[StrangeFox]

Thanks nyxed! I’m going to see if I can get one of those this weekend. I was worried they’d find other things in my ceiling (wires, etc…) but I guess I could deduce where the joists are better than with the stud finder which lights up all the freaking time! If I trusted the stud finder I’d have to believe my entire ceiling is one giant joist. 😛

[StrangeFox]

Uhm…can we start a club? I’m having the same problem with split grip ayesha. For me it’s about keeping my shoulders even. I keep tilting out of this move just seconds after I get secure. I can post a video and you can tell me if you’re having the same problem. I don’t know whether it’s a strength issue (core, or arm), or if it’s technique based. I think I was in the sweet spot once and it was 100% my instructor that positioned me there and made sure I was “stacked” enough to hold it. I’ve been chasing that balance for a while now and I’m getting close. What seems to help me is keeping the shoulder of the top arm (the “pulling” arm) engaged and keeping my top shoulder in line with the pole.

I can’t do ayesha from inverted D. It’s caterpillar all the way for me, but I’d like to learn it from inverted D ’cause in caterpillar I struggle to get far enough away from the pole.

Sorry I can’t be of much more help. If I figure anything out I’ll be sure to report back here. I’m getting closer to being able to hold it for longer, but I don’t have nearly as much control as I want.

[StrangeFox]

Thanks so much, ladies!

I will definitely check out puppy pose, cirque_physio and StretchIt. 🙂 It’s so rare to find upper back stretches that feel good so I’m super excited to try puppy pose! It looks simple and effective.

I agree with LatinPoler – I’d love to see an upper back and shoulders routine!

[StrangeFox]

Thank you! I’ll check those out once I get my PayPal sorted (hopefully very, very soon!) 😀

I’ve been doing cobras and they’ve helped my lower back but haven’t done much for my upper back. I’m going to foam roll tonight because everything is super tight up there.

[StrangeFox]

Just wanted to chime in and say this is totally normal. This is exactly how I started. I’d grab the pole and immediately sink into my arms. Holding myself up in a pole hold seemed impossible, but now I can do it for 30 seconds. As Veena says in the lessons: even small holds build strength!

One of the things I did to strengthen my pole holds were negative pole holds – when you come out of your pole hold try to lower yourself as slowly as possible and with as much control as you can. You’ll get there soon!

[StrangeFox]

Seconding Veena on the pole finish. I never really noticed how bad this was for me until I got a chrome pole and saw the difference between chrome and brass. I have killer calluses and I get that burning ache on the outer perimeter of my palms, too.

On chrome I don’t have much of a problem, but on brass it’s really bad. I find the diameter has an impact, too. I LOVE my 40mm for grip, but I think I might grip a little too tightly because I get that pinching burning feeling more on the smaller diameter poles. Once my hands start to feel like this it’s usually my cue to stop and rest for the day. Using lotion the next day helps a little, too. I was thinking this might be because my calluses are too thick and they’re pinching the non-callused skin but I’m not sure. Sorry I don’t have anything more useful to add. 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Thanks Dustbunny! Funny, I was just thinking that last night! 😀 Thanks to Veena’s tip, I can finally get into iguana safely – without leaping backwards and risking a shoulder dislocation and/or a concussion – and the first thing I thought was: “Onto negatives now!” LOL!

[StrangeFox]

The highest the ceilings go in my house is 7 ft 6inches or so… (can’t remember exactly but it’s pretty pathetic!). I have two pole rooms and one of them has a 6ft 9inch ceiling. I pole in this room all the time, although I do admit the lack of height is an annoyance at times. Most moves are no problem with a low ceiling, and I usually just go to the studio to practice the moves that do require height. It’s doable, and you’ll learn to work with what you’ve got. 🙂

There are quite a few polers on here with low ceilings. If you’re concerned you won’t be able to pole beautifully, please check out a dancer on here named Papillon – she’s absolutely incredible and she also poles with very low ceilings. Somehow she manages to make a climb on a low pole look so graceful and lengthy! I still haven’t figured out this secret yet! 😀 Plus, Veena gives tips in the lessons on how to climb, etc… on lower poles.

As for finding a joist – I had a hell of a time finding the joist in my ceilings even with a stud finder. I found a hole the previous owners of the house had cut into the basement ceiling and measured the space between them. Starting from the wall I measured outwards until I found the joist in the center of the room. Most houses have joists set a standard distance apart. You might be able to do something similar to locate the joist in the taller part of your ceiling.

[StrangeFox]

Hmmm… something you said just clicked and has started rolling around in my head. You mentioned you have to hold first…and lower the body weight into the hands. I’m not doing this so my weight is not transferring into my hands until I fling my butt over my head. When I do the TG elbowstand I always reach up, then sink down into my arm before I lift. Next time I try iguana mount I’m going to focus on sinking the weight into my hands and see if anything feels different.

I’m pretty sure the lesson mentions something like this but I just missed it for some reason. *facepalm*

[StrangeFox]

Ah yes! I’ve learned the elbowstand version of that move, but I have yet to try the TG handstand press. 🙂 What you say about holding and then engaging makes sense. My arms are NOT straight (engaged) when I’m trying to mount, which of course also makes me a bit nervous (leaping into iguana seems like it could get you a ticket to shoulder dislocation station). I am going to give the TG handstand press a try to see how it feels.

I feel like I could be folded more, but then I’m worried my head will be too close to the ground. I always feel like if I try to lift I’ll just keel over to one side – lol! The only time I’ve ever even started to feel my muscles in this move I was folded so far over I was staring up at my crotch….

I’ve posted a video of one of my earlier iguana attempts. Thanks so much, Veena! 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Update: I got my split grip ayesha! It’s still inconsistent and I can’t hold it for longer than a few seconds, but it’s getting better every day and I’m so, so happy I finally made progress with this move. I was beginning to think it was impossible for me because I just couldn’t get stable/secure. It ended up being a technique issue rather than a strength issue (I was trying to hang off of my lazy upper arm when I needed to square my shoulders and pull), but all of this caterpillar work really helped to make it click. My caterpillar climb is looking good, too. 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Hello there! Don’t worry, joint hypermobility is super common. I also have hyper-extension throughout most of my large joints (hips, elbows, knees, shoulders), but it’s not too extensive. It’s nothing to be freaked out about, but it does mean you have to be a bit more cautious about your body placement and what your joints are doing. I’ve found I sometimes need more strength/time to do a move (ie. split grip). Just be patient with yourself and make sure you listen to your body. If you feel any “twinges” or discomfort in the joint just stop and rest for a while. Also, don’t neglect strengthening the smaller muscles of the arms and shoulders! Veena has some great exercises on here! Thus far, my joints have only had an impact on my split grip training, and my flexibility training (oddly a negative impact on the flex training).

It’s funny Runemist mentioned extra flexibility because I am about 0% flexible despite the extra range of motion in my joints! In fact, because of the extra range of motion my muscles are extremely tight to try and help compensate for the joint instability. 😀

[StrangeFox]

Smart idea getting a crash mat. I use mine all the time and have had quite a few wipe-outs on it that could have been a lot worse than they were. I’ve fallen out of jade, gemini, superman, ayesha, and iguana (right on my noggin). I’m not saying a crash mat offers total protection, but it certainly lessens the likelihood of serious injury and can give you a nice confidence boost when trying new moves.

I got mine at Yoga Accessories.com (Here it is: https://www.yogaaccessories.com/Pole-Crash-Mats_p_125266.html). I went for the 5ft diameter and 5 inch thickness. There may be wider, thicker crash mats out there but this one works well for me. It’s not something I can use while freestyling or wearing heels, but for trick training it’s awesome. It’s a bit pricey but well worth the money. Best of luck! 🙂

[StrangeFox]

Yup…grip aids! I have this problem, too. I usually put a bit of grip aid on my shoulder and a bit on the pole. I usually use dry hands for this, although I’m finding hairspray gives my skin a nice tacky feeling, too. Also, to add to what Veena said about hair, make sure that the day you pole you don’t put any mousses/conditioners in your hair…nothing that could get on your shoulders and make them slippery. I was having a hell of a time shoulder mounting last year because of the sunscreen I was using, too!

[StrangeFox]

Good for you guys!

I didn’t have Facebook for years, but it’s one of the primary methods of communication used by the pole studio I attend, and I found without it I was missing out on a lot of stuff, and forcing the poor staff to have to contact me privately about things like session start dates, pop up pole shorts sales, shows, etc…

Even though I made my account “private,” it’s crazy how quickly Facebook crept into other areas of my life. I don’t find it’s a bad thing for me – I just keep an eye out to make sure it isn’t sucking up too much of my time. You’re right – there’s definitely a fine balance between using technology to enhance your social life, and getting so consumed with technology that you no longer have a social life without it.

Funny you mentioned the bit about photographers judging carefully whether or not a photo-op is worth spoiling the experience. Just a couple of years ago I made a conscious effort not to snap too many photos when I went away on vacation because: a) it spoils the experience, and b) real life always looks better than the photo anyway. I came back with maybe 10 pictures, and I haven’t looked at them since downloading them to my computer! 😀 I feel like my friends and family were secretly relieved they didn’t have to sit through 1,000 photos of the same German cathedral from different angles! LOL!