[Runemist34]

Woops, I got my days confused! I posted my 1st day video, but 2nd day got messed up! Haha, I was so convinced day 1 was a walk 😉

[Runemist34]

I posted my 2nd day Wavy legs here! I’ll be putting it up on Instagram in a bit.
My 1st day video kind of… screwed up, got all weird, so I’m going to have to record it again. Oh well!

[Runemist34]

I agree, it doesn’t sound like something related to breathing. There are all sorts of muscles that it could be, depending where “around the rib” it is, and when the pain happens.
Best to remember that inverting on your weaker side may take time, because you aren’t used to using those muscles in that way yet. Pushing it too far may just create more problems.
Case in point: My biceps are usually pretty strong, but I strained one pushing the left a bit too far. I’ve NEVER had an injury there before, and it was really, really painful. I’m healed now, but I sure learned my lesson! Left side and right side are not the same, and should not yet be treated as such.

[Runemist34]

As I don’t have anything to mess with my schedule this month, I’m gonna try to stick to this one as best I can!

[Runemist34]

Hey Shiningstar!
I also live in Canada, and I purchased the Studio Veena pole when it was available (it’s discontinued now). Prior to that I had purchased a pole through my local studio, now closed.
Shipping for my SV pole WAS quite a lot, but… I sort of just took it as part of the expense of buying a pole in the first place. They’re expensive, but they are also awesome.
The closest you can get to the Veena pole is the 45mm powder coated pole from Lil Mynx.
But, honestly, you should find the pole you want most, and know that the price is definitely worth it.

[Runemist34]

Pole CAN be a cardio workout, depending on how it’s done. If you’re moving quickly, and your heart rate is higher for an extended period of time (longer than 20 minutes), then yes, you’ll be doing a cardio workout!
Personally, I look at pole as more strength training- I don’t often get a good, fast heartbeat for a continuous amount of time when I work on moves for pole.
I do understand gauging your weight based on clothing! Your body may be changing due to an increase of muscle, so a belt may be “fighting” with your new, fantastic core muscles! I know my clothes don’t fit well on my arms- women’s clothes are definitely not made for beefy arms!

[Runemist34]

This is actually very common.
“Weight” is usually what we say when we refer to the amount of fat on our bodies, but it is also intrinsically linked to the number we see on the scale. This, unfortunately, is quite incorrect!
Since beginning running last April, I’ve gone from 175 lbs to 205 lbs, but I’ve not gained any more fat on my body- on the contrary, I’ve lost some, though not all of it (I’m not particularly interested in “losing weight,” I simply want to be healthier and stronger!).
The loss of fat is difficult for the body. You require at LEAST 20 minutes of cardio exercise in order to burn fat (the presence of oxygen and heat is necessary, and more oxygen in the blood than resting, especially). Your body will do it’s very best to keep that fat, too. I’ve gone through random cramps, huge amounts of psychological warfare, and even the need to go to the bathroom when I don’t need to, all from my body not wanting to lose the fat!
However, losing fat is also a long-game sort of thing. It doesn’t happen quickly, and for women, we require a certain amount of fat in order to be healthy.
So, I would say that you’re seeing a lot of muscle gain, and likely less fat gain, when it comes to the weight of each. You could gain a little bit of muscle all over (lets say you gained muscle in your arms, shoulders, and back), and the same VOLUME of fat from wherever on your body… but your scale will say that you are “heavier” by number.

I wouldn’t worry about it too much! It sounds like you’re doing really well, and have some great goals for wanting to teach and compete 🙂

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
I’ve had a total of three cats around my pole- I never take it down. Whether powder coated or stainless steel, none of them have ever shown it much interest.
I don’t think a cat’s claws would be able to scratch the pole, especially considering I don’t think they would be able to get the kind of hook onto it in order to exert much force. Cats have most force when pulling down, and when reaching upward, pulling down also requires leaning into the thing, and given that chrome is often fairly slippery, they wouldn’t be able to lean into it in order to get the force to pull down.
Also, the only thing that has ever scratched any f my poles is metal. They’ve had fingernails, wood, furniture, and other things crash into them by accident, and not a mark was left. Only metal 😉

[Runemist34]

I pole in my bedroom, and though it may be a large bedroom, it has the challenge of also housing my queen-sized bed, a dresser, a huge bookshelf, and a desk… and there are only so many configurations that can be done with all these pieces, due to window and closet and such.
So, my pole space is smaller than ideal. I can’t fully extend when doing a lot of spins, and trying to find space to practice splits is a study in diagonals.
However, I have had smaller. I’ve poled once in my kitchen, which at the time was barely large enough for two people, but also had a large kitchen table in it, with four chairs. I had to move the furniture when I wanted to dance.
I’ve also poled in computer rooms, living rooms, and a downstairs seating area (my parents house, they never used that space).
So, yes, I think it’s entirely possible to work on pole dancing in smaller spaces… it may not be ideal, but it may also bring out a certain kind of creativity.

[Runemist34]

That actually sounds a lot easier! Thank you for the tip 😉 I’ll have to find a place to set up my computer that will see me on the floor- even with the furniture moved around, my huge bed still takes up a lot of the space 😉 But, I’ll work on it!

[Runemist34]

Okay! I finally got some pictures of my current state with the splits. Getting the middle splits was difficult, as usually when I’m training them I’m sitting down. My legs are slightly too long for my yoga mat, and carpet+sweaty feet = overextension, which hurts like crazy! I’ll figure out a better method as I go (or just get my middle splits, and then I won’t have to worry about it!)

[Runemist34]

Hey Mermaid21!
Yes, you should definitely find the stud in your ceiling. Most, if not all the poles I know of use pressure to stay up and withstand our using them, and that pressure is placed into the ceiling and the floor. Without a stud above the pole, you risk the pole breaking through the ceiling (or cracking it, at the very least), or simply coming down while you are using it. If you know people who have chosen not to find a stud, and are steadfast in this decision, my recommendation would be not to use their poles.
I’m not quite sure what you mean by “aggressive moves,” though hopefully you’ll be doing them on a reputable pole, and well within your physical limits so as not to cause injury.
That said, easiest way to find a stud is a stud finder, often purchased at any local hardware store. They’re usually fairly cheap, and do work through most surfaces (such as stucco and drywall).
Otherwise, you can find a nearby light fixture, and remove the assembly down to the wires coming out (don’t remove those!), and then either look through or feel through to find a beam. If it’s a newer house or apartment, these are often about 16 inches apart (as far as I recall, though I don’t know about building code in your area), and all run in the same direction. If you locate one that way, your safest bet is to actually use the stud you have located there.
Some houses are… not new, and are not built to the same code, so things get tricky!

The only exception I have found to the “must find a stud” rule is when I was in a VERY old house, and the entire ceiling was made up of thick wood and plaster- no drywall. The thing could have withstood a bomb. I still insisted on locating a stud, but it wouldn’t have made a difference, really.

[Runemist34]

Hey there!
I’m also around a similar level, and generally do all of my workout and dancing at home.
My current schedule is running three days a week, and pole three days a week- I do my best to make sure I have two rest days, because that’s super important! I don’t get stronger without rest days.
Running aside (it’s my main leg workout, and all my cardio workout, but it’s fairly straightforward), my pole workouts consist of warm up dancing, which is grounded at this point (I don’t want to stress any of my muscles or joints before they’re warm, so I stick to floorwork, general dancing, and very, very easy tricks). Then, I will transition to working on my chosen trick for that time- right now, I’m working on the Apprentice, or Thigh rest. I will do about five to ten on each side, holding for as long as possible, and trying to get my foot as high as possible. I take short breaks in between each couple of attempts, to have water, and consider what it is I’m doing right or wrong.
Then I do my strength training. Right now, I’m working a lot on my core, and trying to bring my upper body into it as well. So, I’ve found a lot of great workout videos around the internet (Veena has some great ones here on the website, too!), and if I don’t feel like those, I’ll just do my own routine, making sure to get all the muscles I can think of at the time!
Then I work on my flexibility, as I would love to increase that this year, and perhaps achieve my splits sometime in the next few years.
I do have dumbbell weights, but they aren’t much. 5-7 lbs is all I’m using right now. They’re mostly just for my arm workouts.

The pole itself can be a huge help in increasing strength, not just by learning tricks, but as an apparatus to facilitate certain movements. You can check out the Ab Challenge we have hanging around here- the exercises Veena came up with for it are actually put up on Youtube, so you can see them without a subscription.

Hopefully that helps!

[Runemist34]

I just got a chair for dancing on (and also use for my desk, but that’s obviously secondary) and I’m excited to work on it! Mine is a metal folding chair, but it has some small amount of padding on the seat and back rest- I realize that is sort of like poling with heels and carpet, but… I’ll figure it out 🙂

[Runemist34]

I’m also really sorry to hear that this is happening- it’s really hard when there’s competition that you simply don’t want to participate in!
I would also recommend going for the intermediate classes- you never know. There will likely be new people, new challenges, and if nothing else, you’ll get better and stronger at what you love to do.
When it comes to people whispering and eye-rolling, the unfortunate thing is that you probably don’t want to be friends with those people at all… but I understand you want to be friends with SOME people!
If there are any other studios nearby, you can always try those, as well. I find that much of the competitive nature is either nurtured or destroyed by the atmosphere of the studio itself. Some of them might not notice or care, and if there are people creating that unfortunate precedent, it’s not going to go away with that group, because by omitting any kind of discouragement, they are being “encouraged” to act that way. Other studios will talk about competition, and the fact that some people have different backgrounds, different journey’s, and that we’re all equal, and all have something to give to the others.

The latter is what I see here on SV very often, and it’s wonderful that it has continued for so long. I hope you can find a place in person that is similar 🙂