[PolarGirl]

I figured I’d hit stay one day ahead so I’m still posting everyday. Maybe on the last day I’ll try to come up with something else to throw down. Anyway: Day 3…body rolls!!! Please ignore my boyfriend making fun of me and one of my male roommates walking by in the background. I don’t have the most pole conducive environment lol 🙂
https://instagram.com/p/0_88RSG31M/

[PolarGirl]

@Lucca Valentine:
I love reading your posts! I am in massage school and also studying for personal trainer cert. Training core both sides IS super important, and that’s why I train both sides with every pole move (except when freestyling, where that’s all out the window) because pole utilizes the deep core so much. But for people who do have asymmetries in muscle tone in the muscles groups of the torso, working both sides equally is likely never going to balance that out. That’s why seeing a qualified physical therapist or other professional who is skilled in body assessment is so important; they can customize a workout plan to help balance your body. If you are asymmetrically toned, they are likely not going to assign a symmetrical training regimen until the imbalance has improved considerably. This may take time. Many of us come to pole with imbalances already locked into our posture – especially since we are the first generation to see pole become more acceptable so that younger people might begin training this form of dance. My point is that many of us are older than the average dancer. Now that I am starting to get into more advanced levels of pole I have not been able to work around my imbalances anymore without addressing them with deep structural bodywork. I recommend that any serious pole enthusiast work with a qualified therapist who can assess and advise them.

[PolarGirl]

https://instagram.com/p/08U7gEm3wb/

Full flag for a split second! Will have to work hard on my hang time! 😃

[PolarGirl]

https://instagram.com/p/08BoGJm39U/

Day 2! Hahah! I just realized today is not April 2…and yesterday was not April 1…😄

Oh well, looks like I’m a wee bit ahead of the game. I’m new to IG (I seriously joined just to participate more seriously this month) so I’m just figuring out how to copy the clips over here correctly, doh.

Anyway, flag was freaking hard. This clip was actually my first time even getting up in half flag. I can’t say it enough: this is hard!!!

Thanks for the challenge, Veena!

[PolarGirl]

http://instagram.com/p/06hGKkG330/

Day 1 of SV April Abs Challenge: knee tuck!

[PolarGirl]

I am idancebarefoot
I just signed up, posted like 15 videos.
Going to follow you all 💗

[PolarGirl]

Beautiful backbend, Veena. Very impressive spinal mobility with an incredibly even curvature. Great motivation!
I’m sorry to hear of your recent loss. I trust movement has helped somewhat.
Thank you for hosting this challenge. I was not able to participate regularly due to injury and final exams and whatnot, but I was very inspired to try many of the moves that I hadn’t even thought to attempt yet. I really love this site and the many types of support it offers 💗

[PolarGirl]

[PolarGirl]

I also prefer 6″. Then again…I’m 5’10” so 7″+ look more ridiculous than sexy on me!

I also love the red. It’s a dark red rather than a lipstick red, which is rare to see in pole shoes I think. I love ’em. Unique and suuuuuper sexy.

Pleas get them and dance for us!

[PolarGirl]

Tropical, I agree that the forearm and elbow grips feel less secure (to me). Split grip, no prob. But…I haven’t even come close to taking my legs away from the pole yet in an inverted elbow grip. Just holding myself up in caterpiller by the elbow feels sketchy. Yikes 🙁
I want to at least be ABLE to do everything — even if they end up being “not my moves” or things I personally don’t think look pretty.

I haven’t been posting to this challenge bc I took the idea of resting my wrists very seriously. For a while I had thought I would just dance lightly, but quickly discovered that my nerves would freak out and send my body pain responses when I would merely touch the pole. I took that as a sign to lay off all things pole for awhile. I have opted to work on my back bendiness in yoga lately instead. Lots of wheel poses and such 🙂

I did pole around a bit for the first time today since about a month ago. I was inspired by the SV March Challenge to try the Marley for the first time …speaking of moves that are not my move or things personally don’t think look particularly pretty. I have seen a move called the “falling Marley”, which I did think was kinda cool — just dropping into it from cupid legs on the floor on a spinning pole. But, overall, just not my taste. Anyway, will be inspired to try the dragon’s tail and allegra soon, thanks to the SV March Challenge. Those are two gorgeous moves on my must-learn list! And, I feel like I will soon be ready to at least give them a try.

[PolarGirl]

I think all those shoe brands just have the straps glued in. I had the same thing happen. I just used super glue — lots of it — and shoved those babies back in their homes. But I still would cross my fingers every time I wore them, knowing how [poorly] they were constructed. Now I only dance barefoot. And I happen to think THAT is super sexy! My personal preference at present 🙂
Good luck!

[PolarGirl]

My two cents would be to advise you that both hands need to be low, not just the top hand, and that you will need to turn your body so that your chest faces up. As for getting your hips up, unless you can deadlift (which I’m guessing is not the case yet), you will have to swing your leg for momentum. Then turn your chest up and tuck your legs (like you did when first learning to invert — bc this makes it much easier). Once your hips are above your shoulders you can extend the legs, which actually makes it easier to balance and will probably just happen naturally. Honestly, I would not overthink it too much. It sounds like you are ready strength-wise if you have been doing Ayesha for awhile, and that you just have a fear plateau to get over. Personally, I found Ayesha to be much scarier than a TG handspring mount. Make sure your grip is super solid and I bet you will nail it. I thought the handstand advice for getting used to using momentum to go upside down was good (though I’m guessing you’ve already been doing that). Good luck! Please post a video when you get it 🙂

[PolarGirl]

I absolutely agree. Get an Xpole and use it in your basement space for now. You can still use it when you get a bigger pole space.

On a side note, I had zero pole space when I got my first pole, so I first had it up in my bedroom and then propped up my king size bed and mattresses onto their sides up against the wall to give me enough space (barely) to do some spins. Even with my bed down and nearly against the pole though, I could still work on inverts and beginning inverted moves on static. Maybe that’s another option for you.

[PolarGirl]

Maybe I’m weird because I’m usually super sensitive to smells (especially before or during a migraine) and I don’t notice a smell at all. Both my home pole and the poles at my studio are brass. I notice the smell of the Brasso lingering for a couple of days when I’ve just cleaning it – but that’s it.

[PolarGirl]

Yikes, I will have to play catchup on this! I have never done an SV challenge but this will help keep me stay motivated since I am taking a couple months off the pole due to an injury. I may have to post some old vids of some of the moves I have video of, like twisted ballerina and the spins. As for things like Janeiro and Allegra…well, whereas I would have been up to try those, I may just skip those for now, haha. But you never know!!! I may just try the Allegra in a few weeks. Very excited to have this motivation to stay in the pole mindset 🙂