[Runemist34]

Hey there!
I know that, for me, I become severely anemic during my cycle. I’m anemic anyways, which is why I take a supplement (Carnation Instant Breakfast!), but during my cycle it becomes worse because of all the nutrient loss through the blood. It can take a big toll on the body!
And, sometimes I have very tired core muscles. My lower back, in particular, works hard and constantly during that process and can become weak and tired very easily.
So, I still do try to keep up with my exercise, but I tend to sleep a lot during that time, and feel sluggish and unmotivated.

I will also point out (there was a thread about this somewhere on the forum!) that our pain tolerance is often lower closer to our cycle, so this can also be a discouraging factor in pole dancing.

[Runemist34]

I feel very lucky that everything worked out for me in getting my beautiful SV pole- so rarely do I get to buy things like that, and I’m often late when it comes to limited time offers! I love my pole 🙂

[Runemist34]

Looks similar to a reverse sunwheel spin (I’ve seen it called that somewhere, I think youtube) with just a bit more curve to the back, and extended legs.
The half spin/swing dip really helps to gain momentum!

[Runemist34]

Unfortunately, I can’t think of any way to do that with a pole. The way she is continuing her movement is by being directly under the focal point of her spin, and by his help with keeping her momentum up.
I would think the closest you would get would require a LOT of hand switching and some truly impressive co-ordination. I know for sure I’d bang my head trying. 😉

[Runemist34]

I don’t place a lot of importance on the poles at a studio- heck, usually I don’t even know what they have before I get there!
The two places that used to be here both had Lil mynx stainless steel, and while my own SS was pretty slippy at home, they always seemed perfectly grippy at the studio! And, I’m not a big stickler for size- I’ve got big hands, so I can grip nearly any size pole!
And, should I learn something while visiting a studio briefly, I can always practice it at home on my powder coated pole, which has endless grip, most of the time!
When I went to Iceland, and danced on the poles at Erial Pole, I had never actually touched a spinning pole before. Boy, was that a crazy ride! But, again, I didn’t know what they had when I got there- I actually don’t even know what they have right now! I just knew that they spin, and that they were a little bit smaller than I was used to.

It sounds like a great way to test out going to a studio though! I hope that everything works out well for you. You never know, you might love the poles there, even if you don’t love them anywhere else!

[Runemist34]

“I am definitely on the first DVD, just the second lesson! I should be progressing past that!!”
You WILL do so. Eventually!
Please remember that a lot of people don’t even invert in the first few months of pole dancing! I hear, usually, that most people begin to work on spins around the second or third month, and then on inversions around the sixth month. PLEASE take your time with this!
I know how super exciting it can be to get lots of moves, to feel the thrill of getting a new move, to feel like you “should” be feeling stronger, but Pole dancing uses a lot more muscles, and a lot of different skills, than almost any other sport.

For reference, I’ve been poling for 6 years, and I’m not really strong enough to invert. I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve had my times off, but I am not unhappy. I love pole dancing, and I progress at my own pace! I’ve been doing more recently, and I hope to start properly inverting by the end of the year… but, seriously? These things take time for everyone.

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
I am solidly NOT flexible, and have actually damaged my hamstrings trying SO hard to stretch them!
We actually have another thread here on the forum for us to post progress pictures, to cheer each other on, and to share tips and tricks and ideas, what works for us and what doesn’t.
It’s right here: https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/54888e4d-b880-4691-b910-32640a9aa0eb#bottom

The splits can take YEARS. Alethea Austin talks about her own journey to the splits- I think she said three or five years for her?
For some, very lucky, other people, it only takes months. But, I think those people are few and far between, and most of us have to take our time (seriously, take that time!), be patient, gentle, and stretch when we are seriously very warm, and listen to our bodies carefully. An injury from stretching is NOT FUN. I was out for about six months straight from my hamstrings, and that was just a few attempts at stretching too far when I wasn’t listening to my body.

[Runemist34]

Hey Lazarenka!
I just want to say this: The Art of Pole DVD’s (By Jamilla DeVille) are fantastic, but you should definitely be working on the very first one! The second follows up on the skills you learn in the first, and they both give a lot of very important conditioning moves that are even still difficult for me!
However, Felix Cane’s DVDs are… not quite so “beginner.” I have them, I am a HUGE fan of Felix, but I don’t think the moves she considers to be “beginner” moves are very achievable by someone at the beginner level without a dance background. Felix had grown up dancing, and had a huge leg up on pole- she won the Australian Pole competition six months after starting pole. So… I wouldn’t necessarily listen to her progressions!

Most other pole DVD’s are like Felix’s, and have wildly unrealistic ideas of what a beginner can do. The Polepeople DVD’s (sometimes also called The Art of Poledancing) are like this, as in the “beginner to intermediate” DVD, their first one, includes things like inversions and very difficult spins.

I love Jamilla’s lessons, and I would say that they are on-par with the ones here on SV. They aren’t evolving like Veena’s, but they are clear and strong, and don’t move too quickly, and they have great instruction.

I hope your pole gets figured out so you don’t have to deal with those screws! And take your time with pole dancing. You’ll get there, and it’ll be so much better to get there when you’re strong enough!

[Runemist34]

Hey lazarenka!
Strong hands is definitely a plus, but a lot of those holds and spins take a lot more than grip strength!
Chrome is definitely a type of pole finish that you really need to warm up, and you have to be warm as well, in order to get proper grip! Things like humidity and ambient heat can also affect your grip. Many people on here recommend using grip aid, and it might be a good idea if you find your pole is super slippy all the time. Definitely make sure you’re warming up both yourself and the pole, though!
As for those holds specifically, as I said, it takes a lot more than grip strength! Things like the split grip is very tricky, and you need a lot more strength and awareness in your lats, shoulders, and upper arms in order to do it safely (as well as proper hand positioning, to keep your wrists safe!!).
For moves like the chair, for example, pulling down with your lat and your shoulder is really important so that you aren’t putting all your weight on the small stabilizer muscles in your shoulders, because they can’t really take that kind of punishment. If you’re new to the grip, too, it takes some time to get used to- sometimes you’ll slide right off, and sometimes you grip too much! Momentum is also something to take into consideration, as it can change how you hold, and how well you hold.
And neither the Hollywood nor the Chair are beginner moves.

As for the bolts that stick out, what happens if you tighten them? This sounds dangerous, and hopefully they aren’t some kind of factory defect. I wouldn’t dance on a pole with things sticking out! I’d cut up my legs something fierce!

[Runemist34]

Hi Nina!
Glad to have you here- this is an awesome and super supportive community, and has a lot of knowledge and encouragement to give! Veena’s lessons here are also excellent! She has a 30 day takeoff that helps with getting a proper workout routine and habit going, and orders all her moves in order of difficulty. Many other people will point to things like a basic invert as a “beginner move,” which it really isn’t! I’ve found Veena’s lessons to be very true to my own progression, and I’ve seen lots of others have the same experience. You can always take a look at how they’re ordered even if you aren’t subscribed… and, she also has a 3 day free trial with the code GET3FREE if you want to check them out 😉
Sorry, I’m sounding like an infomercial!
I’ve been poling for about 6 years now- I’m certainly not as good as you might expect! I’ve had my own challenges with my pole journey, though, and have only recently been creating a solid and enjoyable habit, with proper support and encouragement from the people now in my life. I’m still a beginner, but I’m happy 🙂
I’ve also been on here with Studio Veena for like… I dunno, 5ish years? haha, long time!

This place has been the best for me 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!

[Runemist34]

Hey Catmoves!
So, I have a powder-coated pole, and in my home climate (very humid, quite warm in the summer), it gets super grippy. Like, I’ve come off the pole with my thighs burning like mad because of it!

The best I can suggest for this is to work on other moves while your pole is super grippy- take advantage of the ridiculous grip to practice things you may not normally do when your pole is “iffy grip” status. If you have a spin mode, get that going because it’s a great time to practice your spin mode! If not, you can still work on lots of other things. I even do climbing drills (my pole isn’t tall enough to climb up more than once) where I just stick on and lift, and lower, lift, and lower. Sure does work!

I know it can be really frustrating when the moves you’re working on are all movement-oriented, though. I don’t necessarily have a solution, I just decided to diversify and make sure I had a variety of moves to work on, whether my pole was crazy-grippy or not. 😉

[Runemist34]

Hey lazarenka!
Those spins were difficult for me for a long time, too… and I no longer have any classes in my town to turn to. I’ve not been going to lessons for most of my pole journey!
So, first of all… many “Beginner” DVD’s that I’ve seen in the Pole world don’t really have the same idea of what a Beginner move is. The Pole People one I saw puts the Chopper as a Beginner move- I mean, REALLY? That’s a very intermediate move. I’ve seen others with one-handed spins, I’ve seen lots with very poor instruction.
So, don’t put too much stock in a lot of the moves shown being “beginner” moves. You can always take a look at how Veena places her lessons, as they’re in order of difficulty. I’ve found her method and her ordering to be quite true for me in progression, and I know it’s true for many other people, too.

However, as for those particular moves, I’ll say this: Momentum is tough. Appropriate swinging of legs, at the right time, is what will really get you around the pole in those moves. BUT, being strong enough to hold yourself up, with the momentum and everything, is something that comes with time! Using your lats to pull your shoulders down and protect the smaller stabilizer muscles is really key, and I’ve found that sometimes I can forget, and do myself some damage. So, please be careful!

For going upside down, you can purchase crash mats (some are really awesome, too!) to put around your pole. You can take it slow, be really careful about NEVER jumping into any move, and just see how you feel as you get into those moves. Pole dancing when you have no one around, I’ve found, requires a huge amount of body awareness and trust- you can do it! It just takes time, openness, and strength!

Posting on here with any of your questions is also super good. No question is stupid! We would all rather you asked “Hey, am I doing this right?” and post a video, than not and accidentally hurt yourself with a repeated injury!

And… flexibility requires a constant practice. Check out the Splits for Christmas 2015 thread for some tips (lots of pictures to scroll through, but we’re also all talking about HOW to get more flexible!) and as you add that into your routine, you will see slow, steady results 🙂

[Runemist34]

Breaking down that video… isn’t easy!
So, what I’m seeing is a buildup of momentum through the longer walking steps, into a “pencil spin” with open legs (when she’s facing directly forward into the pole, like a pull up, with spinning and open legs). One hand high, one lower.
And then, she turns and goes into a back hook spin, which would be the first thing to practice. This is partly facilitated by her hand placement, as well.
THEN it gets tricky- her knee stays in place, but she brings it up into her chest, and points her outside foot up toward the walls around her, rather than the floor.
Bringing hands down (by going top hand down so that it is just under her hooked knee, and then next hand), which allows that straight leg to begin pointing more upward. From here, it’s a quick re-adjustment of body and opening of legs, into a chopper.
And then the ground.

Hopefully that helps, Newschik 🙂

[Runemist34]

I totally agree with poleisnewtome! Not just abs, but your whole core is what really makes the difference for getting your legs and hips up and over. The chopper and V-invert are nothing to sneeze at- they take HUGE amounts of control and strength! Huge!
Can you do a totally controlled and slow basic invert or tuck invert? Have you tried (this one always kills me) a V-sit up on the pole (like, go into CAR or CKR, and then just leg go with your hands without allowing yourself to lay back- just stay up, stare at your legs or feet)? How are your hip flexors, too?

Having tight hamstrings is pretty common, I’m noticing. Mine are also super tight! Try to stretch them often, but don’t push it too hard. They’ll loosen in their time! I never used to get even close to the ground (I couldn’t even put my hands on my knees unless I bent with my back, too), but now I’m almost all the way down! It’s possible 🙂

I actually found that doing the plough was really helpful, even if it wasn’t super controlled for a while. That, and Veena’s exercises from the 30 Day Ab challenge! That one is free, so check it out!!

[Runemist34]

Hey Dizzykitty!
The Pussycat Pole has been talked about here on the forum before, but it was several years ago.
https://www.studioveena.com/forums/view/5037019e-2320-405f-bfb7-30810ac37250

It looks like they had good reviews from the Veeners that had them and tried them. I’m hoping that they have the same craftsmanship that they did then, and that it works out for you!