Pole Class: Day Sixteen

So I went one day without pole and I started to feel weird...I think it was very similar to what someone experiencing withdrawal would feel like. At this point, I'm about ready to purchase my Titanium Gold X-Pole (w/spinning capability baby!). So X-pole or bust!!

After watching Mina and Estee Tuesday night, I became determined to learn more advanced moves and to work more on my Caterpillar. I couldn't think of a better class to go to then Tricked Out. It was my second Tricked Out class and I forgot how I always see people in that class that I don't recognize.

Tonight Ellen taught the class. For twirls we learned the Reverse Grip. For inversions we learned the Caterpillar, Reverse Caterpillar, Scorpio and Allegra.

When done right the Reverse Grip is the most beautiful twirl/spin I think you can do. To get into you could start with a chair, and as you let go of your bracket arm your hips swing in front of the pole and you can easily place your bracket arm back onto the pole.

After Jenyne's workshop, I swear that the Caterpillar became about 5X easier for me. She's all about conditioning and her conditioning exercise for the Caterpillar truly works. It's like doing push-ups on the pole. I just need to get the Reverse Caterpillar down. Ellen taught it with the forearm grip, but I learned the elbow grip from Jenyne and I like that one way better. I like the elbow grip better because my palms get really sweaty holding myself in Caterpillar position, so to minimize the sweat on the pole for me the better. At this point in class, I truly wished I could go home and just practice this one all night.

I swear the Scorpio should be easy for me, but I keep making it more difficult than it really is.

So the Allegra inversion was a new one for me tonight. When you invert you hook your inside leg so your knee is bent (for me this is the right leg) around the pole. You take your right hand and wrap it around the front of your leg so that it's gripping the nook between your bent knee and the pole. From here you extend your body to face outward and grip the pole on the bottom with your left hand. I couldn't do this part. After that you extend your left leg and right leg. Point those toes! When you're in the position correctly, your legs are off the pole and straight. Good luck!

TwirlGirl had a great idea to get into Cross-Knee Release together on the pole. This is my favorite pose from a climb...because I can do it! Haha.

Pole Class: Day Eleven

If you want to get your ass kicked in pole class then go to Poletential's Tricked Out Pole (TOP) on Thursday nights. This class will work out every single muscle you have in your body...your gluts, abs, obliques, back, shoulders and every single joint you have too. By the time Ellen was done with us, my hands were shaking at the end of class. This class is great if you like a challenge and don't want to be bothered with the pretty twirls, this is gymnastics territory.

This was my first tricked out pole class taught by Ellen, who also instructs Basics on Mondays and Sultry on Wednesdays. I think everyone rotates to instruct this class so that they end up teaching this class once a month. But I love all the instructors and they all have their own unique style of teaching!

I learned a lot of new things in last night's class. I actually requested that Ellen teach us this one move I saw a girl (Amy) from a youtube video do in her dance which looked amazing. She got into a cross ankle release and bent all the way back to hold onto the pole...and she was spinning around the pole at the same time! So cool!!

Sooo...for safety reasons we didn't do this move. If there were about 7 Ellens I think we might have been able to. Haha. If it's your first time doing this move, you definitely need someone to spot you.



Afterward, we did some air inversions that I wasn't too great at. I was able to air invert at the end of class, but it was the cheater version where I use the momentum of my legs versus using my core muscles to do an upside down sit up. From the air invert, Ellen taught us how to get into an Apprentice...



...and then into the Butterfly...



Needless to say, I did not get into the Butterfly because I was too busy trying to figure out how to lift myself up with 7-inch heels on. Haha.

Ellen saved the best for last. Twirl Girl made the request to learn how to do a Cartwheel Mount after witnessing her brother do it on her own pole at home without any training! Guys' center of gravity is carried up high which makes it a lot easier for them than it is for us...so no fair!



My left wrist was in a lot of pain after this one, and I didn't even do it!