Deadlifting - How to get there?

I know there's a few people on this board who have gotten their twisted grip deadlift and/or their flag mount, and I just want to take a survey to see how they built up the strength needed for these tough moves.  If you have gotten these moves, I'd love to know the following: 1) How long were you poling before you got it? 2) Did you do any strength training besides poling, if so what? 3) Did you work your way gradually into the move, or did it just come one day? 4) How long were you working at it before you got it? 5) What do you think helped you get it? I'm not really looking for a tutorial or anything; I'm pretty sure I understand the mechanics of the moves, I'm just not strong enough yet, so I'm trying to figure out the most effective way to train, especially for the core strength necessary.