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Ouchy ouchy allegra pinchy
This is something that’s been puzzling me for awhile. The allegra is my newest nemesis, and I can’t believe I’m saying this but the problem is not too little grip but too much! I’ve seen the SV lesson, which has got me closer, but not close enough. I usually enter from a flatline scorpio. I grab the pole behind my top (outside) leg, keep my chest up, keep my top leg bent, place my other hand below the pole twist my body and hips so my back is facing the pole…
And this is where I run into trouble, and incredible pain. My top leg gets “trapped” behind my hand, and can’t rotate against the pole. After just 1 attempt my thigh has a blue diagonal line all the way along it, and the bruising is horrific for weeks. Plus, when I try to turn my body to get my back to the pole the skin/fat on my side gets pinched and stops me from rotating. I know the allegra is meant to be a painful move, but seriously? I have tears in my eyes, and instant mega-bruises!
Most girls I’ve seen doing an allegra seem to be quite slim. Now, I’m not that big, but I’m bigger than most allegra-doers, plus I have naturally large thighs (even when I was clinically underweight they were still big). But that can’t be the problem can it? Surely upper-end-of-the-healthy-weight-range plus short-waisted hourglass figure with biggish thighs isn’t too big to allegra?
(BTW, I am very lucky to be one of the rare women without major body image issues, so this is not as emotional a discussion of weight for me than it might be for others. My apologies if I’ve accidentally said something triggering or insensitive).
Is there anything I might be missing technique-wise?
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22 Replies
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Hmmm. Have you tried grabbing around to the pole on different areas of the thigh. Higher, lower? I find its less painful if I do it from the half hip hold, have you tried that? This position gets the torso up nice and high and the hip tucked nicely into the pole.
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the allegra was horrifically painful for me until i actually started grabbing higher on the pole with my anchor hand. i havent' quite figured out why, but the lower i grip, teh more that my thigh was trapped and the harder that it was getting pressed into the pole…. although you'd think it was the other way around.
have you tried using a cupped grip versus regular handshake grip? i also keep the tension in my scorpio leg until my bottom hand is on the pole, and my back is completely turned to the pole, then straighten… can't tell if that's what you're doing as well (not sure when you're straightneing that top leg)…
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Thanks for the tips! I tried grabbing a little higher on the pole tonight and it really helped. It's now only at superman levels of pain which I can live with. I'm still getting a bit stuck and can't quite get my back right against the pole, so I can't reach my foot, but at least I can keep working on it now it's less painful.
Veena, what would be another name for a half hip hold? I'm thinking either a half jade/duchess, or a gemini with the free leg brought in front of your face. I'll have to give that a try too.
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yep half jade.
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Awesome. I'll give it a go 🙂
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I tried the Allegra about 10 times tonight and my upper thigh and my back are in agony!! I just can't release the top leg without falling right down 🙁 I feel like all the weight is on my upper hand and it cant hold me when I roll my body down and arch 🙁
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Shellectra: I feel just the same. I can get into position, but the moment I start to release my leg my hand slips and I fall… Very annoying, I have tried everything!
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I've finally got the allegra! I just needed to practice a few more scorpios with good technique to build up pain tolerance for my leg and side. Also I had to grab my other foot before I even thought about lowering my body (due to my mediocre hip flexor and back flexibility). I have to do the same thing for a closed rainbow, which is where I got the idea.
I haven't had the problem of my hand slipping, though I find I'm holding on with my fingertips, so not the best grip. I just reread Amy's suggestion of using a cup grip and I might try that. Otherwise, the main thing that helped my allegra was spending a lot of time on perfecting my scorpio, flatline scorpio and jade. It really helped me get good side grip, hip turnout, and the balance to rearrange my hand and thigh grip easily. Once I worked them for about six weeks I could suddenly do an allegra (though it's still clumsy getting into position).
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the single thing that helped me IMMENSELY with the hand grip was to slightly overgrip– meaning, instead of grabbing with the top hand with the palm parallel to your body and then wrapping the fingers, i turn the hand so that the palm is literally facing my face before i wrap the fingers…. does that make sense? made a huge difference for me.
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Thanks girls! I’ll definitely try a overgrip next time and grip higher. I have a video of me falling out of one near the ground lol
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i have no advice, but love the title of this! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_safesex.gif
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I also moved my hand up higher towards my knee and found that the pain is totally doable. BUT, I need help! I'm unable to drop so that my back is on the pole… Any suggestions on how to work on rotating my body down to get by back on the pole?
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https://www.studioveena.com/photos/view_photo/4e8fceb7-1364-4889-a2c6-70660ac37250
My best attempt at an Allegra out of my 8 attempts last night, I fell straight after this video still though LOL. I just can't stay up if I take that darn top leg off!! Oh well won't be trying again for several days, my inner thigh and contact point on my back are so sore if I touch them
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shellectra, how are you getting into it? your hips are really low, which is pulling your top leg away from the pole. it may be because your hand is actually too high, or because of the entry you're using.
you want your head to be lower then your hips!
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Thanks Amy! I was getting into it from a Scorpio, I think I might try it from a half hip hold maybe I'll get more snug that way
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