[Serzi]

I’ve always viewed it as you earn respect on your own turf, you don’t dress or act a certain way so people will like and accept you more. Trust me, they WON’T. We can either be the clowns of the Olympics or we can say “You know what? One day your corporate masters will be groveling at our heels because our industry has become so widespread, profitable, and beloved by so many. We don’t even need you to prosper as a recognized sport because we already are.”

[Serzi]

What you described made no visual sense to me. I am almost 6′ tall, I am all arms and legs, and I haven’t a clue how being tall/having long-limbs alone is preventing you from inverting. Are you reaching too high or too low? Are you keeping your elbows pointed down and pulling yourself straight up? Dozens of other questions without seeing a picture or video, sorry, I wish I could help. 🙁

[Serzi]

…unless you’re talking about unscrewing the pole itself. In which case, your X-pole should have included two metal sticks that you insert into the open holes on your pole. Using them to twist the B pole left should work like a charm.

If that’s not the problem or none of this applies, sorry. Anyway, I like your name. It’s my favorite song by My Ruin. 🙂

[Serzi]

Lefty-loosey. Over time it can get stubborn and trying to unscrew it in the wrong direction made it even more so. Be careful, you don’t want to strip the screw! One thing that may give you some extra grip on it is if you take a flat rubber band, place it over the screw-hole, and then use your hex key.

[Serzi]

I can’t be sure what you’re doing without seeing it, but I am also a tall girl and I know a lot about the struggle with inverts. It may not be a matter of strength you are having issue with, but body awareness and trusting those long limbs to safely execute the move. I don’t recommend this but, in the beginning, my frustration with inverting led to a lot of basically throwing myself into it. lol I eventually got over my fear and began to trust myself more.

I have been off the pole for some time since I became a mother and have been doing what I call a “manual rebuild from the ground up”. I have had the greatest success by first positioning at the base of my pole as I would in an invert (Gemini/Scorpio/shoulder-mount/crucifix), getting used to that feeling again to the point of as comfortable as it gets, and then attempting to lift myself into one from a standing position when I’m ready. I’ve found my inverts have three parts when I do them without a kick-up: Grip, lift, and hook. It sounds so simple, but it really has more to it than words can fully describe. A lot goes on in those seconds with your muscles, breathing, positioning and it almost seems unique to your own body as far as what makes it right for you.

I understand your frustration with this. In my very first days of pole I became so discouraged because it seemed impossible for me, and then when I started again after having my daughter I couldn’t comprehend how I had ever felt comfortable inverting the way I used to. I will say, take your time and let it come to you naturally. Do not force an invert because it’s not a safe way to learn. Keep at it, keep trying, but resist the urge to throw yourself into it. If you are feeling that your hips are not lifting you into position correctly it may be partially due to the flexors, but I would say your core is more likely the culprit preventing you from getting up and over in the tuck. Strength may not be the issue, but rather that you are not used to the position so your core is not engaged properly.

Just my two cents, hope this helps.

[Serzi]

I would love to see any movie theme inspired pole videos! Not just Striptease kinda movies, but if we took our favorite character or used music from a movie and created a pole routine based off of it. 😀

[Serzi]

I took it. Didn’t bother me at all.

[Serzi]

http://www.snaz75.com/boots.html

My go-to for all my sexy boots.

[Serzi]

The repetitive lifting of your own body weight (especially if you are into power moves/tricks) is going to build muscle mass over time. I’ve found that with pole it’s generally an even distribution of lean muscle, but everyone is different. I’ve always felt “big” so it’s not really an unwelcome change to firm up what I already have. If you are after a more lithe/petite physique and your body is a natural muscle builder then pole may not give you the results you want. I doubt you will look like a She-Hulk, but if sculpted arms and such are a turn-off for you I really don’t know what to say. You will build mass in pole if you go at it enough, maybe cut back a little on your practices if you think you’re getting too bulky for your taste? Idk. Your profile pic looks awesome and very pretty to me. 🙁

[Serzi]

Recovering sugar junkie here. I used to drink pretty much nothing but sweet drinks, especially soda pop. I went on The South Beach Diet (for other reasons) and it pretty much eliminates any use of sugar. After that, guess what? I kinda lost my sweet tooth. I almost feel my blood sugar spike into oblivion if I eat the things I used to or if I drink a bottle of soda pop and I really don’t like it. I enjoy my occasional dessert but, unlike before when I could make entire cartons of ice cream disappear, I’m rarely able to finish it all. Something changed when I took sugar out of my diet for so long, I lost the “need” for it.

Does absence of sugar effect pole? I would say it does. Sugar is quick buzz of dirty energy, it burns fast and leaves you tired. If you have a junk-food fix before you pole you’ll often find your quitting time comes sooner than if you ate a good meal. Certain things will bog you down, for sure. Sweet stuff is one of them.

[Serzi]

Hello and Welcome!!

[Serzi]

Well, whadda-ya-know. I have three job interviews lined up next week, underemployment check on the way, and my boss is being disciplined left and right for a wide variety of mismanagement. Add this one to the pile when the EEOC starts and I’m pretty sure he will be terminated along with my harasser.

This really wasn’t my goal. I never wanted anyone to be fired, but it looks as though that may happen. Oh, well…they sure didn’t seem to care how I felt or whether I keep my job or not. A lot of the other girls who have been groped by this guy have been complaining to upper management more too lately. I wonder if my report to the EEOC had anything to do with it or if they’ve just had enough bs too. It’s a pretty stressful work environment right now, a lot of people are talking about quitting.

[Serzi]

That was an awesome article, Marie! Thanks for sharing.

I will say that it makes sense how addiction is driven by environment, stress, and isolation more so than any physical dependency. I have smoked cigarettes for over half my lifetime and still struggle to put them away for good to this day. It is NOT the physical addiction at all, the effects of that go away in a matter of weeks. I once quit for over two years, but then my life changed for the worse and I also ended up sharing an apartment with a bunch of smokers. So, I of course started again. Not just because I couldn’t stand being clouded with cigarette smoke everyday (you’re immune to that smell when you are a smoker), but because my life sucked and there were very long stressful hours that I could do absolutely nothing but be alone with my thoughts. Having a cigarette was a five minute vacation from my thoughts. Not literally, but it took me back to a simpler time where I would sneak smokes at the bus-stop and hang out with my friends…not a care in the world. I still get that nostalgia at stressful times in my life or when the air outside is just a little too fresh at night and it reminds me of better times.

[Serzi]

I guarantee your mother calling him “weak” will stick in his mind like a damn sword through the heart. He hates his school? Let him go somewhere else because he’s not going to progress if you force him to stay. He will get worse and it will hurt him.

[Serzi]

Teenagers often experiment with drugs, especially if they have a relative or friend that does it too. It’s not usually just a matter of peer pressure and I really don’t believe in the whole “genetic predisposition” excuse people give. I have lost a number of loved ones to addiction and overdose (some to legal substances, such as ALCOHOL and PRESCRIPTION MEDS), and it seems that it always was used as a band-aid over some wound in their own heart. A way to make an emotional problem or a condition of life more physical so that it could be explained, excused, and treated.

Some just want to do it to see what the big deal is. They usually know somebody they greatly respect or admire that does it and think “Hey…they’re not a junkie or a loser. Wtf? I thought all people who did drugs are unsuccessful and living on the streets. This guy is the smartest dude I know, has a car, a house, a family, a career, a PHD, etc.”. This unfortunate “bum-druggie” stereotype has a huge impact on anybody who finds out otherwise, and they usually do because most addicts are not the throw-aways of the world but somebody greatly cared for by others. The only difference between a “bum-druggie” and a covert addict is their support system. A bum is thrown out or just plain alone in the world, an addict who is loved is likely to continue to succeed in life despite their addiction as long they can finance it.

Also, I do not know many potheads that become addicts. People who like the high they get off of pot tend to prefer it to harsher drugs because they want something that relaxes them and makes them feel good. Other drugs (including alcohol) do not have this effect and include physical illness as a side effect once you come down off of them.

All the people I’ve known who have become addicts of dangerous substances or have died of overdose were either extremely high strung Type A personalities who were experiencing an existential crisis prior to ever using drugs or devoid of their own personality unless validated by a group. It’s a difficult thing to name, but you know it when you see it and unfortunately it’s never something you can control. It’s up to the individual. You can offer support, but you have to immediately set boundaries and stick to them.

Your brother is very young. He is at the age where people start trying these things out of curiosity, frustration, general defiance, or just because…well…they’re bored. My advice would be to not make a big deal out of it, just talk to him. Hang out with him. Keep him busy and don’t give any hint of judgment because it will only alienate him further. Attempt to grow closer with him if you want to understand what it’s really about because I guarantee he’s not an addict at this stage. Be the positive change in his life if he needs one. Sometimes all it takes is one person’s presence in another’s life to completely change their path. Sometimes it takes a lot more. And, sometimes, you just gotta let them be and hope they will figure it out for themselves.