[LatinPoler]

Actively push your knee cap back when straightening your legs, do not just extend the legs. Do hamstrings stretches flexing the foot, grabbing it and again pressing the knee cap back.

[LatinPoler]

By caterpillar I guess you mean basic invert. That position can be easier but in my opinion, a little intimidating at first if you are not used to being upside down. I would recommend the “ball invert”, that it’s like a chopper/V invert but you actually invert with your legs tuck, and once your hips are over your head, you extend the legs. Once you master this (on both sides!) you can start trying one leg straight, one leg bent, then two legs straight (V invert). But I would not obsess with straight legs because personally I think the “ball invert” looks better than a V invert with micro bent legs. Do conditioning drills like knee tucks and leg pikes in a side pole hole position, 5 per side of each after your warm up in every pole session. Being able to invert is mostly a matter of overall strength – not only core but also legs and upper body.

[LatinPoler]

I agree with Veena, at least you should start training your right leg split. One side is always going to feel flexier than the other, but you should train equally. I recommend warming up very well, to the point of sweat and slightly out of breath. Variety of squats, lunges and ending up with kicks (never do kicks with cold muscles!). Dress in layers, I love fleece leggings and legwarmers in winter. If it’s very cold, I wear my back warmer too, even if I’m going to focus on legs… the point is to feel warm. Hold your stretches for at least 30 seconds, splits I would say 60-90 seconds. Try techniques like PNF, not only static stretches. Work on squaring your splits. Work on your active flexibility. Use a block under your front foot. Work your middle splits too, it’s also leg stretching that will help with hips mobility. As you can see, you have many options. Good luck!

[LatinPoler]

My previous pole was on carpet and it is limiting. For base work (grounded pole flow): If you dance barefoot, you will need socks. If you wear heels, they will not slide and you will feel unstable. I used to put duct tape on the soles to slide a little better for pirouettes, etc. – not ideal. For real floorwork (no pole), you’ll probably need to be fully covered (leggings, t-shirt, etc.) to avoid carpet burn. And the carpet will ruin/burn your clothes… or you will get carpet burn despite the cloth protection. It happened to me. So not ideal at all but it’s not impossible either… Just evaluate pros and cons. You can workaround carpet but if you want to focus on low flow/floorwork, I would avoid it.

[LatinPoler]

I have never struggled with motivation to workout at home. On the contrary, what motivates me to workout at home is to be able to do what I like, when I like. When I used to go to classes often, many times I cancelled last minute because I was thinking (for example): ugh, I don’t feel up to working on handstands today, my wrist is sore, but there’s a chance the class revolves around that. Or: I feel tired but I still want to pole, I’d rather do easy low flow than aerial tricks. So if you want to put it this way, going to the studio felt like a chore but doing it at home is pleasure 😉 What I want, when I want! Plus I save valuable and scarce time in prep and commute.
I also have to say that I have background in fitness and I have run into some teachers that had no idea about proper warm ups, etc… Teachers that just stretch to warm up. Sorry but that’s not a warmup… especially for older ladies! I’d rather do it my way at home, warm up what I think I need to warm up the most, etc.
Lastly, I’ve always been a “solo” athlete… before pole, I used to run a lot, on my own again. Maybe it’s my personality, but I do things for myself, not to satisfy a trainer. Of course you need additional support, from social media or non-pole colleges. Or just the personal satisfaction of getting a new trick.

[LatinPoler]

Leave the studio.

I’ve already told my story a million times so here’s just a quick summary. I was feeling exactly like you: slower learner than other colleges that started at the same time or even later, plus older and not very flexible. I was strong and had good stamina though. Good studio, good teachers, but too much focus on tricks and static pole. Not my thing. I wanted to dance in heels.

I was actually forced to leave the studio because I relocated to a different city. I searched but did not find a studio that I really liked in my new city. So I started to train at home. And then the magic happened. I started to progress much faster than before, develop my style, focus on combos and dance, etc. I also worked the flexibility on my own, I never felt warm enough on that studio’s flexibility classes to reach full range of motion.

Also notice that being able to do a trick once or twice does not mean that you have nailed it… to me, that happens when you can do that trick 5 out of 5 tries, with perfect form and technique, and put it in a combo. And it must feel safe and “comfortable”. In my old studio, you were pushed to the next move or level almost as soon as you were able to “do” a move. I was strong and could do many moves, nevertheless, I did not feel mentally ready to keep progressing. I needed to mature the moves, make then my own.

After being totally off a pole studio for almost one year, I’m going again but just to get ideas; my main training happens at home and motivation comes from many places: Instagram, pole webs like Veena’s and the studio. And many times I attend lower level classes, and that’s OK.

So again, my advice is to leave the studio. Maybe you can drop in a couple of times a month if that helps and motivates you. Or leave it fully for a month or two, see how it goes and then reconsider.

If you leave the studio, you may need to increase your social media presence to feel more supported.

[LatinPoler]

Besides the Invert program, if you need something that requires less commitment, I would recommend knee tucks and leg pikes (bring straight-ish legs toward your chest) in a side pole hold position. You can start with 5 of each type each side tapping your feet on the floor between reps, then progress to do them all in a row without touching the floor, then aerially from a climb into side pole hold. Or combine tuck-pike-strade x repeat the sequence. You can add heels for extra difficulty, or maybe even light ankle weights. I personally do this after my warm up in most of my pole sessions, along with shoulder mount conditioning exercises.

[LatinPoler]

Thanks Veena for sharing the schedule!!!!

[LatinPoler]

I prefer middle splits with knees forward, this position is more “comfortable” to me. I tried knees up and I was able to get lower initially, but not to hold the position long because my feet, especially my heels, hurt! What helped me to get comfy with knees forward was to work on hip rotation and strengthen the hip rotator muscles (gluteus minor maybe?). For that, you can for example stay in your half middle split and rotate the straight leg back and forth in the hip socket. You can also do it from all fours, lifting your leg straight in the air behind you. Or from a straddle, laying on the floor and legs against a wall.

Also, when you are close enough to the floor (a few inches, maybe 3-ish), you may want to give a go to “oversplits”, placing one foot on a block and the other on the floor. Always do this when you are super warm and be very careful! This is pretty advanced.

Middles are hard and take time, I think that besides getting muscle elongation, your body needs to get used to the awkward position and learn to relax and not to freak out… which again takes time.

Last but not least, consistency is key. Even if some days you cannot go very deep, you are training you body to get familiar with the process and position. I personally measure my flexibility improvement not only on how flat or squared I am, but also how I feel. Am I relaxed? Can I hold the stretch longer? Everything hurts and I’m dying? LoL I think stretching deeply 3 days a week is a good dose. 4 at most.

So keep it consistent and slow 🙂

[LatinPoler]

I’m blushing! You have thin legs, that means that the battle is almost won 🙂 Take care.

[LatinPoler]

Sorry to read this, grayeyes. I don’t have much to suggest but general guidelines, like rest, cold/heat, then start conditioning and stretching before going to normal activities (pole), etc. But you have already done that.

I certainly feel your pain, I injured by oblique about 5 weeks ago doing a Jallegra and yikes, as it is a core muscle, it’s taking loooong to heal. You cannot fully rest your core. As conditioning, I’ve been doing isometric exercises like planks… it has worked well for me. For shoulders, I cannot really think of good isometric exercises… pressing against a wall or the floor maybe (high planks?).

And yes, I’ve left several comments to Michelle Shimmy on IG and she only answered once… and it was related to a product she was trying to promote and I had a size question, so maybe she was paying closer attention.

Good luck!! I’ve been injured twice in the last year (shoulder and oblique) and I’m determined to do all everything I can to avoid injuries again. They are so discouraging 🙁

Hugs

[LatinPoler]

Get well grayeyes!! 😘😘

[LatinPoler]

@latinpoler , easy right? 🙂

[LatinPoler]

Just search the tag “pdstripperskip” on Instagram 😉

[LatinPoler]

Update: no rib injury, yay! It’s muscular. The x-rays showed that one of my hips was higher than the other and the spine was curving to compensate. Probably the muscles were messed up too, trying to compensate this. So it looks like that Jallegra “annoyed” the back muscles even more and probably I strained one of them. I think the Serratus posterior inferior or an oblique but it’s difficult to tell. I think Serratus because it attaches to the lower ribs, where I was feeling the pain initially.

The chiro adjusted my back to release my pelvis and realign my hips (ugh! hate it). That same night I could feel my back a little “weird”, like too relaxed, and I was also a little light headed. But the muscular pain had diminished. I could still feel it but less. Next morning I woke up feeling much better, back and head fine and less muscular pain.

I can still feel a little pain on the side on my body, the pain has shifted from ribs/close to the spine to the outer side. But overall I think I’m close to recovery. No pole for me yet though, I may try easy low flow this weekend (I have Veena Beginners sexy routine on the radar) but I will wait one more week to increase the intensity. I’m itching but I know I have to wait.

Sorry Jallegra, you are a pretty move but I’m adding you to my Blacklist “not for me” of pole moves.