’m not sure if poling would help your lifting… mainly because I don’t know what lifting entails.
Polebull is a fitness powerhouse, and if she pops in here she can probably give you some insight. Her strength really adds to her style when she dances.
The only things I would think could be potential issues:
Doing two hard sports it may be hard to find balance, and you may be more prone to injury if you push too hard. Even just being sore from one of the sports my effect your other workouts. Also sometimes strengthening muscles can make them less flexible, which may make some pole moves harder.
I do think if you listen to your body and find a good balance the two sports can really complement each other. π
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I found that when I lifted in top of poling that my forearms would get over worked from gripping so many things. I also have a job where I use my hands a lot though, so that might not typically be the case. But yeah I would find that I have a weaker grip for pole because my forearms would be overworked and eventually my hands started to feel achey. I switched over to doing strength moves on the pole or very strategic body weight strength training and it’s been fine doin that π I know some girls do lift weights though so hopefully they chime in!
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I lift in addition to poke, silks, and lyra. I do have to be careful not to overwork my grip. I lift purely for health/fitness (not competition) so I just use lifting straps in deadlifts. Haven’t had any issues since I started.
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Thanks ladies, I think I can do this I will be safe and start from the bottom up as well as listen to my body. I just got my pole in today I am so excited!!! Γ°ΕΈΛβ
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I would google Pantera and Natasha NW who are both polers that I know strength train like crazy. Not sure if they are technically powerlifting but they both may be able to give you some insight.
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There is an opposition between very strong musculature and flexibility that requires a good deal of attention to stretching and scheduling off days between lifting to avoid becoming so tight that you cannot reach the pole in certain moves. Muscles will change your balance points somewhat, also. Quads and Hams will bulk up faster than biceps and triceps, so pay attention to how that changes your pivot point on your core.
Joel Lessing
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Poledancefan, could you elaborate on this “opposition” between very strong muscles and flexibility? I’ve never heard that having flexibility could hinder being very strong- quite the contrary, I’ve heard that the two go very well together, as being flexible makes muscles more useful, and brings greater health to joints.
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I feel like I’ve heard the same thing as Joel. I’m not sure the truth behind it but it makes sense to me.
The way I think of it (correct me if I’m wrong, this is by no means my expertise) is that lifting builds tight strong compact muscles, while flexibility is about long lean elastic muscle. The two aren’t mutually exclusive but it’s harder to have both. You may need to put in more work to stay flexible then someone who does not lift.
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I lift and pole and it has taken me some time to make it all work. As you begin pole, you may not have many issues, but the more you get into each, issues of recovery may crop up. I didn’t have any problems until I started inverting and at that point I quickly strained a back muscle. at the time I was really pushing weight on my back squats and then was turning around and going to pole class. My back was the weakest link and needed more recovery time. I also pulled an intercostal muscle, so again, my core was not getting adequate recovery considering the lifts I was focused on (squats, deads, ohp, and bent rows) needed a strong core and pole is very upper body/core intensive. My solution has been to strength train upper body after pole practice at home focusing on pole specific conditioning and then lower body focused compound lifts at the gym two times a week. This gives me adequate recovery time so I do not end up injured again.
My best advice is to go for it, but be smart about how you train and recover. Prioritize your activities. If power lifting is your top priority, then train that way. That doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy other things, you most definitely can, but always be mindful about proper rest/recovery. π
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Thanks ladies for all the tips and advice!!! I am so excited about finally trying to learn how to pole!!! π
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