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Newbie Here with a LOT of questions
Hi all, I’m Cheryl! I’m wanting to try/learn pole dancing but it’s not a studio in Hattiesburg, MS. I ran upon this site searching. QUESTIONS QUESTIONS QUESTIONS: I’m wanting to do this to help with weight loss and toning. I’m diabetic and need to move more. Only problem is I get bored with normal exercise. Am I too heavy to consider pole? Is there a weight restriction with this? Do I use only the lessons here or order others? Where do I purchase a pole?
I’m sorry I’m so naive to this…but I KNOW I won’t be bored…and it’s so sexy! ! Thanks for any help!
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6 Replies
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Hey Cheryl!
Glad to have you here on the forum!
First of all, it’s difficult to say whether you are “too heavy,” but most poles can handle up to 250lbs or so, and be perfectly fine. If you’re above that, you can always participate in different ways- you can do floor work and simpler moves on the pole that don’t require your body weight to be full on the pole, until you feel comfortable and safe moving up 😉
Any kind of movement can really help with weight loss, and a lot of pole dance is going to use your muscles in the same kinds of ways that strength training does- be prepared for sore muscles and feeling deliciously well worked! Some women are afraid of putting on “bulk” by lifting weights, or doing exercises that would be similar to strength training… and there’s an article you must read if this is something you’re concerned about: http://www.girlsgonestrong.com/heavy-bulky/
Pole dance can also be used to get your cardio on, it’s all in the way you work it! By doing things faster that tax your muscles a bit less, you will find that you can get a good cardio workout. Most of us sit somewhere in the middle of cardio and strength training when we pole dance!You can certainly use just the lessons here on the site! They are all put in order of difficulty, so you work from the very beginning and move forward as you feel you can!
Other good resources, for those of us who aren’t doing studio classes (for various reasons), could also be Jamilla DeVilles Pole DVD’s are also a good way to learn, as she explains things carefully and clearly. It can be a bit tough with the DVD though, because you don’t really have anyone to ask questions of.
Which is a great point of being here: You can ask anything, or search the forums, and we’ll more than likely have an answer for you! We are all here for troubleshooting and moral support 😉As for purchasing a pole, there are three main companies that we trust in North America for making safe, sturdy, and useable poles. You must remember: We are trusting our safety to these poles! Nothing less than excellence will do, because there have been some bad accidents with people using less-than-great poles from companies that just want to make a stupid buck.
So, the three trusted ones are Lil Mynx, X-Pole, and Platinum stages. All three have their advantages and drawbacks!
Lil Mynx poles generally come as one single piece, and have an “extender pole” in the middle so that you can adjust to the exact height of your ceiling. Obviously, this also means you don’t want one that is too tall! Studio Veena has previously worked with Lil Mynx, and I’ve personally had one of their poles for quite a long time. I like how it works, but not everyone does. Having a single 8 foot piece of pole can be a little cumbersome, but I also feel happy not having to put anything together. This pole goes up by way of a bracket that is bolted into a stud in the ceiling. It’s very easy to clean up if you move, too. They also have Powder coated poles, which I prefer personally (very grippy!) but not everyone enjoys (too much grip would make spins very hard and possibly painful, it depends on how you react to it).
Xpole is one of the most popular poles, both in the wider community, and on this site. Their poles don’t require any bolts or anything else, but do still require a stud in the ceiling. They come in pieces, are put together easily, and can be taken down quickly. They also have multiple finishes, but I don’t think they have powder coated.
Platinum stages… I actually haven’t heard much from in a while, but I know they’re still around, and still selling a quality product!If you have any other questions, feel free to ask 🙂
OH and before I forget: You can check out the lessons here for free for 3 days, using the code GET3FREE, just in case you want to check them out!!
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Thanks for the response and VERY helpful info!
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Welcome Cheryl! Rune answered your questions well so I just wanted to say that I can’t wait to hear how it goes and maybe someday see your first video (but no pressure, not everyone is into that and that’s okay too)! ðŸ˜â€
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Hello and welcome! Regardless of physical shape or size pole dance can enhance your life and improve your strength, flexibility and add some sexy fun, if you like! So you’ve come to the right place!! The lessons here accommodate very beginners with zero experience to very advanced. As mentioned everything is place in a progressive order in each section and you will have access to my 30 day take off program that builds strength, flexibility and allows you to become familiar with your pole!
Runemist had some great advice on poles. There are a LOT of options so I suggest a 45mm Chrome pole, if you go with static you’ll save the most money. I personally also like powder coated poles.
Here’s an intro to the program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4KzMIIbZH0
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Welcome Cheryl!!! All I can say is you will love this site!!! Enjoy and good luck on your new journey💜
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Hi Cheryl, welcome to StudioVeena! Bear with me, I have a lot of thoughts.
Don’t let size discourage you from doing pole! One thing I love about the pole community is the variety of body types. You have thinner ladies who seemingly dance around the pole like pixies, you have plus-size ladies who dance with equal grace and strength to the thinner ladies. There’s a woman at my studio who usually takes the same classes I do (our schedules are different so she can’t always make it), Novice and Acro-pole. She’s a plus-size lady with quite a lot of strength – I saw her doing straight-leg shoulder mounts recently – and a very good dancer, she won her most recent pole competition and even when she’s practicing spins in class I always stop and notice the grace and style that she moves with. Every body has her own strengths and weaknesses, but being a plus-size lady doesn’t mean you can’t have the strength and flexibility that the thinner ladies have!
If your goal is to lose body fat and build some muscle, pole will certainly help you do that. It’s basically cardio, weights (you’re lifting and carrying your own body weight on the pole), and flexibility all in one exercise! If at a certain point your fitness goal is no longer loss of body fat, but rather staying in shape and just feeling good in the body you have, pole will certainly help you do that too. While I am a thinner lady, I certainly don’t have a gymnast’s body and I’ve had my share of insecurities through the years. Since starting pole dancing, I feel so much more present in my body than I used to, and so much more proud of my body – not just for how it looks, although wearing a sports bra and booty shorts can certainly force you to come to terms with your body’s appearance – but for what it can DO. I never thought I’d be able to do half of what I can now do on a pole! I always used to think of myself as an average girl with slightly below-average physical ability. Now I know how strong, flexible, and capable I really am, and it grows by the day.
Also, I used to have the same problem you do – getting bored of normal exercise. I could not hold a fitness routine for long, and as a result I never really made any gains. I’ve never had that problem with pole! If anything I wish I could do it more than I do now, but if I did I wouldn’t have any rest days =P
Pole really has changed my life, I very much encourage you to try it out if you’re curious about it 🙂 Runemist said everything I would want to say on which type of pole to get. One good thing about home poling is that it’s less expensive than a studio in the end. You may pay more up front than in a studio, but you’ll save quite a bit over time – the amount Veena charges for a year of lessons, I pay in a month at the studio I go to. There’s videos on YouTube as well, but they’re usually not explained as thoroughly and can at times be misleading and overwhelming. I would use YouTube videos sparingly, once you have your feet on the ground (or rather, off the ground) and have a good basic knowledge of pole tricks and spins 🙂
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