JeHanne
Forum Replies Created
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Charley,
I love your compassion and all the heart and soul you have. I can really tell how much you genuinely care for your students and their success. That really brings joy to my heart.
I would suggest that you do ask your student for a few minutes to talk in private and ask them if they have any specific concerns or considerations about their class experience. If a student brings up their weight then I would by all means share the knowledge you have about the topic. Definitely someone with all that negative self talk would need some gentle reassurance!
If a student did not bring up their weight at all then I would frame it in a different way and tell them something like "If you would allow me to share them with you, I have some exercises I can suggest that will help build your upper body strength (or whatever you notice the student may need some help in)". Or something along those lines. This keeps the student in control, you are asking their permission to receive the information.
I think it is a wonderful idea for you to want to approach your plus size students and enable them with some techniques to grow their pole experience.
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Thanks for the tip re the massage for hammertoes and the tightness. : ) I get massage and have them work my calves, feet, forearms & hands bigtime!
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I am getting to where I file and shape my nails/feet but go to the salon for painting. I do enjoy pedicures but they often cut my nail at an angle that ends up growing out with pain.
Started laughing when I read about the hardwood floors chewing your feet. I failed to mention all the tearing and the glorious discoloration on the top of my feet from friction by splits and other floorwork.
Yes… You gotta rock those arches and point, point and point some more! : )
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Hi Charley,
I had a period in my life where I went from a healty weight to about a size 18/20. I went to a studio for lessons and it was very intimidated to be the biggest girl in class. Even though I was very overweight, all of the students and the instructors were respectful. The feelings I felt were due to my insecurities, something I was dealing with from the inside. I was my biggest enemy and those floor to ceiling mirrors were a total reminder! I liked the environment and going to classes… there is nothing I disliked about the classes due to my size. The things I disliked were how I perceived my body. It was really difficult to find outfits that would allow skin to grip the pole but not create a total self conscious melt down. I wasn't sporting racer back bras and booty shorts to class… even though I would have liked to.
My weight was a limiting factor in all moves where gravity was involved. I felt I was more prone to shoulder injury since the load on my joints was much more so than a healthy weight person. That made me focus on conditioning moves for my shoulders and also made me want to get smaller (lighter) and stronger.
Basic moves that were easy… transitional moves that had at least one foot on the ground or many contact points. Spins like forward and backward hooks, attitudes, firemans… those I could do. I would have at least one or two hands on the pole with an additional contact point.
To condition for pole I did a lot of flexibility training and upper body and core training that used my entire body weight. Things like planks and push ups. I also worked on pole hangs and made sure I was using correct form. For a while I used an exercise band to do shoulder exercises/range of motion etc.
Impossible challenging… split grip moves. Moves that required upper body strength like cradle, hip hold tucks.
Transitions that were challenging… anything that had very rapid movements between standing and floor moves and standing again etc. I was slower transitioning so if there was a fireman to floor, leg fans/flirts then flip over to a sexy push up and stand… I was the last one up.
As far as how long it took… a little slower than the other students but regardless of that I improved every class in some way. I gained strength and my abilities grew. The biggest consideration was that I lacked the upper body strength needed for many of the moves. I had to improve my strength to progress. That is true for anyone, but the more weight you are pulling up that pole… the harder it is. In my opinion!
I am happy to hear you have a variety of students coming in and I hope that you continue to. It is great to see you reaching out to ask for opinions here. I'll be interested to see what others have to say. : )
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Hi! Hammertoes are kind of cute! I should roller the feet more often and will try to press my toes into the floor to see if I can do anything with them. I like to get that really deep trigger point style massage where they jab their thumb deep into the bottom of my foot. Feels sooooooooo good! Its been forever… need to schedule an appointment.
I am happy to hear that you not only accept but you have grown to love your dancers feet. : )
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I will definitely let you know!
Can you try grip aids to help you out for the time being?
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A few folks asked me to share my opinion of the pole and I feel like I have had enough time on it to say how I feel about it.
I LOVE it and am saving for a PS stainless steel so I can try a different finish. The pole arrived in a matter of days and I had a tracking number to follow it while it was in transit.
It is extremely easy to assemble and install, since it is a single piece pole there are not many components. The pole has a beautiful simplicity about it, when installing you twist it and then tighten two large hex nuts by hand. Of course you need to center a joist and make sure it is level but that is common for all the tension poles on the market. Changing from Spin/Static is a snap and only requires you insert or remove a pin in the base. The pin is very easy to pull out with only your fingers, it requires no tools.
The spin is very smooth and the pole feels very secure. The base of the pole is small enough to where I have not smacked it with my shoes or toes. I like how there are not any holes or other areas I have to worry about snagging body jewelry on.
The only part I ended up not liking was the adapter cover. I really like the look of it but did not like how it felt when any part of my body slid over or pressed against it. This was easily fixed by making the pole top mounting like SensualScimitar did.
When I order future PS poles I will request top loading so the cover is not placed on the pole.
Every time I contacted PS they were helpful and very curteous. This is not related to the pole itself but I am very pleased with the time they all took to answer my gazillion questions.
I bought the ceiling mount but have not installed that yet due to other projects and things going on. I plan to get around to that by next week. I'm procrastinating because I am honestly a bit intimidated to drill into a joist.
Overall… I am extremely happy with my pole, the service I received and of course the 10% Veneer discount. That was a very nice bonus!
I hope this was helpful to anyone considering this product. Happy Poling!
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I just noticed your Pup resting on the stage, what a cutie!!!
I googled powder coating and my area and found a few shops. I’ll have to get at least one of my Xpoles done. That’s just too cool!!!
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Thank you for posting pics, it’s beautiful!!! I love the glitter! I need to find a shop that does that in my area.
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PIctures! Pictures!!!
Now that is an amazing idea!
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Not all finishes jive with each of our bodies. So many factors like our skin, moisture levels of our skin, humidity, temperature, diameter of pole all play a part.
You may want to practice, practice and practice some more on the new metal. Don't do anything crazy until you are confident with it. Be safe!
I would suggest experimenting with different grip aids. Just to begin building a comfort level with the metal and seeing what may or may not help you grip to it. Also maybe a small room heater to help warm the metal a bit. It is really so much experimentation.
I hope that this finish does work out well for you.
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Please do not be so down on yourself. I agree with Distracted… "never say never"!
It's okay to not be 100% comfortable with your progress… but its more important to set your sights on a plan to get to those goals.
I do not have a 'style'. I move in ways that make me feel good, that feel natural to me. It is always changing. One thing I do focus on regardless of the movements are basic body mechanics like pointing toes, the lines that are being created, not having limp arms etc.
When I started pole one of the things that really helped me was searching videos and finding a handful of dancers that appealed to me. Give that a try to see who your favorites are… do they have similarities? If so… that could be a clue to the style you are drawn to. Then try to recreate some of their posture, movements or expressions, see how it feels on your body. Focus on the movements that feel right for you.
There are as many styles and facets as there are performers. Let your personality shine! It seems to be a lot of experimentation and goal setting but is a very personal journey.
Think of a flower opening. You can have a dozen in front of you and each flower will unfold its petals in its own way and at its own time. In the end you have a dozen gorgeous patterns of petals and colors to enjoy. Just let yourself bloom as is right for you, let us know how it goes.
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Congrats PegasusAerialFitness!!! I am in love with my 1 piece super pole! Can't wait to hear about how it turns out for you. What length did you end up getting?
Madisonsworld, you can get a carrying case anytime from PS. $375 is a bit of discount but not much. Platinum Stages offers 10% off to SV members and you can get it all brand new direct from them. My Single Piece brass 45mm pole and ceiling mount plus shipping was $330. That is with the 10% discount and delivered straight to my door cut to my specs. I felt like I got a great deal and I love my pole.
I have not used SS before… only Brass and Chrome. Chrome was not very sticky for me. Very cold and slow to warm up. I stick to Brass better. When funding allows… I will be buying a PS SS so I can have another surface to work with.
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I do mostly spin, every so often static but I don't like it as much. Awesome that you are doing some spinny now!
Glad to hear too that it is working out great for you! Do whatever works… if the lotion and grip stuff helps, go for it!
Pole on!!! : )
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I did! I called PS and they had me speak to tech support, they told me the spin is due to the pole not being tight enough and to give it a few more cranks. Once I tightened it a few more times… no more top rotation.
When I tighten it doing a top load it is harder for me to do since I am not turning the pole but the top part.
I love the smaller diameter, it seems so skinny after working with 50mm.