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I’ve been checking out these suggestions too! I’ve also started checking Instagram in the #pdflow and #pdfloorwork tags.

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Thanks y’all. 🙂 I needed all of this. I’ve just tried to reply two other times, but nothing more than the first section shows up, so this will just all get crammed together. I like the quote about chasing rabbits. I have so many rabbits I love chasing and have had to let several go in order to focus on pole and my business. It’s hard to remember to forgive myself for setting these limits, and hopefully after I’ve knocked out a few of the bigger business tasks, I’ll feel start feeling better and more adjusted. Thanks again! I’ve been practicing pullups on a bar at home and picked up the #bendybackchallenge on instagram (check @33barbwire to laugh at some flexy fails). This is just so I’m doing *something* but since it’s the weekend I’ll make time to get in some light pole too, like everyone here suggests.

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This is awesome, Veena! Thanks so much!

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Arcsis – you said not to, and I should’ve listened. I checked the comments because I usually never pay attention to youtube comments. Now I remember why I don’t do that. Two comments in I was like, yeeaaaah no.

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Finally got to watching the recorded broadcast of this talk. This has been such a cool discussion! Everyone’s insight has been super helpful on a huge pile of thoughts I’ve been sitting on and have been thinking of doing a big ol’ brain dump in a blog post.

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OH where do I start? Just shoulder slides feel like I’m ripping off my skin, so shoulder mount stuff is a ways off. Inverted crucifix and Superman, stuff like that where I think I haven’t conditioned my thighs enough to feel like I’ll grip ok without my skin hurting.

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I really want to see this one, but when I click the Periscope link I get a “broadcast has expired” page.

I guess I’ll hold some of my comments until I see the video, but I learned about #notastripper and #yesastripper from an article that catmoves had shared and I love the knowledge drop! It sucks that #notastripper is a thing, but I started searching #yesastripper on Instagram to find new polers to follow and diversify my visual pole diet.*

(*not to hijack the thread, but “visual diet” comes from a TED Talk I saw a while ago about body image and diversifying representations of beauty in the media. Actually, if I’m not mixing up my TED talks, this one was by a plus size burlesque dancer and y’all will probably love her!)

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Firebird – I notice you’re in San Diego. Is pole pretty mainstream there? In the Midwest and across a lot of the South, pole isn’t mainstream. In my experience that I hinted at above, telling some people about pole is met with derision because they don’t hear much about it and don’t respect it. When the person doing pole isn’t used to that kind of adversity in conversation, it can make them want to be sneaky about it and avoid talking about it too much.

But the prevailing attitudes about pole in these regions won’t change unless we timid polers get braver and become evangelistic about it, all styles included, until pole really does become as mundane and “not a big deal” as soccer or yoga. I think we need to take a cue from the Crossfit people and not shut up about it, lol!

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I’ve been away and I’m still on a trip but I wanted to pass by and answer what I can, even if I have to come back in and expand on it later.

WonderRenchy – Welcome to SV! Your English is good! Second languages are challenging for anyone and I think most of us understand you just fine. Can you elaborate on how/why you refer to stripping as a Sysiphys job? I need to go read up on that myth. 🙂

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Y’all I am so sorry! I totally forgot to come back and add those pictures I said I would…

I mentioned a cup as a tripod, and a binder clip. Here are some pictures that I hope convey the ideas better than the descriptions I had given. I just pulled both of these off google.

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I cut a slot in the bottom of a solo cup wide enough for my phone. Best cheap phone tripod ever! Until my friend showed me a trick with a binder clip that I possibly like even better. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, hang tight, I’ll post pics later today.

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Thanks for the responses so far, y’all! It’s neat to hear other people weigh in and can’t wait to read more.

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Neeeaaaat! I’ve been wanting to know about a resource for this too! Thanks to everyone contributing information!

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My pole is 50mm and it’s only recently that I got to start occasionally playing with my friend’s 45mm. I’m 5’4″, so I don’t have particularly long hands and I hear you on the challenges that come with 50mm (I mention height because tall people with longer hands have physics working in their favor). As Veena said, do your strength and conditioning and practice and it’ll all come! Getting to alternate 50 and 45 is fun because hand stuff will feel easier on a 45 after you get used to a 50, however I conversely experience challenges with leg grips being harder on a 45 after being used to 50.

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Maaaaan, I really could’ve had this knowledge dropped on me like a year ago when I first started “training” for splits. Knowing what I know now, every youtube video I see of some kid gymnast titled “Middle Splits in One Day!” I’m like, yeah bullshit, moving on.