[Kobajo84]

Doing a shoulder mount for your first time on the pole is not typical.  The shoulder mount is such an advanced move that many students need to work their body up for it- as in condition their muscles to prepare for the proper use of body mechanics to safely execute this move.  If your body is not ready for such a move you could cause serious and painful injuries.  Sometimes injuries may not be felt until the next day.  Veena has such great lessons here on her site that are well organized and very affordable.  A great place to start would be to take advantage of her lessons.  You can also try local pole studios in your area so you have an in person face to face experience.  Sometimes having someone there to guide you really helps.  Everyone advances at different paces, it's just important to remember to start things out the right way and not learn the hard way after weeks to months of rest post injury. 

[Kobajo84]

Veena has a stretching series in her lessons that can be performed. I also just wrote a blog about BeSpun's Stretching and Conditioning DVDs:

https://www.studioveena.com/blogs/view/BeSpun_Conditioning__Stretching_for_Pole_Dancers_DVD_Review_20110209095243

Do lots of research, there is a lot of tools out there for stretching.  The Valentino Brothers just released a DVD for Side Splits and Back Stretching which can be purchased from http://www.Badkittyexoticwear.com.  I purchased mine but haven't recieved it yet for a review, however here is a link for the video trailor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OX_c0w52cwM

The key to stretching is being patient. Increasing flexibility can be a slow but rewarding process.  You just have to be perisistent and arm yourself with knowledge.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

 

[Kobajo84]

If soreness does not subside after a week or gets worse see your doctor.  You could have torn ligaments.  It's normal for the first few days to have soreness but if it persists or gets worse then that is your indication that you need to further investigate to prevent aggravating the injury and potentially making it worse.  I would refrain from lifting anything more than 5 pounds or 2 kilograms for a week on the affected side.  Do slow range of motion exercises to keep the joint from becoming stiff.  If pain is present during these exercises- stop. I have heard of people having this happen before with sometimes repeated episodes  where the joint is displaced and needs to be reinserted. If you find it pop out of socket again without immediately returning, see a medical professional immediately.  Replacing your joint into place can be very painful and requires properly trained and strong professionals that can exert the force necessary to perform such task. In the meantime during your rest phase, you can use an alternating therapy of heat and ice compresses. If pain from soreness is intolerable an over the counter anti-inflammatory pain reliever can be taken as indicated per manufacturer directions. 

[Kobajo84]

@Amyyyy -The knee can be a common injured joint in the body that can take years to develop into painful injuries. Typically pain is the red flag that something is wrong but in the beginning stages of knee injuries, pain may not be present. Repeated injury to already injured areas can create a greater problem for the area including development of scar tissue that inhibits movement.  The stiffness you may feel can be a result of inflammation to the area. When straightening your leg you are closing in on an area in the knee which becomes smaller as opposed to when you bend you are allowing for the inflammation to have a larger area.  I would give it a rest for at least a 2 week minimum and if the area becomes irritated, swollen, painful, red, warm, or movement becomes worse- see your doctor immediately. 

[Kobajo84]

My first pole was a black Lil' Mynx rotator pole and I still have it up in my house and use it from time to time.  I really like it a lot because it's grippier and great for a beginner learning new tricks that require sticking to the pole. At the studio I work at we have stainless steel Lil' Mynx 20 foot static poles. I have found that of all the poles I have a couple favorites that I can work on better than others.  One of the poles in particular is much more slick than the others.  Once the stainless steel poles are warmed up properly, I generally don't have any issues with them at all.  I also have a chrome 50 mm Xpole which I use primarily for at home workouts because I am able to relocate it to other areas in my house depending on what I'm working on.  Some moves require more room.  I would say overall Lil' Mynx is a great pole to start on.  As you progress you may want to move on to other poles or add more in to your collection.   Like what a lot of other people said, it's really personal preference. 

[Kobajo84]

It is possible you could have fractured your tailbone or are experiencing nerve pain.  It's hard to tell what it is so I would recommend seeing your doctor to rule out anything serious.  If you're coming down into the pole when going into a CAR it is possible the force could injure that area.  It's important when performing any moves as such you're not dropping with force but rather a controlled descent.  When teaching this move, new students are taught to use a hand behind the tail bone on the pole to guide the body down.  Treatment for fractured tailbones/coccyx is rest to let the bone heal on its own.  It's important to get this checked to assure its not nerve pain.  Nerve pain can be very debilitating and extremely painful if gone untreated. 

[Kobajo84]

I do a warmup that includes stretching and strength training exercises.  As you're warming up take some of Veena's strength training exercises and incorporate them into your warmup. 

[Kobajo84]

"I strongly suggest just tuck inverting–that is, positioning yourself as if you're going to invert and then bringing your knees up to your chest and then back down (slowly)–until you are strong enough to tip all the way back and hold when you attempt to invert."-https://www.studioveena.com/users/view/f899a664-02dd-11e0-ab19-12313b090e12 said on 2/1/2011.

I wanted to quote her and add to make sure your hips are in front of the pole.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[Kobajo84]

I purchased the conditioning and stretching DVDs.  Will post a blog review when I get them.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_heart1.gif

[Kobajo84]

Thanks everyone! I ended up emailing them and because it was the weekend when I ordered, the item wasn't processed until Monday.  They said everything went through fine.  I guess I'm just spoiled by amazon.com since I live close to one of their warehouses and things come almost immediately a couple days later.  LOL.

[Kobajo84]

How long are you holding your extended butterfly?  I found that I was able to work into a split grip aysha from the extended butterfly.  I increased the holding time of my extended butterfly and after a few practices my strength increased and I was able to feel a gained balance.  I always find it harder to get into the split grip aysha from the pole- I typically cartwheel mount into it.  I wouldn't suggest doing this unless you have a solid split grip hold but since your jack knife is solid, you might want to consider trying this move??? It could also be something as simple as your hand placement in your split grip, which is something I learned while working on the cartwheel mount.  So even if you're not ready for the cartwheel mount maybe checking out hand placements on videos might even help you establish a solid hold suitable for your split grip aysha and straight edge. My upper hand is most comfortable when even with my shoulder and the lower hand is about 6 inches from the ground. These positions give me the best balance when cartwheel mounting into the aysha.  Hope that helps.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif Keep us posted.  

[Kobajo84]

I agree with this Not being a beginner move.  I can't stress enough the importance of not trying this grip until you have a strong developed upper body strength.  What type of moves/poses are you trying to do?  There are many other grips that you can always do certain moves with. The Iron X (lowering your body sustained in air) is one of the more popular moves with the twisted grip. This move can be done with a different type of grip that works better for you.  As an example, Karol Helms YT user Redke71 has a video of the extended aysha using an elbow grip.  Eventually with increased practice I can see her holding that move in much the same way as the twisted grip X. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVM_WTjcVgM

I think you can do any move but with an altered variation that is best suitable for you and your body.  It all goes back to owning a move and making it your style.  And anything that is more comfortable for you is also much safer for your body. 

[Kobajo84]

Mine was a cassette too- Ace of Base The Sign. LOL. I can still sing every one of those songs word for word. 

[Kobajo84]

I use Lunapic.com. There is a color changer feature under adjust on the menu and select color changer on the drop down. 

[Kobajo84]

@horsecrazy12987 I think you should private message the person.  I think as an instructor you should be open to constructive critisism.  Just because you're an instructor doesn't mean you know everything.  Instructors are still students too.  We are always learning and sometimes it helps to have someone point something out so we can learn.