[StrangeFox]

This week has been rough on me (preparing to leave my job and start a new one) and I’ve had very little time for myself. BUT I have still gotten to stretch my whole body every day. It hasn’t been the deep, flex training I crave, but at least it’s something. I even got to pole train a couple of the days, although I only got to spend a bit of time trick training. Tonight I’m stretching my upper back and shoulders and dancing. I NEED it. On the plus side, the slow days have helped me heal up a nagging minor injury to my elbow, so that’s good!

I’ve also been feeling bummed out and burned out, so I think the distance from pole was good for me. My inclination at these times is to train more, but sometimes a little break is what I really need.

[StrangeFox]

I’ve never done the sandpapering, but I would be concerned it would ruin your pole or shorten its lifespan (maybe make it more likely to rust…?) X-Pole swears up and down there’s no coating on their poles, but myself and many others have experienced new pole slippery-ness! It is frustrating but it wears off fairly quickly. Veena has a video on here for steam cleaning poles that might be helpful to remove the coating. 😊

[StrangeFox]

I’ve been doing light exercise only (short, light elliptical training, gentle stretching) this week. It is what my body is telling me it needs at the moment and as of today I’m feeling restless and jittery. I have pole and stretching tomorrow, and I’m soooo ready to get back to it! This rest week is killing me but I had a lot of work things to attend to and a few of my joints were hyper-extending (OUCH!) during stretching and exercise, which is usually a signal for me to slow down for a bit.

This week has been stressful and I haven’t had any of my usual outlets to help me cope so it has been rough, but it’s almost over. I’m feeling a lot of guilt over taking this time, even though I knew I needed it both for my physical recovery and to take care of work. It’s only a few days – not even a full week – and already I’m worried I’ve regressed like crazy. I know that’s silly and I’ll be better off for having taken the break but I can’t help feeling bad…lol!

[StrangeFox]

Wednesday was Pike and straddle flexibility work, and a 5K run on the elliptical (it’s snowy out here!). Thursday was pole conditioning and some very light maintenance stretching. Friday was my pole class and a heavy flex training day – I go to an amazing class that does full body stretching: all of the splits and back bends! I actually achieved my most comfortable front split ever on my good side. Tomorrow I’m going to an hour long kickboxing workout, which I’m super pumped about.

I started a new flexibility program recently, which is kicking my butt (but shockingly yielding results), so next week I might be all about recovery and focusing on some stuff I have to get done for work. Next week I’ve got a few things going on that are causing me a great deal of anxiety, so it’s not the best time for a recovery week. It’s gonna be rough. 🙁

[StrangeFox]

Last Friday was pole class and flexibility training (full body). Saturday was a rest day. Sunday was cardio, hip flexibility and back/shoulder flexibility. Monday was cardio and pike and straddle flexibility. I was not feeling myself on Monday and had trouble getting to sleep so I did a few jades for fun – I’m getting close to flat, which felt pretty good because I’ve been struggling lately with not seeing much flexibility progress. Even if a jade split is a cheat split it still made me feel good.

I’m off to freestyle, perhaps do some more cardio, and stretch my back and hip flexors!

[StrangeFox]

Thanks for posting the video, Veena! Love that combo. Hope you’re feeling better soon!

The last couple of days I did cardio on my elliptical (it’s too icy to run outside), worked on jade and floor jade, machine gun and over the shoulder split. I also worked on splits and back bands.

Tonight it’s back to cardio and working on splits. I’m going to have to squeeze that in after cooking, though. I’m trying to eat healthier to help with my training. 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Such a great idea! Veena – I’m curious what shoulder mount side stall and gemini flip are, now!

Pretty Pixie – so sorry to hear about your tragedy. It’s hard to feel motivated when you’re in that depressed state of mind. Sending you good vibes! I’m glad to see you’re getting back at it. You will have your callouses back in no time.

Today I warmed up on my elliptical for 30 mins and did some back stretching/strengthening…which I desperately need. The run felt AMAZING. The back stretching… actually pretty awesome and productive for a change. I feel really motivated, which is great because I’ve been feeling very lazy/depressed/demotivated, especially when it comes to my flexibility. I feel like I’m always training flexibility and my flexibility just…really sucks! (Ps. I know this isn’t true, it’s just me being impatient and petulant). Today I bounced back and was excited about my plan to improve, especially after learning I’ve been doing a few exercises wrong, hence the discouraging lack of improvement in a few areas.

Tonight I am still full of energy so I plan to do one of the flow routines on here and a few more stretches before bed.

[StrangeFox]

I have roughly the same size hands as a child. They don’t even sell leather gloves in my size in most shops. I bought a 40mm as my first pole and I loved having the thinner diameter pole to try moves on. Although I didn’t notice much of a difference between 40mm and 45mm, it was nice when I was learning to feel a little more secure on a thinner pole.

That said, I now prefer a 45mm diameter pole. I find with the 40mm, I tend to over grip (if that makes sense) and this puts a lot of pressure on my joints. Also, I’m built kinda stocky so I found using a 45mm pole was more comfortable for me when I had to do moves that depended on alignment (ayesha, cartwheel mount) – it’s just easier on my joints. As you continue on your pole journey, your preference may change. 🙂

Check with the studio what diameter the poles are (they could be 50mm, 45mm, 40mm…) to get a better idea of what each diameter might feel like. Also, as Veena suggested, try out some grip aids! Another member on here had luck with Carpe Lotion for sweaty hands, but you might find dry hands works well. You may also find you do better on a brass or powder coated pole as opposed to chrome. Keep us posted on what you decide to buy!

[StrangeFox]

Thank you! I’m going to go look for that and let you know how it goes. 🙂

[StrangeFox]

I love this – thanks for offering, Veena!

I think sharing your pole training workouts would definitely help. I’m having issues getting the most out of my home trick training sessions. I’m also struggling to try and put together combos and choreo so maybe tips on that would be helpful, too. 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Unfortunately, what pole finish works best for you depends on many factors and what works for others with a seemingly similar skin type may not work for you. If you have the option, I would recommend finding a pole studio in your area. The studio may have different finishes you can try, or some of the students may have home poles they’re willing to let you try. 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Woohoo! Glad the Carpe lotion has helped! 🙌 It’s so frustrating when you can’t stick. Happy poling, and let us know how it works on your chrome pole!

[StrangeFox]

I am soooo glad you shared this! And I’m so sorry you’re having a hard time. Even though I’ve accomplished some long-time goals lately, I’ve also been having some frustrating times (it must be a full moon or something). This week I was struggling with moves that I could do no problem previously – I was an absolute mess. Although I am not happy to hear you are on the struggle bus, it’s comforting to know that even someone as skilled as you has off days.

I’ve devoted this year to trying to become more “well-rounded” which means working on things that I usually neglect instead of hyper-focusing on one or two skills. Unfortunately, that means training things I’m not good at, which can be really humbling. I feel ya!

[StrangeFox]

Thanks so much Silver Sylph and LatinPoler! I took a look at the Queen knee pads and I think I might give them a shot. I did like that the Bees Knees kneepads have velcro but I need something I can use both on and off the pole, and they do look a bit bulky. The Queen knee pads are a bit pricey but so are all specialty pole items!

[StrangeFox]

Love this!!! I struggled massively with the thigh rest for so long. It was a huge nemesis for me. I would love some additional tips for keeping the weight off of your lower wrist, especially when transitioning into other moves (for example: superman, or dropping into floor splits). I like the thigh rest now, but I tend to avoid doing any crazy transitions from it because it can be rough on the lower wrist.