horsecrazy12987
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What it finally came down to for me was that I do this for fun, and it’s no fun when I do things the way that’s "better" by not relying on grip aids. Either I kept going the way I was, trying things bare-handed for the sake of doing it "right" and was miserable, or use gloves and actually enjoy myself. After poling for about a year now, I’m still constantly wiping the pole and my hands. I finally just figured I’d get the gloves, finally try some moves that I haven’t been able to because my hands sweat again before I even get into position, and that my grip will get stronger anyway because I’ll be doing more moves that rely on my grip. Not to mention it can be a safety issue, too.
I say do what you have to do, try anything and everything (budget permitting… hehe) and once you find it, don’t be ashamed to use it.
I completely understand where you’re coming from–I have the same problem. I went through a bunch of different grip aids that I just sweated through really quickly, until I finally bought my MG gloves. I still have to put liquid chalk on under them because my fingers get so sweaty that I slip trying to climb the pole, and while I’m still experimenting with just how many moves I can do during a dance without sliding around, it’s the best method I’ve found so far, and the chalk doesn’t come off my fingers nearly as quickly as it sweats off my hands, so I can actually get through a whole routine.
Everyone kept telling me it would get better, I just had sweaty hands because I was a newb, etc. etc. and I kept trying to explain that I’m always really sweaty during any physical activity, even ones I’ve been doing for years and am perfectly comfortable with, but the general consensus just seemed to be that my sweaty hands were because of me being a new dancer. I know that’s how it is for a lot of people, but that advice doesn’t much help me when I can only do half a spin before I come sliding (sometimes plummeting) straight down. My pole dancing journey has been extremely frustrating for me, to say the least. But I feel like I am finally kind of figuring out what I have to do to allow me to pole without constantly sliding out of a move or sweating out of grip aid a minute into a song, and if I have to ‘cheat’ by using gloves or grip aid (or in this case, both,) then so be it. I’d rather actually get to dance then give up because I can only do half a move or so before I start sliding all over the place.
So my advice is just more of the same: if it comes down to you not being able to dance because your hands are just too slippery, than use grip aids, gloves, or whatever combination of the two allows you to safely pole. I don’t see any shame in it. Some of us are just heavy sweaters and need more help.
Also, what kind of pole do you have? I have a stainless steel LM and it’s pretty slick on its own, so that adds to it as well. Stainless steel is a pretty slippery surface, and combining that with sweaty hands is an absolute b*tch.
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http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/3650
So here is my first challenge vid. I know I’m late obviously, but I didn’t start participating on the boards until around mid-March or so, so I never got to do this one in February. Anyway, this is my first time really dancing in these boots. I’ve done a few moves in them and walked around some, but haven’t done a whole lot, so I’m still a little clutzy in them. They were actually easier to walk in than I thought they would be, though. I had problems side climbing in them, though. They kinda stuck to the pole when I was trying to climb it. Ooops! Oh well. It was good practice, at least. Still having some grip problems, but putting on some liquid chalk under my MG gloves is making my sweaty palms a little more manageable.
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You may have just pulled an ab muscle, but if you’re having a lot of pain in your ribs, I would suggest seeing a doctor like Roxy and LittleC have already mentioned. If you have not been very physically active before starting pole, it’s easy to overwork yourself and strain something. Take it easy to give your body time to heal itself, and if the pain is in your ribs or is not going away after several days, get yourself to a doc. Hope you feel better soon!
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Welcome to the boards! Hope you get your pole soon.
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Mine never has black build up that I’ve noticed, it’s just very, very slick.
BTW, I swung into Fred Meyers today, and all they sell is 70%; 70 is the standard percentage, so where am I going to find 90%? I just checked the Walgreens website and all they sell is 70% as well. Am I going to need to try a couple of pharmacies for this?
I did get the microfiber cloth though; haven’t used it yet.
Edit: I just checked on Amazon for 90% rubbing alcohol, and they sell Rite-Aid brand alcohol that is 91%. Check there if you’re having trouble finding 90%. I’ll swing over there tomorrow or Friday. I wish they’d had some at Fred Meyers; I’m ten minutes down the road from them if I drive like a grandma, and I’m there all the time anyway.
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Hmmm, wonder if I can convince my hubby to buy a pole and a laptop?
You can actually get pretty good deals for just a very basic laptop without all the bells and whistles, which is all you need anyway. Anyway, if you can get the lessons, I would definitely recommend them; they are very well laid-out, and Veena explains everything in a way that’s easy to understand. She also has some strength training and stretching videos which should come in really handy if pole is going to be pretty much your only exercise.
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When you say ‘weird dirty film’ does your pole feel like it has an almost slimy coating on it? That’s what mine feels like. Supposedly we are supposed to get up into the 70’s Friday and Saturday, so I’m hoping the warmer temps will help, along with the 90% alcohol and the microfiber cloth. We’ll see. I’ll report back once I’ve used the microfiber cloth and new alcohol.
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Mine is 70%. I pretty much just grabbed the first bottle of rubbing alcohol I saw. I’m going to the store today anyway, so I’ll pick up some 90% and a microfiber cloth and see if they help.
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Nope; there are just the online lessons so far. However, I’ve been lurking around here for a while and I’ve seen a few different inquiries from board members about a possible DVD. I don’t know what the final consensus is; you’ll have to wait for Veena herself to chime in. I’m lucky enough to have my computer and my pole in the same room, so the online lessons are great for me.
If Veena can find time between 4 kids to produce a DVD, though, I’m sure a lot of people would love to buy it.
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LMAO! https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_lol.gif Kids are so funny sometimes.
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Well, if you’ve been very sedentary than your experience will be different from mine, because when I started pole in September, I was already very fit. (I’ve been strength training since I was 14, and I’m 23 now, so when I started pole dancing I was ahead of the curve in that respect at least. Don’t ask me to do the splits, though!) However, I can tell you that no matter what your fitness level, you will get pretty banged up at first. In my first couple of weeks I didn’t really have any regular muscle soreness in that they didn’t feel overworked, since I was used to a lot harder workouts than just a few basic spins and pole squats, but I had massive bruises all over my legs. I bruised the backs of my legs so badly from trying to do a back hook that just sitting down was painful, and my shins were purple for several weeks. Then when I started doing pole climbs and sits and some basic inversions, pole burn set in and my thighs cursed my name. I also had pole burn on my wrists before learning to hold myself out more away from the pole during spins.
I know this all just sounds like a buttload of fun (not,) but trust me, you will get used to it all, and faster than you would expect. I love it. Just be safe, don’t push yourself too hard (like Veena said, you need to give your body regular breaks, especially since you’re coming into this having been sedentary for a while,) and have fun with it. There will be lots of moments of frustration, especially in the beginning, but you will also feel a huge sense of accomplishment when you nail something new.
Oh, and if you are noodle sore the next day, you’ve worked yourself too hard. You don’t want to push yourself to absolute failure–you have to be able to function the next day, after all. Soreness is to be expected, but if you can barely walk, you need to ease back on your workouts a little until you can maintain a more brutal pace.
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Hi! Welcome to the boards!
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Those are amazing! I’ve always loved silhouette pictures; combing them with pole is really just the best of both worlds.
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I would imagine they’d post something once the new products are available, so I’ll have to keep an eye out on that. Maybe you’ll receive an e-mail update or something, since you’ve expressed interest personally to them. If anyone spots something on them, let us all know! I’m sure there are at least a couple other people on here who would be interested in them.
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LOL I’ve never been afraid of getting stuck and having someone come in and find me in a compromising position, but maybe I just have no shame. The only thing I really worry about is the pole coming down on me, so I’m pretty paranoid about constantly checking it. A lot of activies I’ve participated in in the past have either involved falling or the possibility of doing so, so actually falling off the pole doesn’t really scare me–I’m falling onto carpet, after all, and when I’m learning a new invert I always put a bunch of pillows down. (I live alone so I don’t really have a spotter on hand.) I just don’t want the pole crashing down after me, because I’m scared it would take out my computer or the sliding glass door or something. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t be getting my damage deposit back in that case. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_eek.gif
