What moves should I start with?

Later started this discussion · 12/22/2010

Heey everyone! I am literally a beginner beginner, I got my pole yesterday and yesterday was my very first day ever even touching a pole. I have started with learning to climb the pole, it seemed pretty basic, the fireman, fan kick, an upside down invert thing haha just easy stuff. I am really curious if there are specific moves that I should start with in order to get a good basis for poling. I would appreciate ANY advice that anyone can give me. I don't have any classes where I am from as I am from a small city so I am learning on my own.

29 replies

MissChiefNYC · 12/22/2010
Wow! You're inverting? Pretty amazing. Have you checked out Veenas lessons? They are pretty comprehensive. How are you doing with the pole climbing, I'm having a hell of a time with it.
calipolepixie · 12/22/2010
I highly recommend Venna's lessons. I love them! You can't beat it for $20 a month and her lessons are great!
Kobajo84 · 12/22/2010
I agree with everyone else, Veena's lessons are a great way to begin your pole journey. Start with just the basics so you're not having to back track later. It's also important to start with strength building and conditioning moves first so as not to injure yourself by trying to perform a move your body is not ready for yet. Everything in pole dancing takes time. Inverting can be very dangerous to attempt as your first moves. It's fun to do but many studios will not teach inverting as a beginner move. It requires built up strength and awareness of your body to safely maneuver. Practicing this move before you're ready can result in injury. I started with Veena's lessons and am glad I had the opportunity to learn from her back when pole dancing was in it's infantile state here in the U.S. over two years ago. There weren't any studios in my area and since then there are currently 3 studios now close to my home. Pole fitness is an increasing popular trend. It's important that you learn safely and properly to ensure you'll be enjoying your new found hobby for many years to come. If you have an area studio close to you, you should check it out. There are also numerous dvds on the market that can teach you basics. It's great to look at all avenues when learning. But for starters, I am still sticking by Veena's lessons. They are affordable and instant access from your own home whenever you want them. Good luck and I'm sure I can speak for many of us here, looking forward to seeing your progress!
Later · 12/28/2010
hey guys, Well I am definitely very aware of how dangerous moves can be and that is why i posted this message. I have been very careful so far and i have found some videos on youtube about beginner moves from "missdirdybirdy" and I have been very successful so far with the moves that she has. I do not have the upper body strength to do certain moves however so I am wondering about more moves. I do not have the money right now to get the lessons that veena has to offer although I am hoping to be able to soon. Yes I had been inverting I have strong abdominal muscles but I think I am going to hold back a little bit just because of my arm strength isnt up to par quite yet. However I have been able to climb the pole and sit on the pole, front back hook spin, fireman, standing fireman, stag spin, sun wheel spin, beginner plank spin, and I think thats about it so far. Some others that i don't remember the names for. But if anyone has any moves that they think I can do I would really appreciate it. By the way, My inner thighs are COVERED in bruises, could this be just what happens or am I low in iron or something? Thanks guys I appreciate it!
Kobajo84 · 12/28/2010
I initially started my very basics with the expert village youtube video tutorials before I bought Veena's lessons. You can also check into your local library for pole DVDs. I would recommend learning all those moves/spins you already know on the opposite side or your weaker side. Try doing everything on both sides to equal your strength. The bruises are normal. They're even worse for self learners because as a self learner we don't have someone there to instruct us properly in order to avoid those nasty bruises. You can also increase your upper body strength by sustaining a Boomerang hold in a stationary pose and holding it as long as you can. There's a great online reference for any names of moves you aren't quite sure of as everyone has a different name for one move- http://www.wikipole.org If you're not sure what a Boomerang Hold is, I've attached the image below. http://localhosthttp://www.triagedesign.co.uk/wikipole/images/0/08/Boomeranghold.jpg One studio I went to as a warmup the instructor had her students pull their bodies up into this hold for 5 reps (up into pose and then feet back to floor) and then switch the hand placement and repeat for 5 more reps. Hope that helps. I found this move to be great for increasing my strength when I first started.
kasanya · 12/28/2010
You can also increase your upper body strength by sustaining a Boomerang hold in a stationary pose and holding it as long as you can. I would strongly recommend NOT using this hold as a beginner strength training exercise. Most beginners do not have the upper body strength to safely hold it statically. To use myself as a case in point, I started pole dancing lessons with a lot more strength than most ladies because I'm an active duty soldier. Despite this fact, I was forced to stop pole dancing after 4 weeks because I ended up with a rotator cuff injury after our teacher had us practicing this exact pose as a "prep" exercise for the boomerang spin. It took several months to heal fully, which was a real drag when I wanted to be pole dancing! =/ I would suggest the hold I've linked below as a safer option for beginners trying to improve their upper body strength. The difference is that with this one, all you're doing is holding your weight up. You're not also trying to push it out and away from the pole. http://www.triagedesign.co.uk/wikipole/index.php5?title=Image:Prayerslide.jpg The basic pole climb is also a great option for improving upper body strength.
Kobajo84 · 12/28/2010
When I first learned the Boomerang Hold- I was told the bottom arm placement was incorrect. Wrist up on your bottom arm can cause strain and result in injury when done repetitively. A lot of people will do this hold with wrist up because it helps them hold their body out from the pole. As an alternative you can use the thumb up position on the bottom arm- as in the video I've attached below... http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=XzewLrYbtNU OR as in the previous poster stated, the prayer slide hold of the bottom arm where you are using the pole against your body to hold yourself up: http://localhosthttp://www.triagedesign.co.uk/wikipole/images/3/30/Prayerslide.jpg Veena does not start teaching any of these moves until her Intermediate lessons. A lot of the spins you've already been doing aren't considered as beginner but rather intermediate level. Levels are subjective though as there isn't any set standards in pole dancing. You'll find what works for you and what doesn't as everyone progresses differently. I hope you do get the opportunity to take advantage of Veena's lessons as it will help you from going through the trial and error phase on your own.
Veena · 12/28/2010
Split grips (like the pic with the girl in a V leg position) are NOT beginner moves. I don't like a lot of the expertvillage tutorials they can be really poorly executed and the info is not always the safest. Tho some are great. Here are videos I have made that might help you understand more where to start..... "How often should I pole"..... http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/3558 Here is my "Getting started" lesson....http://ver3.studioveena.com/lessons/view/3557
Hotness · 12/29/2010
Great tips, probably should've read them before trying to do more than my body was ready for, three hours ago. Now I get to nurse a fractured rib, and won't be able to pole for awhile. Also, been waiting two months for a one- month class to start, and now that I'm injured they start next Tuesday! Apparently, patience is not my strong suit. Gonna chill out, wrap it, take Advil, and hope for the best. Any suggestions to speed up healing would be appreciated. 🙁
PixiePole · 12/29/2010
Ouch =S protein! Protein and calcium. When I broke my legs they practically made me live off milk in hospital lol, you definitely need the calcium. And vitamin D to help your body absorb calcium. You can get vitamin supplements that do both, maybe those would help a little. But if you get back on the pole too soon you'll ruin it again >< I'm quite liking this site for beginner moves http://www.poledancecommunity.co.uk/syllabus.html I can't remember who but somebody posted it up here not long ago and it's really good 🙂 I'm going to be combining it with Veena's strength & beginner lessons. But I definitely agree that levels are subjective - if you go to that link, apart from the fact that some of the moves are on levels 1, 2 and 3 ❓, there are some that are supposedly intermediate that I'm pretty sure I could do now, and I've never really poled before. I guess we'll find out if that's true or not when my pole gets here lol but different people will have to start at different levels. I'm guessing those things about myself because I've already been doing DDR and contortion and my strength seems to be building up quickly from a few conditioning exercises, so I think maybe the beginner stuff might be aimed at someone who's spent their life sitting at a computer desk and has only just decided to do something about it. Depends really 🙂
Veena · 12/29/2010
Be careful when trying to learn from just pictures or short clips with no instruction of any kind 😨 I have designed my lessons to build pole specific strength!! There IS reasoning behind the Veena method I created for the order of the lessons and levels...... There are things new dancers even with strength should avoid!
amy · 12/29/2010
i will totally agree with veena here. and add that i have had countless students who THOUGHT they were doing a spin correctly at another studio but were not engaged properly and had chronic injury as a result. when you are doing a split grip hold or a prayer slide hold, you MUST engage your shoulders. you should ALWAYS be pulling your shoulders down and away from your ears and pulling your shoulder blades together in your back. when you are doing a spin, one handed or two, you MUST engage your shoulders. i dont agree with everything on this site (we never will all agree on everthing 😀 ), but a good website for at-home learners to understand what i mean is here: http://www.poledancingexpression.com/pole-tips-pole-hold.html onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
PennyGirl · 12/29/2010
i will totally agree with veena here. and add that i have had countless students who THOUGHT they were doing a spin correctly but were not engaged properly and had chronic injury as a result. when you are doing a split grip hold or a prayer slide hold, you MUST engage your shoulders. you should ALWAYS be pulling your shoulders down and away from your ears and pulling your shoulder blades together in your back. when you are doing a spin, one handed or two, you MUST engage your shoulders. i dont agree with everything on this site, but a good website for at-home learners to understand what i mean is here: http://www.poledancingexpression.com/pole-tips-pole-hold.html I absolutely LOVE this page. I think this is an excellent view of the shoulders down and back. Sometimes it's hard for people who have never had to engage the shoulders consciously to actually visualize it. Thanks for posting this example, I am certain it will be helpful to others. 🙂
Hotness · 12/29/2010
Ouch, indeed! I’m dreading a sneeze, ‘cause man-o-man that’s a killer. Thanks for the tip on the protein and calcium, Mora. I’ve been taking calcium/D supplements to replace milk, that I gave up for lactose intolerance. Guess I’d better kick up the yogurt if I want to get back on the pole this winter! Argh, just one more reminder of my age. Good grief!! Veena & Amyxshi, I planned to sign up for StudioVeena lessons at the referral of SissyBuns/House of Pole, where I purchased my xpole. I only received it on 12/17 and put it up in my basement. I’m in the process of construction down there, and didn’t have much room, so I spent yesterday rearranging. Still not exactly a great environment, but it has to do for now. I was so thrilled that I finally had some room that I stretched, and started doing some low level moves/spins. Finding the low level stuff kinda boring I figured, since I’d done it once before, I tried to do an inverted mount and I must have moved away from the pole when my leg came up, then slammed back and heard and felt it go pop. I can’t believe I’ve been waiting since 11/4 to start formal lessons, and now that I’m injured they're starting in a week. It was actually the studio putting me off until January that caused me to buy a pole for home. Amyxshi, thanks for the link to the “form” site. I’m sure I start in form, but I think my problem is that I don’t have the strength yet to hold my weight. I’m only 115 lbs, but my upper body has never been very strong. Plus I was waiting for samples of iTac2 to arrive to assist holding, and wouldn’t you know, they showed up today!! Geez… I guess I’ll begin my StudioVeena lessons, when I’m feeling better, hopefully soon!! Thanks for the support, everyone…
PennyGirl · 12/29/2010
Ouch, indeed! I’m dreading a sneeze, ‘cause man-o-man that’s a killer. Thanks for the tip on the protein and calcium, Mora. I’ve been taking calcium/D supplements to replace milk, that I gave up for lactose intolerance. Guess I’d better kick up the yogurt if I want to get back on the pole this winter! Argh, just one more reminder of my age. Good grief!! Veena & Amyxshi, I planned to sign up for StudioVeena lessons at the referral of SissyBuns/House of Pole, where I purchased my xpole. I only received it on 12/17 and put it up in my basement. I’m in the process of construction down there, and didn’t have much room, so I spent yesterday rearranging. Still not exactly a great environment, but it has to do for now. I was so thrilled that I finally had some room that I stretched, and started doing some low level moves/spins. Finding the low level stuff kinda boring I figured, since I’d done it once before, I tried to do an inverted mount and I must have moved away from the pole when my leg came up, then slammed back and heard and felt it go pop. I can’t believe I’ve been waiting since 11/4 to start formal lessons, and now that I’m injured they're starting in a week. It was actually the studio putting me off until January that caused me to buy a pole for home. Amyxshi, thanks for the link to the “form” site. I’m sure I start in form, but I think my problem is that I don’t have the strength yet to hold my weight. I’m only 115 lbs, but my upper body has never been very strong. Plus I was waiting for samples of iTac2 to arrive to assist holding, and wouldn’t you know, they showed up today!! Geez… I guess I’ll begin my StudioVeena lessons, when I’m feeling better, hopefully soon!! Thanks for the support, everyone… Hey Hotness..I know how you feel. Believe it or not, when I started I was already quite strong. I was quickly schooled when I started poling lol! Poling required specific targeted strength that my body was not used do. I weight train several times a week and it helps a bunch, but with all new things, I found certain muscles being worked that I had not thought of. ( like forearms yikes!) What I have learned is that strength is a progression that must be built over time, it will all come back to you. I am so excited for you and your new space. Having someplace to call your own private space is heaven. I have my pole smack in front of the television...needless to say, I feel like I'm always being watched LOL! Best of luck with you healing my dear. xoxoxoxo
Gsylass · 12/29/2010
I hope this isn't seen as hi-jacking your thread, but I find this ties in with something bothering me. I recently met a girl who wants to pole, but was unable to do a pole hold or even a step-around without feeling like she's useless and will never be able to do it. What do you recommend I show her or any other girls (or guys) I meet in the future, for like taster-sessions or pole-parties for people who've never poled, without making them feel like they're rubbish? I want to be positive and show people how much fun it is, while starting at the beginning with basic strength-building stuff and not making them feel like "babies"?! It is obvious that the people who can't do anything at their first attempt feel really discouraged and put off when other total beginners fly straight into a fireman spin or pole sit with apparent ease! Which is totally understandable. How do you teachers deal with this?
Later · 12/30/2010
Heey guys, I have literally just started doing the boomerang hold because I am finally able to do it strength wise, its funny because I used to do this hold on a pole we had in our basement (support pole) Its funny that it is an actual move. Anyways, Trust me I have been very careful, my friend has been poling along with me so we spot eachother and help correct each other. Some of the moves have taken us a long time to learn and others come extremely easily to us. We also take videos of us pole dancing so that we can review and make sure we arent doing anything improperly. I am literally covered in bruises though. Especially from the plank hold/ climbing into a sit position. I have never had this many bruises on my body before! And I am now tanning so I am praying that bruised skin tans or I will look ridiculous soon when they heal haha. Does any one have any at home remedies for curing sweaty hands. I am pretty sure there is already a thread on this on here though. I have found that when I windex the pole it helps a little bit. (I am hoping this is a good idea and not a bad one haha) After every move I am constantly having to clean off the pole or my hands get sweaty and the pole gets greasy and I slip right off. Is there any way to add videos to my profile so that you can comment on them and let me know what you think of how I am doing so far? Let me know!
Kobajo84 · 12/30/2010
@savyhomeowner: Another tip on the boomerang hold when I started it I actually used my arm to support my upper torso- the part of my arm that came in contact with my side was above the elbow- this helped to stabilize my body into the hold. With any move though as a warning- ABC (Always Be Careful). Don't jam your elbow into your ribs or jump into the move. Just a simple lift from floor and down. Over time you will be able to increase the length of time of your hold. And stretch your wrists thoroughly before and after to prevent wrist strain. Listen to your body- if anything doesn't feel right- STOP. That's great you're using a video camera to review your progress. That really helps. I also use windex on my pole for grip and am constantly wiping my pole- just today I worked on transition pirouettes and I had to keep wiping my pole after every couple of pirouettes because my palms were sweating like crazy. There's a ton of grip aides on the market, however its best to learn stuff without it first and leave the grip aides to performances or down the road when you're learning more advanced moves that require extra stick to the pole. If you become dependent on grip aides it could keep your muscles from developing properly in the natural progression needed in order to conquer moves without injury. Kudos to you for using a friend as a spotter. Also as you progress its good to always start a new move on the floor and just move your legs or body into position to get into the feel of how things are going to work as you move them onto the pole. To post a video simply click "video" on the top menu bar and off to the right there will be a green button that says upload your video under the box that says lessons, newletters, member video...etc. Hope that helped. ☀️
PixiePole · 12/30/2010
Haha yes that's true about just copying from videos - but I still think it's a good list to look at for ideas of what to start with 🙂 you could take the names down from that site and then see what Veena has here. I just thought the page was arranged in such a way that it makes it very easy to scroll down the list and have a quick look for some moves you'd like to try, then you can refer back here for instruction on how to go about it 🙂
tiggertail · 12/30/2010
I've start alone with youtube and got Veena lessons after 2 month to realise that i was doing too much, too fast. Since i got a regular workout with a day off in between and good explanation on how to do this i haven't hurt myself like at did at first and got amazing result. Take a look at the new 2 pole section in the forum will help you a lot, and don't go too fast or you will get stuck anyway because you hurt yourself and don't have the strenght to do more advanced moves. Take more time to get beginner move in perfect control and on both side before going to the next step. Don't forget it's not the destination, it's the journey 😉
Later · 12/31/2010
Hey guys thanks for all of your help ful hints. Yes I actually have sat on the floor and put my body into the leg positions and arm positions in order to figure out where everything goes before jumping in to quickly! I will edit and post a video of what I have done so far. I warn you some of it isn't very good and others are better. I am definitely sticking strictly to beginner moves until I am 100% confident in the ones that I have done so far. And I understand about what you mean about the boomerang hold and just resting on the elbow a little bit. I try not to jump into any position. If I can't do it with out jumping then I don't do the moves at all!. So no worries. I take a day for break in between my poling so I am not over working my body and so my muscles have time to recuperate. I also stretch every day as I am trying to increase my flexibility. I am still having troubles finding beginner moves, I want some more so that I am not constantly doing the same moves and bruising myself from repeating the same moves over and over again. I am having alot of trouble with bruising so I am now taking multivitamins, vit C chewables, and magnesium pills in hopes that it will help so I don't bruise so much. I have arnica gel that I am putting on them since they are soooooo bad. My friend has about 4 bruises where as I literally have about 20 on each leg.
Veena · 12/31/2010
@ Savyhomeowner The problem with the boomerang is not so much that you might fall.....its also a matter of possible poor arm positioning causing injury to the shoulders, elbow or wrist this along with inadequate strength this can cause many new dancers troubles.
Veena · 12/31/2010
I just read your post again and saw your not happy with the amount of beginner moves....I should add if your taking the online lessons Savy....don't forget to include the strength building exercises. The strength building and beginner lessons add up to 85 lessons you can choose from!!
Later · 12/31/2010
Thanks Veena I hear you most definitely, I am definitely working on building up my strength, as for the arm positioning with the boomerang it feels right, nothing hurts and I have found that my arm strenght is improving drastically. My boyfriend even felt my arm the other day and he couldn't believe how much muscle I have built!
Hotness · 1/4/2011
Happy New Year everyone, Hey PennyGirl, the good news is that possibly the pop wasn't a full fracture. However, a bruised rib still holds the same rules of recooperation and length of recovery. The bad news is that my one-month formal classes that I've been waiting to start since 11/4 starts tomorrow, and even with 800mg of Advil it's still going to be painful to perform any lifting myself onto the pole ; ( I was feeling a little better yesterday, and just to check my recovery rate I was walking by the pole (that is taunting me in it's new space) I lightly grabbed it and just leaned around it lightly and confirmed that all is not well. I know what you were saying about muscle strength. I have a landscape company that I spend the summers throwing around 50# bags of amendment, and shoveling, and dragging tarps of soil and plants all day. It takes a good amount of the summer to get to that point where it's not hard or painful work. Unfortunately, it's been a few months since winter began setting in and I've gotten soft. Part of the reason I decided to begin pole dancing was to keep my strength up so when spring comes I could jump right in. Of course my other reasons are to keep my sexy in tact, and hopefully firm and tone my butt and abs. I managed to work my size back down to my old norm of size 4, so I don't want the winter off to creep that up any. Lol. Ya know, after reading your thread about feeling on display with your pole in front of the TV, it made me feel like I was whining about my space still not being a great atmosphere. I'd seen some of the videos, with the rooms so girly and sexy and I guess with being a novice with my moves and pole ability, plus the space I was having a fricken pity party. I guess I take it for granted that I live alone and don't have to do anything but keep the bf out of the basement, away from my pole. (yeah, I know, bf away from the pole, huh? - it's a long, ugly story, and a whole other thread. lol) I'm sorry you don't have a place to have your own space away from people who might make you feel you can't explore your sexy self. Hey, at some point if you've got kids you can look forward to them going away to college, right?!! Then you can take over their room, woo-hoo!! PennyGirl, Amy, Mora, Kobajo84, Veena, thanks ladies, I've checked out the links. Very helpful. I've bookmarked them for future reference. They kept me busy for hours!! Kobajo84, I was reading your reply to Savyhomeowner about the grip. I was reading some threads about iTac2 shortly after I received my pole and realized that it wasn't sticky enough even being a "TG" (that's supposed to be more gripy). I read that using a grip product would actually help you work more muscles in your arms, back and shoulders, instead of just your hand/grip muscles. No? You don't agree? I haven't used it yet, since I injured myself before I received it and haven't tried it yet. Not that I have more than a few hours of poling so far. I thought it would make good sense, because I have problems with carpel tunnel. Do you or anyone else have any thoughts about that? One other question, I've spent some time trying to find a video I saw around Christmas that was posted by a user "polemom" or something like that. It was a great video and I hadn't noticed the favorite button until days later. Does anyone have any clues how to find that video again? Thanks all...

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