[plumtwisty]

Oh gosh, please don't feel discouraged!  I started pole because I had no (I mean zip, zilch, nada) upper body strength– every time we practiced a spin, I could barely make it halfway around and would sink to the pole.  I had a very frustrating instructor who didn't understand (or remember) what it was like to be a beginner and she would get frustrated at me, thinking I wasn't taking her advice!  It takes time and experimenting to learn what moves are supposed to feel like, to build strength to do them, and have the confidence and concentration to make them look pretty!

Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself.  Just keep trying, keep looking silly, but enjoy it and you'll get stronger and more graceful before you know it!  🙂

[plumtwisty]

I will have to try some of the upright elbow grips!  I can typically struggle through an elbow reverse caterpillar but as you can imagine it's not my preferred grip.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rambo.gif

[plumtwisty]

Serj Tankian has a new album… 🙂  Just in time!

[plumtwisty]

*fear, not feeling!  fear of the feeling?  You get the point.  🙂

[plumtwisty]

I have always had a feeling of going over backwards, which made being upside-down (especially from a cross-ankle release!) very intimidating.  It was easiest for me to have someone spot me, hands on my hips, and for me to try it– and even fall over backwards once or twice (with a spotter) –to get over that fear and realize it isn't so bad.  🙂

[plumtwisty]

@byrdgrrl, I will check them out!  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[plumtwisty]

Okay ladies someone has to say this:  did anyone else see the "bringing sexy back" campaign, and think, "wait a minute… pole stopped being sexy?!"  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_wink.gif

[plumtwisty]

Well, this isn't pole, but… three words: brazil. butt. lift.   It's a set of beachbody workout videos… I think I did the "bum bum" workout once and couldn't feel my butt for a week.  it is incredibly effective!–I'm just kind of scared of it.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

[plumtwisty]

As a cancer biologist and pharmacologist, I am going to throw in a few cents without trying to get too involved… https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif

Everything causes cancer (haha).  Everything is a therapeutic, everything is a poison–  it's all about context and dose/how much you're taking in!

Keep in mind that protein is, at its simplest, a source of amino acids.  You need amino acids to keep your cells replicating, making proteins and cell signals of their own, etc… of course supplying a source of amino acids will help cancer grow!  They'll help just about any cell type grow.  Now, if you're talking about increased incidence of cancer in a clearing organ like the kidney or liver… that's a bit of a different issue.

And my last two cents– just because a study is from 2008 doesn't mean it's invalidated.  If studies aren't recanted but other authors refute a certain claim, studies will show rebuttals/revisions (which is pretty rare) or pubmed will happily link you to relevant recent articles as well.  All that you find in the literture is scientific observation– many times you'll find opposing opinions on a given topic, but that doesn't mean one or the other is "wrong" or "outdated."

That's all.  https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_rambo.gif 

Oh, and I personally love eggs or shredded crock pot chicken (wrapped in a little spinach, kind of a mini-wrap?) after a workout!  The chicken is great because you can make a ton of it and just eat it cold over time!

[plumtwisty]

Well, I belly danced through highschool and performed with my college's troupe.  Around the same time (in college), I picked up hooping– I was too indecisive and thrifty to buy just one (haha!) so I bought a roll of tubing and made several of my own.  Having the use of so many different sizes (and a lot of dance space) helped me learn very quickly and it became part of my daily routine for a few years.  When I started grad school in Arizona, I had stopped hooping for the most part, but realized that my other form of cardio (running) was pretty difficult for me because of the dry air.  One day I found a pole studio and decided to give it a go– and I haven't looked back since!  I'm actually looking into silks classes in Tucson, too, at the moment.  🙂

[plumtwisty]

I find that losing a move (for me at least!) normally means I've been pushing myself, and a few days to a week off of the pole (I know, that's a long time!) kickstarts my muscles for when I start practicing again.

[plumtwisty]

I have never had my x-pole slip! One trick that I use is a pencil half-circle traced right along the edge of my cieling plate, on my cieling. I make sure the pencil mark is perfectly lined up before/while I pole to make sure the pole hasn’t shifted out of place (ie. it hasn’t loosened)! 🙂

[plumtwisty]

(… well, I'm sure the fact that I'm a weakling might be contributing to this weirdness.  haha)