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Timeline for learning
Hey everyone!
I’ve been thinking about this recently, and I suspect that hearing other peoples’ answers might really help.
Unfortunately, I have no real sense of time, and I also have a hard time inhibiting the “All the things, RIGHT NOW” in my brain… which leads to some problems, as you might imagine.
One of the things that really sucks is when those two things crash together. In this case, it looks like this:
I need to do ALL the pole things, RIGHT NOW. They should probably all be perfect in two days.I recognize this is not a realistic timeline (or goal), but the problem is… I don’t know what IS realistic. So, I throw myself at my pole, try to do as many things as I possibly can all at once with no plan, and then wonder why I’m so tried, frustrated, and feel like I’m getting nowhere. It’s hard to make progress, and it’s hard to feel like I ever will.
So, what amounts of things do you feel comfortable tackling at the same time? How do you keep it a comfortable amount of moves/movements, without either getting overwhelmed, or bored?
And, how long does it seem to take you to go from “I can’t even really do this” to “I’m pretty good and feel like I could move on, and comfortably incorporate this into freestyle/choreography”?Thanks for your help!
(Also yes I am still planning on doing videos… I just have to work out a few logistical things. Has it really been that long since I got back on here?!)
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9 Replies
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Maybe commit to doing one of Veena’s 30-day programs and really take the “no more than X sets” and “respect rest days” seriously? I have similar issues because I tend to be a bit obsessive and want to do everything right away, but following 30 Day Takeoff has been really great for me. I don’t go so hard I collapse, but I am seeing awesome progress.
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Hey Nyxed!
Sadly, I don’t have money for a subscription right now, so following the takeoff’s aren’t possible for the time.
I also find working on a single move extremely boring- I tend to enjoy mixing it up, and thus keeping the moves a little bit more novel for a while. It helps with my attention! However, doing ALL the move stuff seems to be a bit too much. I also get frustrated- I am strong in some ways, and not very strong in others, so for a lot of other people, they think I should be able to do something, when I cannot. This is why I often prefer to work out in a way that I can control (even though I know it comes with pitfalls, such as the one at hand, as well as motivation).
I am always really good about rest days, though! With as many physical hobbies as I have, I’m really particular about my rest days being actual REST days 😉
Thank you for the suggestion, though! 30 days is actually a good amount of time to practice something. Perhaps I will try that in my own way 🙂 -
Ahh, gotcha! Well, maybe pick a few new moves to work toward and plan backwards from there–
what muscle groups will you need to strengthen to achieve them? Then add in some moves you’re already good at to refine, so you can feel good about something and not get discouraged. -
The only way to progress in anything is to commit to practice. There’s really no magic bullet and randomly going at moves when it comes to training the body and mind might work for some but most people benefit from a practice of progressive learning. Your brain needs to create the pathways so movements become automatic that doesn’t happen overnight or when done sporadically.
I’ve seen in several of your posts how you can’t afford the lessons so I wanted to make sure you were aware that we now have an app containing just the lessons making them available for even less! A very reasonably priced 9.99! You can’t work with a personal trainer for a 30 days or take pole classes for 30 days for that price. It seems you may not know because you’ve been gone for a long time.
You might also not be aware that the programs were created just for the purposes you’ve brought up and you don’t have waste time creating a workout plan for yourself. There are many new routines and Veena’s tips to choose from as well because I also don’t expect everyone to get excited about just doing a move over and over!
My take on pole dance is that is should be a FUN form of exercise that enhances your life. It’s sexy, easy to follow and doesn’t need to take much time out of your day for you see progress and feel better. If you want to get to a point where you’re doing should mounts, caterpillars and such then committed time is needed. But I feel no matter what level someone reaches pole and all that goes with it can be fun and keep you fit.
A person can make anything seem overwhelming by overthinking it which often turns into talking yourself out of just DOING what you’d like to do. You get stuck in planning mode and never move forward….that’s why the programs are great!
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I feel the same way sometimes because there are just so many things to work on. It’s tempting to want to go back and forth between many moves, but what has worked for me is choosing no more than 3 bit moves to focus on at a time. I like to keep them related so I can do the same conditioning/muscle memory training.
It’s really frustrating to feel like you’re getting nowhere. There are times I feel like I’ve been working on a move forever and I’m never gonna get it. We all have strengths and weaknesses, so I recommend combining them. It’s nice to have a “feel good” move to fall back on. As an example, I’ve been working on ayesha/straight edge for 8 months now and just last night started getting it solid and consistent. When I started to get frustrated and lose interest, I had caterpillar climb as a “feel good” move I could work on. As a bonus, caterpillar climb helps with the strength/positioning needed for ayesha. Win-win!
I try to have both long-term and short-term goals, too. Lots of small short-term gains help me feel like I’m at least accomplishing something and it keeps things interesting. I always, always keep videos of myself so I can measure my progress. Progress in pole can be a very subtle thing, and it’s not always linear (sometimes I regress a bit before I get something).
Most importantly, have fun! If you’re trying to do tricks or conditioning and you’re just not feeling it…do something that makes you feel good! I will sometimes freestyle, twerk, do chair, or stretch if I’m really not feeling up to trick training. 🙂
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Veena, I see what you’re saying, and also no I didn’t know the app was so cheap! That’s pretty awesome 🙂 I do a lot of strength training in the gym, but doing it at home, and following a rigid program, is… sadly, very boring for me. I need some kind of excitement! That’s why I’m struggling. It’s a difficult balance.
StrangeFox, thank you! I was thinking about 3 moves to work on, but I also really like the idea of having a “feel good” move. I forget that stuff sometimes!
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I will say that I am not the type of person who enjoys conditioning, but I find Veena’s exercise programs fun. It honestly doesn’t take long to complete 1 day of a program, and many of the exercises she uses are pole moves (spins, transitions, floorwork, tricks).
Another thought – if conditioning is just not going to happen, you could always try to take a bunch of exercises and throw them into a dance routine. I hate conditioning my core so I choreographed my own little dance filled with core strength-building moves. I also made a point of hanging a sheet of paper on the wall of my freestyle room so I could remind myself to include certain strength-building moves into my freestyles.
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I actually do a lot of strength training at the gym- I work out there with my Mum, 3 days a week. No matter what else we do there, core training *always* comes at the end! I have to say, it’s made a huge difference. I’m certain I could stand to bump it up a little more, but even 3 days a week, one exercise each time, has been great. It doesn’t have to take long to make a difference 😉
I attribute the fact that I haven’t actually lost anything I learned from the studio last year to the strength training. It’s been huge for me!
I will check out Veena’s app, though. It’s possible it might be enough to even just get me going, because… well, sometimes (often, let’s be honest) it’s a challenge for me to get going.Also, core work can really suck at the beginning. It used to make me feel sick to my stomach! But it does get easier. I’m still not good at planks (Mum’s at two minutes and twenty seconds, I’m still struggling at one minute!), but I’m pretty good at everything else!
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Wow 3 days a week in the gym! Nice! ….maybe I should try that…anyway, what I did when I was getting bored with things but still wanted to consistently work on things was to switch up exercise that still targeted similar things. So for example when I was working on hamstring flexibility (which I will ALWAYS need to work on) I did some active stretches one week, then focused on yoga poses like standing head to knee the next week, and so on. Now for flexibility I think they say its best to continue to do similar things, but sometimes I had to mix it up. Then I would practice pole moves that dealt with that particular skill and see how far I was getting.
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