StrangeFox
Forum Replies Created
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Yay! Glad you got your 40mm, coolchange! I LOVE mine and miss it when I’m on the 45mm in the studio. You’ll be up in the air soon! ๐
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Ah yes… that’s the one we were doing in class! Thanks Veena! I practiced at home and can pull myself into an inversion from that position but it isn’t pretty or consistent so looks like I need a bit more strength and practice. I’ll get it eventually. ๐
I felt like I’d hit a plateau a couple of weeks ago but after doing your exercises I am definitely seeing gains. Although I had been working my lower abs like crazy I wasn’t actually engaging my muscles due to poor form. My muscles are rather slow learners and your lessons really help break it down for them. Thank you, thank you, thank you again from the bottom of my heart for creating this wonderful resource! รขยยครขยยครขยยค
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I would love that! A pole unencumbered by the ceiling… *sigh* And it would be nice to be able to pole outside.
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The anticipation would be killing me, too! A few days was enough to drive me crazy when I first got my pole! Setting up your poling space can be a good way to pass the time without going crazy. ๐
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LOL – Aquarian Air, I love that you’re pole sitting! That’s awesome! I wish one of my family members had a pole I could pole sit. I, too, am super impressed with anyone who regularly puts their pole up and down. I had to get my fiance to help me put my pole up! I bought the permanent ceiling mount, and my fi strictly forbids me to affix it to the ceiling because he’s worried it’s going to cause damage. Personally, I think the dome does WAY more damage. The ceiling mount seems a little safer and more secure especially if you’re going to be putting the pole up and down a lot.
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TropicalVertical, I hope you find time to get to a studio soon! Physically getting out can really help if you’re feeling trapped in your own head. I know nothing beats interacting with a real life pole family but we’re all here for you! *hugs* One thing to consider may be to get a good crash mat for when you’re trying new moves. I have one and although it’s virtually impossible to do any floor work or low flow with it, I do get it out when I try any risky new tricks.
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Hey Autumn Gypsy – just to re-assure you, I have my x-pole set up with the 250mm and 500mm extension and it’s perfectly fine. And I’ve been pretty hard on my pole. Just a word of caution if you’re worried about it falling: make sure you install it directly under a joist, and check often to see if it needs to be tightened. The first time I installed my pole I did not have it directly centered under the joist and after about an hour of poling it shifted (it didn’t fall down…just shifted across the ceiling). After getting it right under the joist and tightening it a little I have not had further incident and have felt secure enough to spin, invert, climb, and pose to my heart’s content. Let us know when you finally get your extension. ๐ It’s so, so hard to have to wait! *hugs*
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Hey Coolchange – I was in a similar spot when I was buying my first pole. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted a 45mm or a 40mm. I went with the 40mm (brass) because I’m an absolute beginner and I’m on the short side with really, really tiny hands. 45mm is considered the “standard” pole size, at least here in Canada so most studios will have 45mm poles.
I keep hearing it’s harder to do things that involve gripping with the legs (ie. leg hangs) on a 40mm pole. I’m not doing anything too crazy yet, but I did notice I have to squeeze my legs a little harder in inverted crucifix on my 40mm pole…however, I find pole sits way, way easier on the thinner pole. Personally, I love the 40mm and think it’s the perfect size for me. I don’t notice a huge difference going from my 40mm to the 45mm in the studio. You might notice a bigger difference going from 50mm to 40mm, though. I think it’s all just a matter of personal preference. Some people like a thicker pole and some people like a thinner pole. Let us know what you end up getting! ๐
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Yep! It’s the wall in my pics/vids (I’ve added an image of it here). Actually, that is not a bad idea. I think removing the chairrail (I had no idea that was what it was called!) would be far less damaging than nailing the 2x4s to the wall and a lot safer, as well. I could so see myself crashing into that mirror, and to be honest I was a little concerned about that, too …lol! Thanks a bunch! ๐
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They’re both sexy! I like the seven inch heels, too. I don’t have a pair of heels (yet), but with the 6 inch heels they look like they have some metal bits on the back where the lace is attached and I’d be worried about scuffing my pole. I’m a klutz, though. ๐
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TropicalVertical, so sorry you’re going through this. ๐ I love your videos and consider you very brave. I find with anything my level of fear is closely related to what is going on in my life. When things are going great I’m fearless and invincible (not always a good thing), but when I’m stressed out, or especially when I’ve got a lot of people depending on me, I tend to be less bold and more fearful. I have some theories about it, but I don’t know whether they hold any water. One is that when I’m worn out by stress I can kind of sense that I’m not at my best and it’s my body’s way of telling me to slow down and be careful. Another is that when I’ve got someone depending on me I’m more fearful I’ll suffer an accident and let the person who is depending on me down by being out of commission.
I recently started inverting and had no real fears about being upside down. I was unhooking arms and legs and just generally having a good time. Then I went out to dinner with a friend who has been diagnosed with cancer, and he admitted he’s not seeing the results he’d hoped for with chemo. When he hugged me that night there was something really, really final about it and it kind of gave me a bit of a start. I got home and started poling, and when it came time for me to get upside down my heart was beating really fast and my whole body was sweaty. I got inverted but I didn’t enjoy it. I felt totally insecure and unstable and I wanted down. It took a few days for me to return to normal, and it took me a little while to connect the dots. I think sometimes when we’re faced with mortality in any form, whether it’s our own or someone else’s, we become hyper-aware of danger. I also think I might have been trying to suppress my fears about my friend and they came out while I was poling and totally confused me. I find pole can be really cathartic but sometimes emotion comes out and I have no idea what it’s really connected to.
I once had a horrible day at work where I left feeling crushed and useless, and when I got to pole class I couldn’t do a chair to backhook spin. After re-visiting it on the weekend when I felt much better I could do it no problem the first time I tried it. I can even track my abilities with my monthly cycle – they take a huge dip right before aunt flow visits. If you’re stressed and run down or preoccupied by something else it’s easy to lose confidence in yourself, so it might be that, too. In fact, it could be a combination of any of these. I’m finding so much of pole is psychological.
Just know that this will pass and you’ll come out of it stronger. ๐ You’re strong, and a kick-butt incredible dancer. With these types of things I always tell myself it’s only temporary and that helps me ride out the bad times. I also find it helps to really analyze what’s going on and get really into my own head. Usually if I get introspective enough I can figure it all out and rationalize it. Usually I run, or write, or listen to music to help myself get there. Happy poling, and I’m sending lots of hugs your way. ๐ Hope this passes soon, and sorry my reply is so long. This just really resonates with me so thanks for sharing you personal struggles.
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Thanks Veena!!! As always you are incredibly kind, supportive, and helpful, and I really appreciate it.
I started doing the invert program, but switched to do the 30 day take off because I feel like I’m still missing out on a lot of fundamentals and could really benefit from starting at the beginning. ๐ I think I’m just super bummed out because I’m so far behind core strength-wise despite working on my core for over a year. Obviously, what I’ve been doing thus far hasn’t been working for me, so I’m excited to see how things improve while I’m using your programs. I’ll let you know how I progress. ๐ The good thing is my legs are pretty strong so once I’m upside down I have no issues. Heck, I can even pull myself into an inversion from the floor by inching up the pole backwards using my legs. Kind of like an upside-down climb – granted, I can only get myself a few feet off the ground this way before I tire out.
It’s possible I’m cancelling out my strength training by over-training with cardio and not eating to compensate. In day 2 of the take-off you mentioned a healthy snack should be eaten within 30 mins of training. It’s stuff like that, that I think I’m missing.
I did reach a happy point with the shoulder roll up this past Sunday. I kept getting cramps and stitches in my intercostals because I wasn’t able to engage my core while coming down. Sunday was the first time I ever felt my core engage, and it was also the first time I was able to slowly lower to the ground from my shoulders to my lower back, one vertebrae at a time. No intercostal pain! So I do see some gains since I started poling.
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Hey LatinPoler – hope your skin is doing better. I second the Aveeno. Especially the soothing one. I actually had the same issue a couple of days ago in around the same area from training my knee pit grip and I got that on my foot from climbing a while back, too. It kind of freaked me out, but Voltaren helped ease the discomfort a bit. Rest up and I wish you a speedy recovery. ๐
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At the very worst, check with their customer service to see if you can return it if it doesn’t fit. I agree with Veena though. I think it will fit. ๐
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Oh man, that seriously sucks! Sorry to hear that. ๐ Looks like they’re even sold out in Canada. Have you tried to contact X-Pole? They might be able to suggest an alternative – their customer service is top-notch. Also, I know thepoledancingshop.com sells X-Poles and X-Pole equipment, including extensions. I’ve never ordered anything from them so I’m not sure how quick they are or what their service is like.