Runemist34
Forum Replies Created
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Katas are usually a lot longer, and incorporate many different kinds of moves, often (but not always) centered around a particular stance or idea.
So I don't think those are quite long enough to be considered "katas" 😉
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I've practiced this move a LOT and I really enjoy it- one of my only inverts, so I cling to it as a huge accomplishment!
Biggest thing for me was the bent-leg position, and getting your bum down into position before letting go with your hands and laying back.
Veena's got it entirely right (as she should!), make sure to drop your bum down and put your legs into position before letting go. I've found that, for me, I actually make a near-right-angle with my bent leg, and I get a lot of stability!
You can also help with a little stabilizing by placing one hand on your foot (the foot of the bent leg), so that you can pull down and get a little more comfortable with the position.
Best of luck! 🙂
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I should also say, as my roommate is quick to remind me, it is entirely possible for you to do this! No one had ever heard of a 12 year old that could take a full front kick to the stomach and keep walking… till he came along. He's one of the toughest guys I know, and as he says, sometimes you get people that break the rules!
So, maybe you are strong enough to do a shoulder mount! I don't know for sure! So please don't feel discouraged by what I said.
I just want you to be careful 🙂
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Leyrose, please be careful! I have never heard of someone doing a shoulder mount so quickly, and these moves can put major strain on parts of our bodies that we aren't even aware of!
I know instructors are supposed to know exactly what they're doing, and have our safety as first and foremost in our minds, but unfortunately pole dancing is technically unregulated. Depending on the studio, some instructors may just know how these moves are done, but not how and when to teach them.
I would really, really hate to hear that you've torn a muscle, or put undue strain on some tendons and have to take a long hiatus from pole in order to recover.
If you're feeling iffy about ANY move, talk to your instructor in-depth about it! Really press your concern, and ask for the direct proof that you are strong enough to do this move without injury. You want the science, not the excuses! None of this "I know what I'm doing" or "Well, if you don't think you're ready for this level" crap.
Pole dance, like martial arts, is something that takes years to master, and going through levels or belts are not as important as your safety and ability to enjoy yourself!
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Oh the busy times I have had!
Time management is not easy, but it's fairly do-able. Most people use something like a planner, if they prefer paper, or using their smart phones these days for keeping schedules all together. Having school and work at the same time is a really difficult thing to do, and when I was doing it, I found it really helpful to plug all my shifts and classes into my iPhone (which has become my brain, practically) so I don't forget them.
Otherwise, I would say that you should keep workout times around the same time every day. Our bodies like schedules and you'll find yourself actually craving the workout, food, work or anything else if it happens at the same time each day! Also try to keep your workout about 2 hours away from going to bed at night- you don't want to be high and raring to go off your workout and needing to go to sleep! You could even use that high feeling to your advantage, either putting it right before work, or homework!
Be sure to give yourself free time, hopefully every day. Don't schedule your whole day right down to the hour, because sometimes other things come up! What if you want to do some gaming, hang out with friends, or something else? Or what if you're blindsided by a project? (Hopefully not, if you keep things organized! I'm just learning this now!) At least an hour, hopefully two or three, each day would be really good.
Be sure to have rest days! Very important!
And really… it's sort of a personal process! Lots of people make their planners into a kind of creative project, where other people like it just for function. Some people love to check and double check their planners (like me!) and others only need to write it down to remember. Lots of people have different styles and ways of remembering what's going on!
And, if you're really bad with time, the way I am… you can also time how long it takes you to get home from work or school, or takes you to get between work and school, how long you like your workouts, and things like that. Then you get an accurate idea of how long things take, rather than thinking "Oh dear, I have an 8 hour shift today… I can't do ANYTHING else!" Which, frankly, is completely not true! And dancing on stressful days, or days where you feel awful after work, totally helps. I'm serious. Even if you feel awful and just want a nap!
And now I have to go and practice what I preach… >_>
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Alright, well, the reason I ask about the make of your pole is because there are so many kinds, and unfortunately, I don't have any information on your make of pole.
My suggestion would be to contact the people who made it, they usually have some kind of customer service number somewhere on the stuff that came with your product, or you could look them up online.
And also… please be careful. Around here, we hear a lot of horror stories about people falling off their poles when they fail to hold us up. Poler error is one thing, but when the pole fails, it can be very bad. The companies we often tell people to look into (Xpole, Lil Mynx, and Platinum Stages) are reputable and well-tested, both by the ladies here and in their own manufacturing process. Something like the "Carmen Electra Pro Dance Pole" advertises that people can do spins and even inversions on it, but most of us here have heard some really scary stories regarding that pole. Having heard nothing of the brand you're using, I can't say whether it is safe to use with bigger, stronger moves, or whether it is unsafe to use even with the easiest of spins.
So… yep. Contact the manufacturer and tell them you're having issues. And be careful 🙂 No one wants to hear another story about a poler getting hurt. <3
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Sorry, what brand of pole is this? Where did you buy it from? A little more information about the pole, and how the instructions say it should be going together would be really useful!
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Yeah, that doesn't sound like fun.
I'm sure you've heard the old adage of not eating just before swimming- it's more that you need to give your stomach some time to digest before working out. Your stomach takes a lot of energy, and I've really felt faint and shaky if I eat just before working out!
Otherwise, hmm… I also generally just freestyle for a warm up, but I keep it to easier moves. Nothing above some one-leg-on-the-pole spins, and rarely the bigger strength moves. I don't really invert till I'm working on the strength moves and past my 20 minute sucky mark.
And, for something missing from the diet… have you ever tried Instant Breakfast? I know it's a weird suggestion, but I have a double dose every morning, and I've found a HUGE increase in my energy, and my ability to work out. I've got an Iron deficiency, so it really helps. The brand I use is Carnation (specifically, I like the chocolate one), but I'm not sure what you guys have in the 'States!
That's all I can really think of… maybe just give yourself a little time to get some more information on this feeling. When it happens during your workout, what happens afterward, how much water you're drinking, when you eat before workout and whether that affects it.
Everyone reacts differently to different things. That's why the fitness industry is so confused as to what works for people wanting to lose fat, gain muscle, or spot reduce! So, you have to learn about you. Do some research into yourself 🙂
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Totally understand your plight! I HATE cardio workouts, so my endurance is fairly poor. When it comes to dancing, there are a few tips I could see helping…
First, for holding your breath: Try to practice your moves while slowly exhaling as you do it. So, if you're doing a basic invert, as you lift your legs begin to exhale, and when you set your legs on the pole and grip on, you should be reaching the end of your capacity, and you'll need to inhale. This is often a problem with a lot of "macho" weight lifters, too. We feel we get more power by hardening all of our core muscles, thus freezing our lungs and holding our breath! But, I've found I get a lot more power, and I run out of air a lot less, if I exhale through moves. Eventually, you can even start teaching yourself to inhale through moves which expand your core and chest, too!
Next, have you warmed up? This one is surprisingly important! That little "5 minute warm up" or whatever doesn't cut it for me! I notice that by the time I'm in about 20 minutes, I'm huffing and puffing and totally pooped… but after I go and have some water, walk around the pole and do a half-spin or other light things, I am ready to go again. And, not only that, I'm energized and feeling way better than when I started!
Scientifically speaking, that's the point when your cardiovascular system (heart and lungs) catches up to the level of energy and oxygen you're demanding from them, thus introducing enough to your muscles, and allowing you to burn fat for energy! Fat can only be metabolized in the presence of oxygen, so after this point, you're working at a much more efficient level, and that fat will give you all the energy you need to get your dancing done!
And, lastly, have you been taking rest days? You need them not only to repair your muscles, but to get past the time of muscle repair, so you can have all that energy again! If your body is trying to do both, repair your muscles AND work them, I would think it'd get tired!
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This is a tricky move to get! It's always been one of those tough ones for me, especially with holding my legs up long enough.
However, with the striking the pole issue… have you tried doing this hold without spinning? Just set your hands into your split grip hold, and get those legs up? This is how I originally learned this move (it took quite a while for me to go "Wait, you can SPIN that?") and it really helped me figure out the hold and how to get my body away from the pole.
I'll also point out that you want to tilt your hips forward, so much that your back rounds out! You want to make a big C with your body! It'll help you get your legs up and keep them up, so that you don't get tired, and you can stay away from the pole.
The rest, I suppose, is that tricky bit of keeping your body rigid so that you aren't "overtaking" yourself (as in, one leg isn't hitting the pole as you spin, because your hips have gone too far, or whatever), and you are still able to relax your hands enough to make the spin happen.
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I hate to be contrary to… basically everyone on this thread, but… well, I'm going to.
First of all, it concerns me very much that you say "1200 calories due to my height and weight." I'd like to point out that your height and weight has very, VERY little to do with how much food you should be taking in, or how fit you are, or how much your belly is going to stick out. I daresay the height and weight of a person has nothing to do with those other things, at all.
Secondly, I would like to point out that, as a female, your hips are going to tilt- we aren't men, and that "flat spine" in all directions is simply not an option unless you want to walk really funny. Many women have flatter spines, and many have curved spines- mine is very curved, as I have very large hips. I believe that most women have organs in their midsections, and those organs have to go somewhere!
According to most medical studies, women are considered "healthy" with at least 10% body fat, and we cannot control how that fat is stored on our bodies. You may find that, if you lose weight, you have a completely flat chest, yet your hips remain large. You may find that you continue to have fat on your thighs, but everything on your back melts away. It's up to your body, and for a lot of women, that "dream" of a flat stomach is well into the dangerous, less-than-10% range. Very few women can achieve this without getting into that range.
Finally, I want to say this: I am very saddened by the idea that women judge themselves so harshly on a piece of their bodies that they believe are less socially acceptable, or less aesthetically pleasing. I am positive that your stomach is fine, even beautiful, and that you are a delightful, intelligent woman.
So, why not just eat enough food until you don't feel hungry, have a brownie, and love yourself?
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Generally for crash mats I just use pillows or couch cushions 😉
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Oh man, that sounds much more advanced than what most people are ready for, after a month of pole! Have you been particularly active with anything else previously?
Anyways, the idea of fear while being upside down… is something I'm terribly familiar with. I HATE being upside down! Seriously, HATE it! I actually had to help myself get through it a bit by hanging my head upside down off the couch for a bit.
I generally find that going a CKR is easier, and I feel much more secure being upside down in that position… but I certainly didn't start that way! I really had to practice that move, slowly and consistently. My CAR is NOT feeling secure, and I've only done it once properly. It'll be one of those moves I work on for a long time before I'm comfortable with it.
My basic invert? Well… unfortunately I am still not secure enough to let go with my hands. I know that it's a mind-over-matter thing, that I'm psyching myself out about it… but, well, I'm upside down and really very uncomfortable!
So… the verdict is that yes, there are people out there that get very uncomfortable doing upside down moves. As you get into tougher moves, I know that those issues get worse, but that they can be worked through!
Take your time, and do what's comfortable for you… and then push yourself just a little bit every time. At least if you're practicing letting go in your CKR or CAR without putting yourself upside down, it's an awesome ab workout!
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Quirkygrl16, I'm not sure that 5 inches on two sides and 4 inches on the other two sides is going to be enough to dance in
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Let's do this thing! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rambo.gif
I'm hoping to stretch as much as I can, because my body is falling apart without my workout and stretches!
And also I love the splits. What better way to prove to myself I can do the impossible? 😉
