The XPERT XPOLE

Happy Fourth of July! I know that I've neglected posting these past few days. A lot has happened and I need to catch you up on everything! I should start off by saying that I finally got my XPERT XPOLE pole up last Sunday! Now the real pain comes. I've been trying to ease myself slowly into dancing again so I don't injure myself, and with one week's worth of constant pole I can see a major difference in my biceps! I look at myself in the mirror and my arms have become unacceptably too large for me!


I'm going to try to conquer one pole move at a time. Right now I'm concentrating on the extended Butterfly. As soon as my left arms stops giving me pain and my back is a little bit more rested I'll try some more.

Pole Class: Day Eleven

As always, Poletential's Total Pole class taught by Amber was great. Every Saturday we're taught new twirls, climbs and inversions.

We started off with an Inside Spin. For this twirl you use your outer thigh (inside leg) to roll against the pole. Your thigh and leg should be parallel to the ground and as you pick yourself up with both hands you lift up your outside leg.

Then we moved onto the Corkscrew. I really like this twirl because it's a lot different from the other ones we learn where we face the pole. For this twirl you use your outside leg to swing out your hips to the front of the pole so that you can wrap your body around the pole as you spin down. This twirl gets painful when you do it repeatedly since your armpit is gripping the pole. I have bruises all over my arm still from this one. But it was fun!

Our next move was a climb into a Cross Knee Release. This is very similar to the cross ankle release, but instead you leave your thighs crossed as if you were sitting and then lean back so that your knee touches the pole and your tail bone is resting on the pole as well. Once you're in this position, you're safe to lean back and let go of your arms.



Lastly, we learned how to go into the Butterfly from an inversion. Things to remember when getting into this move include keep your booty out and square your shoulders before you let go of your leg. I was finally able to get into this move at the end of the class, although I don't do it as graceful as Amber.

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!