[Alyson]

That pole on Amazon is most definitely a knock off X-Pole. Has the dome and even has an X in the name! As someone who has been poling for years, that is not something I would trust. It also assembles using threaded segments… again, not something I believe to be particularly secure. X-Pole stopped making threaded poles years ago! As they mentioned above, I would just go with the sport pole x-pole. Not much more expensive and you know it’s not going to crush your glass coffee table at some point 😉

[Alyson]

Maybe bubble wrap? Or surround it with that baby fencing? Not sure how big and strong they are…

[Alyson]

I would stay away from cheap, no name poles. You never know what you’re getting, and that can be really dangerous

[Alyson]

You’re welcome! I was always the last to learn everything, and now I’m an instructor. You can’t compare your pole journey to someone else’s. In fact, I think the fact that I struggled with pretty much everything made me a better instructor… I’m much more focused on technique and I find it easier to pinpoint where a move might be going wrong… because guaranteed I made that same mistake at one point 😉

As for the toes, you don’t necessarily have to have pretty ballerina pointed toes. It’s more about making sure the leg is at the correct angle. I just watched the Veena tutorial and she mentions this as well. You HAVE to angle down (if you can do an inverted v, I find it easier to hook from there since the back leg is our of the way, but obviously a little trickier of you can’t do the inverted v yet). But at the same time, I think that if you concentrate on those two things I mentioned you’ll have a much easier time. You really are almost there, just a few minor adjustments. I’m also glad you see you’re not afraid to arch your back so you’re looking at the floor. That also makes a big difference in getting your hip and behind the armpit pushed securely into the pole. One of the more common problems I see, but you seem to have that covered.

Let us know how it goes tomorrow! If you’re still having problems, I don’t mind having a second look or making a video for you 🙂

[Alyson]

Yay! Way to go! Gemini is a tricky one, I definitely struggled with that one for weeks too. And I appreciate that your husband is so supportive.

If you don’t mind my constructive criticism, I have two things to add that will probably help with your grip.

First, I find it really helps to make sure my torso is as perfectly perpendicular to the pole as I can get it. I do this by hooking my outside knee, then using my hands to pull up a little (you don’t need to go far) as I turn my torso outwards. I think of trying to get my belly button looking up at the ceiling. This may seem irrelevant to your leg grip, but it actually pulls your waist more firmly into the pole, so leverage will help hold you up.

Second, I had issues with pushing my foot down towards the floor. I would always see people doing it and it looked like their hooked leg was straight so that’s what I was trying to do. But you actually need to think of pointing your toe down towards the floor as much as you can. This will ensure you’re using that muscle, and it will deepen the pocket behind your knee that the pole sits in. When I look up at that leg, it looks weird and a little TOO angled downwards, but it looks very straight in pictures. It confused me for a long time!

My main problem with this move was balance. I have tips for that too, but your balance looks good so I’ll spare you 🙂 Anyway, hope this helps you! You’re like,98% there, it’s just a matter of getting comfortable letting go. That will come with practice and a few minor tweaks. You can do it!!!

PS if any of my tips don’t make sense I’d be happy to send you a video 🙂 This was a nemesis move for me so I’m always happy to help

[Alyson]

I’m partial to the 7 inch Pleasers with clear foot straps. I find the clear straps much more comfortable and they have better pole grip. I had a pair of 6 inch Ellie’s before, but I found them heavy. My Pleasers are nice and light! I also found the Ellie’s were narrower than the Pleasers (not a big deal for me since I have skinny feet anyway, just an FYI for you in case you don’t want that) and the bend at the ball of the foot seemed to be further ahead towards to toes. Hard to explain, but that bend didn’t seem to hit me at the right spot on my foot. Make sure you look at the height of the platform when you buy. I also have a pair of 8 inch Pleasers, but the difference in platform height between the 7 and 8 inch heels is pretty major…2.5″ platform on the 7″ heels and 4″ on the 8″ heels!

[Alyson]

Damn. Apparently I don’t have any pictures that actually shows the whole room. The walls aren’t that bare anymore… I’ve since added a huge mirror and some pictures. I also put up a white board near the mirror so I can write down tricks I wanna try.

[Alyson]

We just moved to a new place in May and while house hunting I SPECIFICALLY searched for a house where I could make a sweet pole/stretch/work out room. I have a whole room for it now 🙂 I must admit, I’ve been having a blast decorating it. Still a few more improvements can be made, but I’m pretty proud of it. Pictures (I’ve attached one) don’t quite do it justice… it’s so much sparklier in real life and the strip lighting along the floor actually changes color. Love my new pole room! I only had a 425 Sq ft apartment before so I’ve been dreaming of this for YEARS!

[Alyson]

If you’re going to buy an actual X-Pole, you can always get someone who’s handy with tools to cut it down for you. It would destroy the pole, but who cares if you’re replacing it. Not sure of the design since it’s fake, but my real X-Pole got stuck a few months ago. I posted the solution here: https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/OMG_NEED_HELP_Brand_New_XPert_NX_Wont_Come_Down_20140611100414

[Alyson]

I find pole shoes very different from regular heels. First, pole shoes usually have rubber soles–regular heels usually do not, so pole heels get more traction on the floor. Second, pole heels tend to be flatter on the ball of the foot, whereas regular heels usually have a curve that helps your foot roll as you walk. More added stability! Plus what was already mentioned above. I would definitely invest in a pair…I always wear Pleasers. Nice styles too, very fun 🙂 Gets addictive very quickly!

[Alyson]

You’re going to see a lot of beautiful places! You should check out Tantra Fitness when you’re in Vancouver. I had a private lesson from Tammy Morris in May and she was great! Even after I accidentally stole her Dry Hands haha! Also a great opportunity to learn some exotic/floor work, because she’s one of the best when it comes to that. But if not, she most definitely has some great tricks.

[Alyson]

I’ve never tried a powder coated pole but I’d like to say I absolutely HATE titanium gold! I can’t figure out why everyone likes them online. We used to have one at my studio and I can’t think of a single person who liked it, so we had to get rid of it. I have a brass pole at home (new 2014 Xpert) and it’s wonderful. We have exclusively chrome at my studio…I use grip at the studio but none is ever required at home. Plus once I got used to the extra pain of brass the chrome starred feeling sooo silky and smooth on my skin by comparison haha!

[Alyson]

Calluses happen! Pole uses friction so there’s not much you can do to avoid it. Dry Hands absolutely makes the calluses worse though…it’s grip, so you’re increasing the friction. You can try using a pumice stone in them after a bath but they’ll come back. The soreness will reduce over time like all types of pole pain but I don’t think I’ve ever met a poler with no calluses on their hands!

[Alyson]

Try to stick to moves that are parallel to the pole… if you have legs or arms that are sticking out towards or away from the camera, then you’ll look like you have stubby arms/legs. As an example, butterfly is a beautiful move for pictures because everything is lined up.

[Alyson]

Make sure you have a strong upright crucifix before you ever try the inverted crucifix or a bat! You need to really squeeze that pole with your legs and the easiest way to practice that is to do the right side up (non-inverted) version. Once you can take your hands off upright, you should have very little problem taking the weight off your hands. Let your legs do the work! NEVER EVER take your hands off for an inverted crucifix or bat until you know how to squeeze properly with your legs.!