portableninja
Forum Replies Created
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Same as Koidragon and kasanya, I came into pole with quite a bit of existing strength, and it was enough to cover up for bad body mechanics. Luckily I didn't experience any major injuries, but I worsened some existing ones and I experienced the "split grip pain" that so many people get. Getting the details right is so important. Now when people tell me I should teach pole, I try to explain that I'm not qualified or ready yet. It's fun, but also seriously dangerous and potentially life altering stuff. At the very least, you need insurance.
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Should we be emphasizing the desexualization? In my opinion, no. But it's tough. As Bob said, the stigma is still alive and well as evidenced by many people's responses to the article. I get frustrated every time I try to discuss pole and all people can talk about is that one time they went to a strip club, or that time they saw a girl fall on her head on Youtube. They don't want to actually hear about discovering a new artistic outlet at an older age, or finding a new reason to care about fitness and health. It's just an opening for a joke. That said, the movement to desexualize pole seems to be focusing on the second part of that problem, but not so much the first.
I often revert to the usual arguments when I defend pole. "It's not at all what you think, it's not just sex, it's dance, it's sport, it's fitness, etc." I don't even necessarily agree deep in my heart – I like the sex appeal, I think pole can and should be sexy if that's what you like about it (and if you don't, fine! Dance however you like, it's all about you). But I feel like I "have" to say these things as a member of the community speaking on behalf of many, as opposed to speaking for myself.​
I think the first question should be: if pole is a sport, why is there dance in it at all? Why is there music or a set routine? If all you need to do is execute the moves with perfect form, it might as well just be that – standing in front of a judge who is evaluating your skills. How do they judge mallakhamb, anyway? Dance is dance and sport is sport, and the sports that blend the two (figure skating, gymnastics, cheerleading, etc) have many of the same problems as pole does. Whether "artistic" pole should be sexy is an entirely separate discussion. I think the obvious answer is "art is not uniform, so it's entirely up to the artist."
I do find it frustrating that the best way that some people have come up with to address the stigma of pole dance in society is to focus on making it sterile. But I suppose it's a lot harder to try to convince people that healthy sexual expression by consenting adults will not cause society to collapse.
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There was an interesting article published on Slate around the time of the 2012 Olympics. It discussed the changing focus of gymnastics, to scoring purely on technical merit as opposed to considering dance ability and musicality. It led to some dramatic differences between modern day gymnastics and older routines, which were historically dominated by the ballet-focused Soviets. It was an interesting read, and I feel like the same thing might happen to pole if this trend continues.
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I sold my old Xpole to a friend with a 9 foot ceiling (mine are a shade under 8 feet). When I set it up with her, I was using all of the out-of-the-box extensions as per the manual, and I could see the black ring once it was fully extended. I never saw the ring before because I'd never pushed the pole up to 9 feet. Is the black ring not supposed to show? It seemed fine otherwise.
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This isn't a move I was taught, but I remember going to an open pole practice session at a studio and seeing a girl off in the distance doing a no hands cradle. It was absolutely on a spinning pole because she went several revolutions. I'm sure it's "possible" to do as a static spin but not very practical (and probably very very painful).
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For me, it really helped to visualize pushing my hips UP to the ceiling as well as over to one side. For my body, advanced plank requires an arched back to feel secure, while regular plank doesn't. Kind of like doing an upside down superman. That may not be the case for all, but try it?
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Yeah, I like stainless too. I was torn between TG and stainless and went with TG. But I had the opportunity to try a PS 45 steel and liked it too. I think being able to grip harder on a thinner pole helps a lot with slippage regardless of sweat.
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I'm sure the sweating issue is very real for you… it is for me. But honestly, worrying about it makes it worse, and you can be sweaty and still be a good poler.
I sweat a LOT. Like, I soak through clothes when I run. I occasionally slip and fall on my yoga mat because the sweat is pouring down my body. There is no point in blow drying my hair in the summertime, because I'll sweat faster than my hair can can dry. It's that bad.
I also struggled with sweaty hands and body while poling, and tried everything to solve it. Some things didn't work, other things only worked some of the time. But I also realized that my issue was a combination of sweat and lack of grip strength. I ended up buying a second pole in a stickier finish and smaller size, which helped a lot. I still slip when sweating a lot and I do have to wipe down the pole a lot, but I'm progressing and getting stronger.
I recently sold my first pole (chrome 50) and I helped the new owner set it up for the first time. When I went to test the pole for stability, I surprised myself. Even though I was sweaty, I had as much grip on the chrome 50 as I do on my TG 45 because I'd built up some more strength in my hands. Keep practicing, you may find that your sweat problems will never go away, but your grip problems do.
On really bad days, I like using the Mighty Grip tacky gloves. You can always get a pair and use them to train, and your grip strength will improve even while using the gloves.
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StudioVeena has been a great inspiration for me because of the community aspect, and the fact that all levels and styles of pole dancers are welcomed and encouraged here. I had to leave a supportive, amazing and healthy studio environment due to a job relocation and found myself in a pole dance desert. I had already heard about Veena's video lessons before, so I knew they were a good way to continue my education and progress as a poler. But I was surprised to find that I appreciated the message board community nearly as much, if not more, than the video lessons. It's been difficult moving far away from family and friends, especially pole friends, and StudioVeena has given me a little virtual home away from home with like minded people all around the world. I would have given up a long time ago if all I had were DVDs and my own self criticism. The fact that I can post a text question, photo, or video and get immediate feedback, advice, or constructive criticism (just like in a studio) has been incredibly valuable to me. It's kept me on the wagon in more ways than one. I think this community should serve as a model for how instructive websites for all disciplines should be designed.
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Depends what you want to stretch. For legs, doing calf raises, climbing stairs, or just going for a walk to the other side of the building will help. When I worked in an office tower, I would get off the elevator a few stops early and walk a few flights up to my office for a bit of exercise. Squats/plies can be done anywhere.
For upper body, you can try wall pushups (or desk, if you need more of a challenge.) And don't be afraid to stash a yoga mat or resistance bands under your desk at work… you might get a few weird looks, but honestly who gives a crap what other people think? Tell em it's PT or something.
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Quite a few people I know are preparing for pole competitions. They're all better than me (don't try to convince me otherwise – they're just objectively stronger, more skilled, etc.) It hurts sometimes to watch them succeed while I spin my wheels, but I try to let it motivate me. I was all ready to get back into poling after this weekend. But I seem to have pulled a muscle in my chest. No idea how I did it – but it hurts to breathe and has since Saturday. On top of my back injury… it's hard not to feel like my body is decaying while everyone else is getting stronger.
But I went for a run this morning, and I'll go to yoga tonight and do the best I can. It's better than sitting on the couch pouting and feeling sorry for myself.
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I used to run on the balls of my feet in karate. It was good for my calves, though sometimes I'd get a wicked case of plantar fascitis. Hoping to avoid that this time by going slow to start, instead of running every time someone else tells me to. https://www.studioveena.com/img/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif
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As for the other questions…
I generally want to work on skill practice on my pole days – tricks, inverts, floorwork and dancing, maybe a bit of pole specific flexibility. It's a lot, so I know I can't do everything every day. I'll pick and choose. I definitely want to keep the pole time focused on pole skills though, not doing just tons of squats, pushups, leg lifts, etc. while holding on and calling it a pole workout. I know those things are important and I intend to do them, but yoga covers a lot of the bodyweight exercise component, and I can do targeted conditioning separate from the pole practice time. Maybe even at a different time of the day.
My primary, big muscle groups seem to do fine with repeated use every day. I might have a bit of soreness in my quads or calves from a run or from yoga, but I can push through it and feel fine. The overtraining problem seems to come with my small muscles. For instance, I have chronic low back pain, so I have to be careful not to overdo it with core work or else I'm hurting. I also have issues with pain and weakness in my forearms when practicing split grip. I try to train those muscles, but I'm also using them quite a bit in yoga, for things like chaturanga and arm balances. That may be why I'm getting sore.
Maybe I will take a week or two and try it both ways, and see how I feel. I know rest days are important, but cramming a ton of exercise into one day seems foolish, too. We shall see. Thanks!
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By free running do you mean minimalist? If so, I plan to try it in Fivefingers this time. Or do you mean like parkour?
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Also, I have these. I got them to wear with a bridesmaid dress, but now I use them anytime I'm worried about "headlights". They're silicon pasties that adhere with body heat.
http://www.amazon.com/Nippies-Reusable-Silicone-Pasties-NON-ADHESIVE/dp/B001O482W4
