PolarGirl
Forum Replies Created
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Right now I really like watching Marlo Fisken and Leigh Ann Diamond. But there are honestly SO many amazing dancers out there that it’s a bit overwhelming. I think it’s all about finding someone whose style you relate and aspire to at the moment.
And I am perhaps MORE inspired by everyone’s videos here on SV (I’m so sorry – I need to post some!), because seeing people from all over the spectrum, from first starting out and struggling, to seasoned competitors, is really awesome. Especially seeing some of the progress videos that y’all have made. Because sometimes watching my pole “idols” makes me feel like I can never achieve that level so why try — whereas watching all of you grow as dancers, with strength and fluidity and grace, is so so inspiring and makes me feel like I can do anything in pole if I keep working and putting in the time. I’m so grateful to Veena for creating this community!
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I’m no expert, but my understanding is that you need to have an over split to do standing splits (i.e. to use your muscles to pull legs apart into a split without the assistance of gravity and/or the floor). So train your over splits!!!
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I have an Xpole Xpert removable pole. It is pressure mounted (no holes to drill!), which is extremely sturdy and doesn’t leave any marks on the ceiling. In my experience, it does leave marks on the hardwood floor, but they polish away easily. I love my home pole and totally recommend this product.
I do recommend that people follow the instructions to take the Xpole down about once a month to take it apart and then reassemble. This is supposed to keep the parts from getting stuck together. I left the country for a few weeks and didn’t have time to do it before I left or after I got back (so it was up for 3-4 months straight), and one day when I was training, I went into a Reiko split, and the dome MOVED. Like, quite a bit. So I took it down and put it back together and it was sturdy again. I think the parts might just shift…somehow…over time, so be aware…? I have the 2013 model, by the way. I’m unsure how exactly the new model differs, so this might not be an issue.
As for shorts, I own a couple of Mika and I don’t even like them as much as I thought I would. I actually prefer the AMB side tie shorts. I bought them at a local dance store for $20 each. I know you can just google “AMB side tie shorts” and purchase them online, and I believe they’re even cheaper. They have a ton of different colors and adjust from having enough length to wear out and about to cinching way up and showing some cheek. They are also stretchier than Mika’s material and are much comfier. Love them.
Good luck!
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You want to eat carbs (low fat, low protein) before a workout — and a combination of protein and carbs after, to restore your muscles’ glycogen (carbohydrate) stores and to repair and rebuild the muscle.
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Anzia, I agree with Slkysmith: definitely make sure you get plenty of carbs and protein within 30 minutes of finishing a workout. This will replenish your muscles’ glycogen stores (energy!) so that your muscles can recover quickly. Otherwise you risk the overtraining symptoms you are exhibiting (being super tired during training sessions, sore, bruising). Also, make sure to eat something small before your training that is very high in carbs but low in protein and fat. A banana is perfect. This will keep your body going longer in training sessions before you fatigue. It is best to also eat small high carb snacks (like a small handful of dried fruit) during a long training session. And make sure you hydrate. About 20 oz of water right before you train and then about 2 oz every 10-15 min or so. Drink plenty of water afterward as well. Glycogen (main energy source) is carried and stored by water. Keep working, you’ll get it! But make sure to rest well also. You need one day of rest (light activity) for every heavy training day you have. Otherwise you will not have enough time for your muscles to replenish their glycogen stores. Do not overtrain. It will hurt rather than help you. Good luck!!!
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Ooh, ooh … THIS:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BvNd0wp-jv4 -
(I meant cross ANKLE release!)
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Ok! So I don’t know if you are like me or not – but most lotions make me feel wet and “sweaty” — like I’m perspiring everywhere — for a couple of days after application, even if I’ve showered a couple of times (!). At the same time, my skin is super dry, so if I don’t use lotion, my skin has zero friction and I slide anyway. I didn’t even realize I had this issue until I tried a good lotion and it gave me great grip! There is a lotion called Pole Physics that is available online, but I’ve not used it. I read on a thread here that Aveeno daily moisture works great, so I use that!
Also, when I’m trying something new and new extra confidence, I lightly dab iTac wherever my legs are making pole contact (along the shins, top of foot, between the knees, thighs, back of knee — you name it!), and this REALLY helps with grip. I also dab dry hands on top of the itac when doing a cross and release. I find this totally necessary, because I get a bit (ahem) dewey between my thighs when I’m really working hard.
Good luck finding what works for you!
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In response to ferrous’s point about the pole sleeve, I just want to mention that a lot of people have had some serious complaints about (1) the thickness of the sleeve. Even if your pole is a 40mm, adding the pole sleeve might make the pole too thick for you. I have heard that it adds 5-6mm or so. So if you have a 50mm pole like me…forget about it!!! And (2) I have heard reports of people getting the sleeve STUCK on their pole!
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You would be better off training on a pole at the playground for tricks such – and working on strength, flexibility, and floor work/ dance at home – until you have saved enough money for a “real” pole like the ones that have been suggested.
Unbranded poles are not meant to support your body weight and are completely unsafe, even for doing most spins. It would ultimately be a waste of money and carries a high risk of potential injury, which would only put you further behind in terms of advancing your pole skills. Plus, the pole could fall or come apart and damage your ceiling, walls, etc.
Just google “pole dance fails” or something like that, and you can see a huge number of pole videos where someone attempts a spin or inversion on a crappy unstable pole and falls head first, or shatters something in the room, or puts the pole through some drywall. Don’t let that be you!!!!
Good luck saving for your first pole and on your new pole journey!
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Yay!
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When you execute a back hook spin, your back leg is “hooked”, but your knee should NOT be gripping at all. If you were to knee grip, you wouldn’t be able to spin!!! (Unless you are on a spinning pole, but even then the knee grip is totally unnecessary and probably wouldn’t look as nice.
The leg that is hooking should make contact with the pole somewhere along the length of your lower leg, maybe even near the ankle — which is what happens for me when I’m really arching my back to make this spin sexy (because doing so projects my body forward).
The previous posts are correct: your arms are the points of contact that provide all of the grip in this movement.
Good luck!
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I am the same way: when my pole gets warm, my grip sucks. I don’t understand why this would be otherwise. It makes sense to me that for people who have sweaty hands, when you touch warm metal, it’s going to make your hands sweat worse than when you touch something cold.
I can only wonder if the opposite is true for people with dry hands and no sweat.
By the way, I somehow have dry hands AND sweaty hands. Does anyone else have this problem? By that I mean my hands are super dry but sweat with activity. I’m going to try Aveeno daily moisture (since I’ve heard and read pole people say this is a good lotion for polers) the night before I pole and then dry hands during a pole session – because I definitely need a moisturizer too!
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Hmmm. I feel like I totally understand what you are saying here. I can aerial invert with straight legs so I don’t think it’s a “core” issue — but for some reason aerial fan kicks don’t feel super graceful to me, especially on one side. (Fan kicks from the floor are no problem at all, even though I feel like I’m not actually pushing off the floor but working to lift the legs instead…though I obviously I must be pushing off the floor a bit.) It’s like that first leg doesn’t want to lift. The second leg has no issue. So I’m wondering if it could be a hip abductor weakness? Since it’s the lifting up AND to the lateral side that gives me trouble (as opposed to just lifting up), while the lifting up medially is not a problem. Just brainstorming here…
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Romo,
I have a similar problem. Even holding a basic plank can be a thigh grip issue for me when I get really warm. (I perspire a lot, seemingly everywhere, not just hands.) My best solution so far has been regular strength iTac on my inner thighs — which I put on before my pole session — and then applying DryHands on top of that when I start to get sweaty. It’s still a struggle but that has really helped me a ton. I hope it helps you but I’ve grown to understand that it all comes down to your own personal body chemistry. Even still, I’d love to hear any other solutions that other polers have found. That way I can try them too!Thank you for sharing your struggle, by the way. Sometimes I feel like I’m the only sweaty poler. I am definitely the sweatiest one at the studio I attend. In my first class, before I knew about grip aids, I asked my teacher to just tell me now if I’m never going to be able to do anything because I’m naturally just too damn sweaty. I couldn’t climb, spin, anything. Now a few months later I’m aerially inverting and can do handspring mounts, etc. I have the strength, am just continually struggling to refine my grip solutions. You will eventually find something too, just keep trying new things.