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Pole Instructor Mistakes?
So, I took my first pole class a few weeks back at a pole studio near my house, I'd heard good reviews about it and a few people I know went there before…plus their online reviews weren't bad either. But I was a little confused when I went. I was the only one there, which she says was normal for the night I signed up for because it usually wasn't busy those nights. But I'm looking back and thinking about it. In hindsight, I realized we never did a warm-up or anything like that. She just kinda started me swinging around the pole. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_surprised.gif Thinking about it now it's kind of bad…I guess lurking on SV has showed me that. I'm not sure if it was because it was a different environment because I was the only one in the class, or if that's how all the classes start out. So I quess what I'm asking is…should I find a new studio to try out and compare?
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33 Replies
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What do you mean by "swinging around the pole"? It has been proven time and time again that dynamic warm ups are superior when doing strength type workouts. So depending on how you were swinging around the pole may have been her warm up.
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I’m interested too to find out what you mean by “swinging”. The pole needs to warm-up w/ you so that you’ll stick, but maybe that’s not what you meant…?
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The prevailing wisdom that I've heard is to do a gentle, easy version of your activity as a warm up. So like… walk as a warm up for running. Swim a few slow laps before going for distance. Start with light weights before lifting heavy ones. For pole I can see it going two ways – some light dancing for a dance focused class, or some easy pole moves before working on more advanced moves. I don't have any exercise background, this is just what I've heard from friends and using my own common sense.
I can see how it might worry a student if they hear a big list of warnings or "don'ts" before the class even starts. Safety is obviously very important, but maybe the instructor just wants to get people moving to start.
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Well she pretty much taught me how to properly grip the pole…how to do a pole walk, then wrap my knee around the pole and swing while holding myself up. I'm not sure what the move is called, sorry. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_confused.gif But maybe you're right. She did start off really slow and went at my pace…I'll upload a video of what she actually taught me and then maybe I can show you better than I can tell you.
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That sounds about right actually. If the instructor made you feel uncomfortable at any point, then of course you can try another studio. But that sounds like what I would expect to be taught in a first class. The finer points of mechanics come with time.
An instructor can also see if you're getting something or not and adjust accordingly. Some people pick things up quickly and others do not. So the pace really depends on the students. With SV lessons, a person may be performing exercises without supervision, so of course there is lots of extra safety information included.
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That doesn’t sound bad. I’d say she was probably mainly trying to check out your form and warm you up w/ some light pole-play. (btw, the move you described is what some call a “front-hook spin”)
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Looking at the video it looks like you were doing a side spin kinda….not really a front hook. But I'm not sure what was intended. In the last version it looks like a combo of side hook into a front hook…..odd. What day did you go on that no one else would be at the studio and in a class?
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Yeah… looking at your video, I would agree with SensualRain. Kind of an odd combo to try in a first class. But your form doesn't look bad, and you look reasonably fit. I might give it one more class, especially if you can take one with more people in it. Maybe the instructor felt weird teaching a "full" class with only one student and did it more like a private.
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Generally most classes I have taken begin with at least a 5 min warm up, moving the arms (especially wrists and fingers), hips and legs and getting in some stretching. Other classes I have taken tend to spend more time warming up and including strength moves, up to 15-20 min.
Either way, you can always warm up by yourself more prior to classes, or request for some additional warms up before class begins.
Personally, I wish all pole classes were 90 min with 20 min or warm up and cool down. =)
Was the spin and the pole walk in your video the only thing you learned during the class? I would consider that a side spin. It's not a hard spin to learn, you did a good job for your first class.
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Yes, I think you did an amazing job! However, I am a strong believer in a good warm up and conditioning exercises as well. I've seen young, strong, fit girls sustain injuries due to improper warm ups. While you certainly can warm up a bit on your own, I think that it's the instructor's responsibility to get his/her students warmed up enough to pole. So if you feel that something is…missing… perhaps you might want to politely ask what her teaching background is.
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Thanks guys! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_smile.gif
Yeah, I guess you could say I felt like a little something was missing I guess. I'm going to a class tomorrow night at a different studio so that maybe I'd have something to compare it to. In general the class was bad. The instructor was really nice and she was good about going my own pace. She told me always practice equally on the right and left side, and told me about grip aids and such. Maybe she just did feel a little odd only teaching one student. I went on a Wednesday Portable…
And yeah, the spin and walk was pretty much it JB. She told me I was supposed to touch my toes together and try to hold my body up in the end, but I couldnt get my legs to stretch enough or my arms to hold my body up enough. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif But thanks!
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BTW, we were talking and it turns out the instructor I guess started out as a stripper so pretty much everything she knows was self-taught. Not sure if that means anything. Do you have to have certain qualifications in terms of teaching to open up a studio?
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No, there are no qualifications that anyone needs to open a studio besides money.
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Chemmie is right–sadly. There is no governing body so therefore, there are no enforceable standards. There are a ton of industry dancers (or ex) who are incredible dancers but if they don't know have any teaching technique (which, in my mind, includes technical issues and how to keep a student safe from injury) or methodology, I think the student loses out. I'm curious to hear about your experiences with other classes. It's super important to try other teachers and studios to see which one is best for you. Nothing wrong with chatting to other students (if there are any, like in your first class!) to see how long they've been there, etc. Keep us posted!
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It doesn't sounds like the instructor was totally bad, but obvious not the right instructor for you. It sounds like you didnt meshed very well with her. At my studio I will hold a class even if only 1 person has signed up. I have found you have to give it some time, before classes fill up regularly, and if people don't see the time they want on the schedule they will go somewhere else. And for the stripper part, that is a job…not who someone is..or does it give some one the qualification of there ability to teach this type of fitness. Even though there can be a sassy side to pole fitness/dance/artistry….blah blah blah..it is not "stripper fitness"
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