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The Invert Tilt
I’ve been struggling with this for years. Literally, years. I need some kind of OTHER explanation on the “tilt back” for an invert other than the ones I’m getting, because it seriously doesn’t make sense to me… and I am frustrated!!
In pole class, we’re working on holding our weight while lifting our legs for invert prep, and though I *can* invert, I definitely cannot do it well, gracefully, or in any way a deadlift. It feels impossible!
I’m told I’m supposed to “Just tilt back” like I am trying to look at the back wall, or the floor behind me. This makes no sense to me. None. My rear is heavy and I am struggling just to get everything off the ground, how on earth am I supposed to tilt back?
This defies gravity. This is physically an impossibility. A human does not simply “just tilt back” when their weight is mostly in the lower half, as is true of MOST HUMANS. As far as I know, no one has a head heavy enough to counterbalance the rest of them.
I am further instructed to keep my arms bent, just as bent as when I lift my legs. Thus, the movement is not in my arms or shoulders, because those joints aren’t moving.
“Just tilt back” sounds very much like a passive action, as if it should come easily. Like I should be on some kind of teeter-totter and could just move my centre of balance. Hence my confusion and frustration- It is not easy, it is not making sense, and it’s so, so frustrating!!I work super hard to keep my legs off the ground. That never seems to get easier (though with all my weight lifting and stuff, it is obviously easier for me in a sense, as I can hold it a little longer, and I can do more of them), so most of my effort goes just to that.
Even just “trying to look at the back wall” only has me cranking my head back, there is absolutely no movement with the rest of my body.
I have also watched Veena’s explanation, years ago, and it doesn’t help. Nothing, so far, has helped.So, can anyone PLEASE explain this to me differently? Is this as passive as it is being explained to me? Is there something I am missing? Have you gone through this and figured out what I might be missing?
Thanks everyone
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12 Replies
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Sounds like your instructor is teaching inverts as a deadlift which is super hard and not the approach I take at all.
If you’re looking for a method that allows for controlled momentum, this is what I suggest, then check out the invert lesson here. Just tip the hips is not the key to inverting!
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Or better yet, try the 30 day invert program too!
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I was also frustrated when I would get the same response from teachers but now that I can do it (still can’t start with straight legs however) I kinda see what they mean. Your body is a lever in this move so yes tilting the head back does help distribute the weight since it weighs a few pounds. Things that helped me:
Don’t face the mirror while doing it
More core work
Get the pole crunch down pat!! When I was struggling just to bring my knees to my chest, that next step of tilting back seemed impossible. Build enough strength so that conditioning move isn’t such a struggle anymore and holding your weight before tilting back doesn’t seem like such an impossible task.
Doing a bunch of pole crunches on both sides (holding onto pole and bringing knees up to chest) probably helped condition me for this move the most and one day it all just “clicked†-
I remember this being helpful…
http://aerialamy.com/blog/2012/05/03/thursday-tip-chopper/Also, I think the head back is important for the final 25% of inverting… I see people get most of the way but don’t lean back so the hips can’t fully lift. Until that pivot point I think “crotch to the pole†not legs to the pole or anything else. Crotch to the pole gives you that umpfh from the hips.
That’s what worked for me anyway
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Thanks everyone!
I am currently using “controlled momentum†to invert, but it’s really not nice looking. Even when doing that, my hips barely reach parallel with my shoulders, if they do even reach that point.
I am getting *better* with the pole crunches, and can do more of them on either side, but they are still very hard. I work on core three times a week, every time I’m at the gym, so it’s a little frustrating that I’m not seeing very much progress at all.
I recognize I’m looking to do something that is fairly difficult and may take me some time, but to indicate that my extremely heavy hips will somehow tip from being well below my shoulders or head to somehow being above both of those “on a fulcrum†like it is somehow easy does not make sense to me.
My hips, when doing a pole crunch, barely move from where they are if I’m standing. My knees reach up to my chest, but my hips are not involved. This is how I see everyone doing this move, this is how I am taught this move and have always been taught this move… even on this very website. Knees to chest, that is all.
So, if I’m missing something, if somehow the crotch-to-pole mechanism requires more, then please, someone tell me.
Tell me the muscles I need to engage. Tell me if I should be pulling harder or working on some other thing than just “knees to chest, and then tilt back.†Because, based on the physics that I am experiencing, that is not a feasible thing. If I was to create a model on how this works for me, there would be no see-saw action, just a great big heavy thing on the bottom, keeping it all down. -
I should also say… I am instructed not to have my elbows move at all during this move. Like, if I was going to get my crotch to my pole, wouldn’t my arms extend, even a little bit? How do you “commit to leaning back†without your arms moving? In what way are you leaning back that would bring your hips upward, and not your head downward?
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Just to clarify I don’t teach, “knees to chest” as a main method of basic invert. My lessons have evolved as I learn more of what struggles students have and how I can help.
Also I feel inverting with controlled momentum can be very pretty and I do it that way often. The only reason someone needs to invert from a deadlift is of they’re working towards aerial inverts. You can enjoy inverts forever without having to deadlift into them.
To properly deadlift an invert, which is what you are saying you want, requires a LOT of conditioning and TONS of practice for most. Using controlled momentum will also help prevent injuries often associated with trying to deadlift over and over.
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I really only feel like the tipping back works the last quarter of the way…. so yeah it’s not going to get your hips above your head from under your head. But from being horizontal it helps (attaching a pic from amy’s Blog)
I also don’t see how you can keep your elbows bent?! Not sure why they are telling you to do that. Can you find any pics of that? That seem weird to me!
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This is the only way that I was able to confidently achieve my inverts: https://youtu.be/y9RNxcSVc9U
And my struggle has been for YEARS, too. I just could never put it into such great words ðŸ‘ðŸ¾â¤ï¸â¤ï¸
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Veena- I’m happy to hear that the lessons have evolved over time. The knees-to-chest thing is what I am being taught as a conditioning move right now, but I suspect that my instructor *may* be jumping the gun a little bit, based on the skills of the people around me. I might talk to my friend (the owner of the studio) about how she teaches inverts, instead. I remember her having a different way of doing it, but I don’t get to have her as an instructor very often.
Also, I totally realize that controlled momentum can look beautiful, it’s just that it doesn’t look lovely right now, when I’m doing it. More like… trying to flip a cat who doesn’t want to do that :/ Just a lot of struggle. The indications I’m getting from people when I ask about improvement are, well, as described above.
And, while I would love to get your lessons, even with the app, I’m still struggling to get everything in my life in order. I don’t want to spend the money and then just not use it, because I can’t initiate myself to pole dance at home right now. I’m working on it, and when it comes to ADHD, that can be a difficult and confusing road. But, I do intend to eventually try your app and see if it works for me.AllysonKendal- That post was actually really helpful, and I agree with you! I don’t know what is supposed to be happening with the elbows- I even confirmed with my instructor, there should be *no* movement!! I was like, how?? I’ve even seen her invert, and I’m pretty sure there is some extension through the arms. I wonder if she is meaning for us to not think of it like just letting our arms go fully extended, but to concentrate on keeping our muscles engaged? But there is still movement? I’m not sure. She’s… sometimes not great with explaining stuff. It confuses me!
But I’m gonna keep that article around, and re-read it when I need help. It explains a lot more, and I feel like there’s stuff in there I may have forgotten over time (I came across this article years and years ago, and totally forgot about it!)Tara- I have literally NEVER heard of this, and it looks amazing! I’m going to have to try it. I suppose eventually you could straighten it out till it’s going straight back, over time?
Anyways, thank you all for your help. I’ve been so frustrated (sometimes irrationally so) over so many years about this, and getting so much different information! It’s so hard to be left behind, over and over again, in classes, despite my very best efforts. It feels just like everything else in my life- try my very best, and still not as good as everyone else. It’s a horrible feeling!
I try to remember that I can still do things that others can’t, and I am still comfortable with moves that other people are not. I’m a lot stronger these days than I ever have been! It’s just hard, when all I’m ever working on is this one thing I can’t ever seem to get.
So, thank you for putting up with my frustration, and still trying to help me. It means a lot! -
The advice that you outlined seemed curious to me too. I am thinking that she has had students that tried to straighten their arms and kind of ‘dropped’ so she is emphasizing that the initial tilt is not a result of straightening arms maybe? Dirdy Birdy says it that when inverting arms straighten as the crotch comes into the pole which matches with what I see mostly.
So this might be more frustrating than helpful, but one way to feel that initial tug down on the pole and crunch that is needed for a completely controlled tilt back is to sit on the floor besides the pole like you are going to invert with your knees tucked and lifted like you have already done the first half of the exercise, and then try to lift your butt off the ground. There are methods of momentum that you can take advantage of while standing that this will not give you access to, but on the other hand trying it might give you a new drill and a way to measure progress short of a full tilt back. Also it might let your brain sort out that pull/crunch without having to focus on holding yourself up at the same time.
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I completely understand your frustration. I live that life.com. But girl, don’t beat yourself up. There’s 1000 other beautiful things that you can do. You seem like me: we just want to get better and do the right thing in our practice.
I walk around literally doing reversed twerks trying to strengthen and work that pelvis tilt that’s holding me back. In the video that I recommended: she does say to kick just a little. I believe that you don’t need to do this (at this point). I know that I have enough strength not to kick into it, but LIFT my inside leg and lean/lay into it.
When I teach people, I don’t even use the “K“ word. I’m completely against that because newer polers may rely solely on momentum instead of understanding how to control their weight on the decend. I’m sure you know, This could lead to major injuries.
But please, let me know how it works out for you!
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