[PoleKitten87]

1987 here … I know the number 1 song on the day I was born was "Livin' on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, so the Jersey girl in me is gonna have to pick that one. Now I just have to follow through 😉

[PoleKitten87]

I love the song from a year you were born idea. Or even maybe the number one song on the day you were born. 🙂

[PoleKitten87]

I really love the spider back top, but have no idea if I should get a small or x-small. There's literally next to nothing hanging on up to (36A). Would hate to order one and it not fit! I'm an instant-gratification type with little patience lol. Might wait til USPDF and see if there's anything being sold during the competition day.

[PoleKitten87]

I just bought a 8.5 foot by 3.5 foot mirror for $40 off craigslist recently. I've got a collection of mirrors going now… 3 in my living room, 2 my parents got for me from Charlotte craigslist, and 2 more I'm picking up Friday here. My dad is going to the Habitat for Humanity store tomorrow to check for some more for me. The huge one I got recently fits perfectly in my pole room about 1/2" between the moldings. 🙂

Glad to hear REstore has some mirrors in some places, that are decent sized!

[PoleKitten87]

@Shellectra – I couldn't either! I started using a towel and wrapped it around my ankle and used that to help me pull my leg, which didn't really go much further than it started lol.

Apparently my 83 year old grandmother does this stretch with no problem whatsoever. Hmph. 🙂

[PoleKitten87]

I lack flexibility quite badly. I've never been able to touch my toes, have done 1 (accidental) split in my life – when I was 10, and backbends were out of the question. Wish I had stayed in gymnastics as a kid, but my parents took me out after a month or so. Maybe it would have helped.

I HATE stretching. Hate hate hate hate it. It seems like everyone else is getting somewhere, and I never am. I spent a year taking pole lessons 2-4x a week, never saw improvement.

I did do the first 2 weeks of Splits in 6 weeks and noticed some progress, though I missed 1-2 nights before life was too busy and I fell off it. My sad splits still haven't reverted back to how they were before (still off the ground 3" or so), which is surprising.

I DID, however, notice that doing the stretch Runemist posted about helped me gain some flexibility/loose my hamstrings. When I started doing them I couldn't reach my toes on either foot when it was resting on the couch and I stretched into it. Then after a couple days I could reach my toes easier and easier each time I did the stretches. So I too would recommend that one.

I also stretched for a week or so by standing against the wall and having my husband pick my leg up for me. By the end of the week I could rest my "good side" leg on his shoulder (he's 6ft tall). That was further up than I'd ever gotten it. I'd gotten the idea from my mom, who said when she was in gym class in the 70s, they had to do splits like that against the wall. The partner would lift their leg and eventually the person would be able to hold their own leg up in a split while against the wall. That worked for me also but again I fell off doing it.

I think I'll try and get back on those last 2 stretches, as they are the two I saw a good bit of progress in and don't take too long to do each night. I work full time and go to school 4 nights a week so its hard for me to find the energy or time to stretch!

[PoleKitten87]

@PeachPop : No, my mother in law never tried. She had an accident with a snowmobile when she was 15 and her hand is not capable of gripping well and the range of motion in her fingers is bad. She loves to watch my pole videos and look at the pictures, and had her family from Maine come over to watch me perform on my pole when they visited. I don't think her friend ever tried it either, but she should! There's just no decent studios around here for advancing, they are all 3-4 hours away.

[PoleKitten87]

My mother in law mentioned it one time, that her friend wanted her to take pole dancing classes with her. I'd never heard of it before. Looked it up, seemed interesting and fun, and started taking lessons shortly after. That was in January 2009. I quit lessons in 2010 and started teaching myself after 6 months off. My love for pole has grown so much since then 🙂

Now I love to accomplish new things I once thought were impossible!

[PoleKitten87]

I LOVE iTac. It's my favorite grip out of all of them. Especially working on new inverted/tough moves to be sure I have a good grip. Never liked Dry Hands much but got it to work well for me for spins not too long ago. Mighty Grip I couldn't get off my hands fast enough lol.

I use iTac level 2 for when I don't want insane amounts of grip and retain the ability to spin around the pole, and level 4 for practicing my twisted grip and sometimes pat the pole down on slippery days with it for cartwheel mount practice.

I noticed the grips don't seem to work as well on the titanium gold poles (in my experience so far), but I seem to be able to retain a decent grip on one of those without any aid.

[PoleKitten87]

Thank you so much, adamseve!! Cant wait to set the pole up and fall on the mat LOL. I promise it found a great home and will get a lot of use!

Good luck with your move and hope to see you back on the pole soon <3 Would love to keep in touch 🙂

[PoleKitten87]

Loopy – I mentioned the butterfly thing, because I know someone who got called out twice for doing a butterfly on an X-pole outside the studio (and when I attended, I was told X-poles were horrible to even consider because they're removable), AND for even attending another studio in another state. And it conveniently was mentioned after those events.

—–

Anyway, unprofessionalism was part of the reason I left too. Trying to decipher text speak about business is not worth it. Emails were sent to me concerning my membership there in the same type of text speak.

Getting hurt doing pole? I too cut myself on the pole mounting screws and got heels caught in the flooring that came apart. Couldn't tell you the last time I had been spotted during a trick. And yes I agree, anyone can get hurt on any pole, whether it be removable or permanent.

Bad mouthing instructors who may have done weekend certification courses or have self-taught isn't supportive. Some of the best professionals out there in the pole world taught themselves. Everyone has opinions on styles of poles they like – I like PS permanents and Xpole removables and wouldn't consider any others. But criticizing someone's choice of learning/certifications is out of line.

I almost quit pole because of this kind of stuff. Luckily I found a few other studios who were professional, friendly, and very supportive and it reignited my love of pole and I've grown tremendously on my own (well, with Sam I Am, and workshops with Karol, and pole jams with NC studios!) 🙂

[PoleKitten87]

I'm an elbow gripper. Forearm grip feels awkward, and I've always found myself gravitating towards elbow grip from the minute I attempted my first aysha. It's gotten a lot better since then lol. Split grip is evading me, my balance is horrid trying to straddle out in a split grip from the pole (yet I can cartwheel mount into one).

Working on the extended aysha with the elbow grip currently 🙂

[PoleKitten87]

That studio owner posted that after a girl did a butterfly on an X-pole (an X-pole which has seen MUCH more advanced tricks than a butterfly). I wouldn't put a butterfly in the category of Acro pole, if by acro pole you're talking about the Chinese Acro Pole style. They've never performed that style there, nor are any of the people true Acro Pole performers.

Interesting how a girl I know who went there fell on her head/off the pole more than once during inversions due to instructors chatting instead of spotting. And that was on a permanent pole

[PoleKitten87]

I would think I'm damn glad I got out of there when I did! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[PoleKitten87]

I bought a pole 2 months after starting pole at a studio. I found having a pole at home helped me practice as often as I wanted, and whatever I wanted. I went to the studio for just over a year before leaving in Feb 2010 (too much studio drama, plus work and school). In July 2010 I went to a workshop in NC and learned that it was the kind of studio I dreamed of having available here, and started poling more regularly at home with a friend who also left the studio here. In 6 months of working out together using YouTube, pole jams, and workshops/privates, we accomplished more than we ever did at the studio (which actually pretty much made us PAY to advance, it wasn't based on skill – the next level was a minimum of 2 years away, even if we could do all the moves required to get there and then some).

I'm NOT saying this is how all studios are though – I've been to four awesome studios in North Carolina that have made me wish I still lived up there. But having a pole at home has helped with my progress tremendously. Being able to watch something on the internet then get inspired to practice or play on the pole means that I can because the pole is down the hall. =D  You also can work on your strength using the pole at home as well.