Pole class?

ARGriffy
ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone here have any pole dancing experience? The exercise type? Not just rubbing yourself on a pole ;) I'm doing a 6 week course at the moment I was wondering how long people took before getting good at it?! I can certainly feel the muscle ache the day after its a great workout!

Replies

  • kbkeats
    kbkeats Posts: 103 Member
    I've done 3 levels of pole, and looooove it! Each level takes lasts about 2 months, and I've just started inversions (going upside down) at the end of the 3rd level.
    Keep in mind, I'm only going once a week - I'm not quite dedicated enough to install a pole in my house quite yet!
  • ElizabethKalmbach
    ElizabethKalmbach Posts: 1,415 Member
    That's a rather subjective question, and a lot of it is based on
    1. What do you mean by "good at it?" Smooth? Confident? Able to invert? Flexible? (This is why I'll never be able to tell if I'm "good" at yoga. I just "feel more confident" at yoga.)
    2. What was your fitness level going in? Were you bad@ss on the monkeybars as a kid? I was. I was inverted the first day near a pole - but that wasn't training from a pole class. That was 3rd grade monkey bar-foo.
    3. How fast can you learn to copy moves? How confident are you putting them together? Your "dance" won't be much more than practice until you have some moves to string together. ;-) OR, until you're generally confident with enough dance moves to "improvise" something that looks good. I might know 100 moves, but as soon as you put the music on, I forget 80 of them and can only remember the 20 I'm comfortable with. If I knew 1000 moves, I'd only remember 200 when the music started.

    But, all that aside, I think you'll probably feel comfortable in the class by the time your first month or so is over. Maybe you'll be comfortable sooner! :)
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    Thanks for the replies, im starting with no experience and by good I meant mainly improvement of strength moves on the pole, the top answer gave me a good indication as I will also only be doing once a week classes, my strength is average I would say I've got reasonable upper body and even after 2 classes I'm amazed what I can do on the pole! For the first time in my life I was called graceful whilst doing spins too which is nice normally I'm the least grateful person ever!
  • onecrazyhorse
    onecrazyhorse Posts: 4 Member
    I started Pole in November (with a month break in between over the December holidays) with no experience and I do classes once or twice a week.

    I'm relatively strong with good core strength and medium-weak upper body strength (I can't do a pull-up). I can now do more spins than my friends who started a couple of months before me.

    My total spin repertoire is: Fireman, One-legged fireman, Fireman attitude, Back and front hook (currently working on front hook into back hook), carousel, chair, cradle spin - regular grip (very badly), pole sit, side spin (needs work), layback (beginners plank - just learned this a few days ago so it's terrible), fan kick (one side better than the other), elbow stand to sit-up and Genie (very badly).

    I love the spins and I'm also happy and amazed at my progress, athough apparently I have to work on keeping my eyes open! It all falls apart during floorwork and choreography though. I can do a backward roll but all the other sexy, pointy-toe stuff needs lots of work, although I think that's more about confidence than anything else. I'm yet to be called graceful :smile:
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
    I love the pole dancing classes. It did wonders for my upper body.
  • missyjac
    missyjac Posts: 14 Member
    Everyone is different when it comes to pole progression... Not sure what you meant by good but enjoy the journey!! :D
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    It depends. It took me a year to be able to invert. My last just weren't strong enough. I'm still working to perfect it. It just depends on your muscles. I had no issues climbing and arm stands didn't take me too long to feel confident in.
  • 1mumrevolution
    1mumrevolution Posts: 269 Member
    Don't under estimate how difficult pole is. While it is bags of fun it is also tough on the body, bruises, strains, calluses, ripped skin, sprains and the threat of injury is always lurking.
    It is a journey, you don't suddenly become good at it. You are constantly learning, evolving and improving no matter how many weeks, months, years you are doing it.
    I've been on the pole 17 months.
  • purdynerdybirdy
    purdynerdybirdy Posts: 20 Member
    I've been poling for almost 5 years. It's my primary work out routine. I started out with no upper body strength and now I'm busting out pull ups, push ups and other body weight exercises.
  • ARGriffy
    ARGriffy Posts: 1,002 Member
    5 weeks in. Turns out I bruise like a peach! Also got a friction burn haha but man its fun!!!

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