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Basic invert and gracefullness
Hey all…
So im VERY much a beginner and i'd finally got the basic invert down pat…sorta. It took a while because i would never allow my head and upper body to fall back. Now that i actually can do it(still hesitate sometimes) i now have this whole problem trying to hold onto the pole between my thighs and slide down with some kind of grace. Its almost like i cant hold my body weight when i'm upside down. Should i just concentrate on strength buliding for now and just put the inverts on the back burner. I sooo dont want to bruise myself up because i dont have enough strength. Advice PLEASE https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif!!!
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7 Replies
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Can you do the Crucifix? If you can grip the pole enough to not slide whilst the right way up doing this, then you should be able to put the legs in the same position whilst inverted and have just as much grip.
I find I then end up with an utter death grip and can't slide down without really forcing myself to let go a bit!
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I used to slide down easily when I first started inverting, but now I can hold the grip for a very long time as long ad my pole is not cold. It definitely improved with practice.
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I think the biggest problem is that i learned a basic invert before i learned any of the fundamentals (watching youtube videos) :- / and ever since i started the beginner lessons lessons for this site, I realized there is ALOT im gonna have to learn before i go back to the invert.
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That is a great revelation to have! Inverting is not a beginner move. In order to do it gracefully you should be lifting entirely with core muscles, without kicking up or using momentum. Go ahead and build up strength in the pole sit and upright crucifix. You'll be much more capable of holding an inverted crucifix then! Also you can work on the inverted crucifix without inverting, by using a reverse handstand (found in Veena's lessons). Her lessons are fantastic, just take all of her advice on the topic of inverting. There is also a great thread on the forum titled "Am I Ready to Invert?" that might have some good pieces of information. Happy poling! 🙂
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I definitely recommend getting Veena's lessons and following them from the very beginning if you are a brand new dancer. Inverting takes good core and upper body strength, and if you are lacking in that, then you're using momentum to get yourself upright, and that is neither pretty nor safe. If you have sloppy technique on a basic invert and don't correct it now before moving on, you're going to keep whatever bad habits you may have formed and use those in more advanced inverts and you run the risk of hurting yourself. I had a friend who I invited over a couple of times to pole with me, and she was a disaster waiting to happen; she was a complete beginner, so I just taught her a basic fireman spin and some floorwork and movement around the pole. She'd been sedentary pretty much her whole life aside from some gym classes when she was in high school, which was years ago, so she had lousy upper body and ab strength. She wanted to go upside down and I repeatedly told her she was not strong enough and that she needed to learn the beginner stuff first (walk before you run and all that,) but in spite of that, she tried inverting three different times as soon as I'd turn away for a second. Basically, she just threw herself into the invert as hard as she could and hoped for the best; twice she could only get halfway, and once she finally, out of pure dumb luck, managed to hook her ankles. She thought this was pretty good, and, even when I informed her that no, it wasn't, that she was being very unsafe and that it didn't look good, she tried to invert again. If she finds another place to pole, I forsee a nasty injury in her very near future.
Bottom line: don't be like her. Wait until you're ready, and in the meantime, work on building up your strength so that you can get into it properly and safely. It'll look much better, and you won't have to worry about injuring yourself because you jumped into something you weren't ready for.
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Thank ladies, i've definitely decided to focus on the strength building for the next month or so and practice some floor work. I've come to find i'm actually pretty good at that https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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Floor work is a blast anyway; I love it. Definitely focus on stretching too if you're not already naturally bendy; I came into pole with a pretty extensive background in strength training, so that's never been a problem for me, but I am huuuugely inflexible, and now that I'm getting into more advanced tricks, it's holding me back because there are some moves my body just can't physically do right now. Start now and you will be thanking yourself later.
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