[grayeyes]

Thanks for the thoughts.  I knew when I bought it that it would be more slippery and figured, as you guys have said, that it would make poling on anything else that much easier and would make me stronger.  However, when I told my instructor that I bought stainless she actually suggested I buy something different when I can.  I wanted to tell her that I didn't buy it because it was what I could afford–I bought it because it's what I wanted.  I love it–slippery or not so I'm just going to keep working on it and figure it out as I go!

[grayeyes]

I have implants under the muscle and I can do a pullup–yes, only one.  I train using a resistance band and can do quite a few with that.  I can also do pushups without any problem.  Pullups are more about your back muscles than your chest so the implants shouldn't interfere.  Some chest work definitely feels weird now that I have implants (I've had them eight years), particularly flyes, but I don't think they impair our strength in any way. 

[grayeyes]

I wondered the same thing about how fast various poles went up and down.  I ended up buying the Lil Mynx largely for this reason thinking that since it is only one piece it would go up and down quickly…and it does.  I can take it up and down literally in maybe ten seconds.  Neither my husband or I thought we would like it up all the time but it turns out that I think it's beautiful and love having it up, and he hasn't complained either.

[grayeyes]

Thanks, I'll give it a try.  I'm finding if I'm on the pole long enough and it's warmer I can get some grip but, dang, you're right that the brass pole is so much stickier.