RoMo
Forum Replies Created
-
I’d stick to alcohol for cleaning the pole. That’s what we use at the studio I go to and it’s cheap.
-
Yes, without a doubt.
I started pole about 2 and a half years ago at a local studio and couldn’t afford more than one lesson/week, at most two on special weeks…. I got myself an X-pole (used), a subscription to Veena and a good crash mat and haven’t regretted it since.
Honestly, this past year, I’ve been commuting really far to and from work and way too tired to work out at home, but I still renewed my Veena subscription a few months ago, because I do like to have to option to work out with her. I do have to admit that my studio has changed their pricing formula, so now I do two lessons a week, most weeks.In addition to her being a great teacher, when I was working a lot at home, I’d show her videos to hubby so he could understand what I should be doing and what/where he needs to be to help spot me. It’s a lot better than trying to tell him, “Ok, so as I flip and grab the pole with my right leg, my left will be….”
She often offers a discount on a yearly membership, which makes it EVEN MORE worth it! I highly recommend this site to all my pole friends and I know a few who’ve signed up and are enjoying it just as much as I have.
I am happy to announce I’m 17 weeks pregnant and will probably stop poling at some point in the near future, but there’s a lot more than just pole work here and when I do stop going to the studio, I do hope to find the energy to keep working out at home.
Best of luck to you! 🙂
-
I recommend selling tops and bottoms seperately as many of us don’t have standard matching sizes. That was always my problem when buying bikinis – need a top in one size and bottom in another.
Best of luck! -
Where are her videos available for download? What would you most recommend for someone looking to dance, especially more sensually?
Thanks
-
I have to agree with what a lot of the girls before me wrote — some of the most “audience impressed” moves are the easiest — CAR, CKR, Plank, etc.
I performed at a school event and did Butterfly, flat line Scorpio and Remi in my dance and didn’t get half as much applause as one of the new girls who did CKR and Plank. The audience LOVED her CKR on spinning pole. I think it’s the “Look, ma, no hands!” effect that does it.
Also, I agree with Runemist34 – eye contact, or the illusion of it, it key. I did get lots of feedback from friends and audience members saying that they felt I was dancing “for them” and that made my dance really stand out.
Whatever you do decide to do, good luck, break a leg, smile and remember that you’re all that and then some! 🙂
-
I’m with pointurtoes — I use the Sapphire gels I buy from aliexpress.com. I bought 5 colors, the base and top coat and a small UV flashlight for around $15, including free shipping. I usually get a good 10 days out of a home gel mani, which is great. My biggest tip is VERY THIN layers! One layer base, two of color, one top coat. You don’t need anything to clean off stickiness with the Sapphire colors and top coat.
I have tried doing the gel sandwich with a regular color polish in the middle, but I probably didn’t let it dry enough and the gel looked really bad. I ended up redoing everything a few hours later. Gel base, color and top coat.
Doing my manis at home has saved me a lot of money.
Please note, if you do buy Sapphire, or any colors via online, different monitors tend to make colors look different. The colors I ordered were much warmer on my screen, but seemed to lack that warmth and red undertones when applied. Be flexible with your color choices and don’t get dead set on a specific shade. Also, I recommend to get a few colors. Be able to spice things up.
The biggest pain in the butt is removing the gel. It’s not difficult, just a nuisance. Lightly file top coat off, soak cotton in acetone and place on nail. Wrap with tin foil and wait 15 minutes. Then clean off nail with an orange stick. Don’t forget to moisturize cuticles. No pole. 🙁
Good luck!
-
Thanks Suemaz, Yayo and CD Hussey. I noticed that Nexus comes with fabric for a reasonable fee, while the Silkii does not. I have to check with FabPole how much the package weighs and cost of shipping to Israel. 🙂
What are the best resources for a beginner to start learning how to work with Pole Silks? I’ve gone to some of the sites mentioned on this thread but they seem to imply a knowledge of working with silks, already…
Thanks
-
Hey Skyember! Good luck in getting back on the pole! 🙂
-
What kind of fabric is used on in pole silks? I really like the way it looks and seems like a great way to get stronger as well as have some assistance in moves I’m having a difficult time with. I’ve been thinking of ordering a rigging for quite some time — either the xpole silkii or the Nexus Wrap. My main question is, what fabric is used? What length and width? Since shipping to my neck of the woods is very expensive and fabric tends to weigh a lot, I’d like to source that locally. What fabric should I get?
Also, has anyone done a comparison on the silkii vs the Nexus Wrap? Advantages and disadvantages of each? (I currently own a chrome x-pert x-pole, 45 mm.)Thanks!
-
Dear Lisandra,
I’m extremely sorry to hear you had a bad experience with a studio but please don’t quit pole because of that. Pole is a wonderful sport, and I find that as a “heavier” girl, it’s extremely rewarding and the community at large is VERY supportive. I’m lucky I have a studio near my house, but I also use SV extensively and her lessons are AMAZING. I started poling a bit over a year ago and I can really see the transformation in my weight, body shape and strength. It takes a long time to invert and any studio who teaches it as part of a beginners class is doing something wrong. It took me almost 9 months to begin to invert and almost a year before I could do a chopper but it’s very individual. I’ve seen women who do it much sooner and women who take longer…I really recommend using Veena’s lessons. They build up from easier moves into more complex moves that build on each other and progression gets easier once you’ve started building strength. (If you’ll notice, she has inverts in the intermediate section, where it should be!) Also, get a good crash mat. Regardless of weight. I know I’m heavy, but I’m also accident prone, sweaty and can’t distinguish between left and right when I’m inverted and a good crash mat has provided me with more support than I’d like to remember… Also, when I am working on new moves, I try to use a spotter. I usually use hubby, although I’ve used friends, on occasion (if they drop by when I’m at the end of a workout…). I get them to watch Veena’s video with me, then watch as I perform a move, helping me understand what has to be where (I seriously lose all sense of orientation when my feet aren’t firmly on the ground, and more so when I’m inverted!), and in case I feel insecure in my grip, have them give me a hand so that I don’t crash. (*Hubby, who is my usual spotter, is a 98lb weakling who couldn’t lift me if his life depended on it. The helping hand is usually used to make sure my head is tucked in if I’m inverted or just to bring an additional appendage closer to the pole.)
If you want additional inspiration, you’ll find many bigger girls who pole. See Emma Haslam who is an amazing dancer wow audiences as she worked her way to the finals on “Britain’s Got Talent” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqzUI5t9qJ4]. There’s also lots of extremely talented dancers here. 🙂
PS – Being bilingual rocks! (At the studio I go to being bilingual puts you in the minority as most of the girls are trilingual… I’d love to learn a third language!)
-
HI Dori,
I really understand your frustration… I’m also a bit heavy (albeit much shorter than you) and sweat like a hog. I have REALLY sweaty hands, feet, body, EVERYTHING. And to top matters off, I live in a hot, humid country where summers are long…I discovered Dirty Girl Poltice a few months ago and it has really changed my pole work outs. I put it on my hands, armpits, back of knees, legs, between thighs, everywhere… before every work out and it has made me so much more productive during class and at home. I don’t use any additional grip aids, as I find that if I do even begin to sweat, they turn to a gooey paste that just makes me more slippery.
Other than that, I have a fan I use at home near my pole to help me keep dry. I’ve also got a fan at the studio which I put next to “my” pole. It really helps in humid climates and was worth the investment.
(I have no affiliation with DGP. I get nothing from this review. DGP is not readily available where I live and international shipping costs are a b. I still think its worth its weight in gold.)
Happy poling and I hope this helps….
-
Hi Elitha,
I really have to agree with DustBunny. 🙂 I have REALLY sweaty hands, feet, body, EVERYTHING. And to top matters off, I live in a hot, humid country where summers are long…
I discovered Dirty Girl Poltice a few months ago and it has really changed my pole work outs. I put a bit on — ok, a lot! (wet hands, add powder, rub it onto armpits, back of knees, legs, between thighs, everywhere… let it dry white and then rinse it off) — before every work out and it has made me so much more productive during class and at home. Our studio only has 45mm chrome poles and that’s what I own as that’s what I am familiar with. I preferred to stick to buying a pole I know instead of trying something new, as at least for me, the cost of a new pole is a big expense and not something I could write off easily.
I find that during practice (class and home), I usually rinse my hands once or twice more or use a wet towel just to clean my hands, but other than that, I don’t use any additional grip aids, as I find that if I do sweat, they turn to a gooey paste that just makes me more slippery.I also use Mighty Grip Gloves which were also really good. When I need a really strong grip and I’m working on something new and it’s really hot/humid, I will put them on. (If you do decide to buy them, they run a bit tight, but you do want them snug, so go with the size that’s closest to your hand circumference, according to their size chart. Joel is great at replacing/returns if you find you still bought the wrong size.) Please note, the gloves are NOT good for spins on static pole, but are REALLY good for working on new moves where you need your hands not to slide on the pole. I’m currently using them while working on brass monkey and pencil.
Other than that, I have a fan I use at home near my pole to help me keep dry. I’ve also got a fan at the studio which I put next to “my” pole. It really helps in humid climates and was worth the investment.
I hope that helps! Enjoy your new pole, whatever you decide to buy… 🙂
PS – I’m really happy with the way DGP works, I also sometimes use it as deodorant/on my chest if I’m wearing a colored cotton dress/top and don’t want people to see me sweating like a hog at events like weddings and such. 🙂
(I honestly have no affiliation with DGP or any other products I mentioned. I get nothing from this review. Neither products are readily available where I live and international shipping costs are a b. I still think they are worth their weight in gold.)
-
HI Lucca Valentine and BabyDragon! Thanks for your answers. After seeing the video, I realize that I have been doing “mini drops” from a sitting position. I don’t drop very far, but enought to get from sitting high up into a lower height were I can reach the floor with my feet.
I really liked the sad girl drop. That looks like something “relatively easy” to start out with as I do have most of that down. I’m pretty far from the nose dive drop (looks TERRIFYING to drop down face first!!!), but I saw that DakotaFox really does have a nice variation of drops. I also searched through some more of her videos and I’ll add them to my favorites as she has a lot of good explanations.Thanks!
-
I started poling almost a year ago. I have an x-pole at home and when I’m working on new moves, I prefer starting to learn them on spinning pole. Even without exerting any force, the pole does move around and it works on my sense of [or lack of] stability. I recently started working on the Caterpillar climb and while I can do it on static pole, I find that I still can’t do it on spinning pole. I know that part of the reason for this is that while I do the move on static pole, I do it VERY S-L-O-W-L-Y. VERY. And jerky. Spinning pole requires you to do the move quicker, smoother.
In Hebrew there’s a saying, “Practice hard and you’ll have an easier time in battle.” I find that once I can nail a move on spinning pole, getting it on static is a breeze.Good luck poling!
-
If you want cheaper options, there are some good ones. I got puzzle mats for Judo from a sporting good store. They are 80 cm * 80 cm and 3 cm thick and I bought a package of 6 for about $40. I usually arrange them in two rows of three with the pole in the middle. I cut a hole for my pole with a switch blade knife. They are “stiff”, not cushion-y, but I do feel it does a really good job of minimizing impact. I have fallen numerous times, and, knock wood, have sustained no injuries to date.
I also like the idea that theoretically, I could stack them on top of each other, if I wanted a thicker mat.BTW, the studio I go to also uses the puzzle mats. Although they have squares that are 1m*1m. I couldn’t find them that big.