Is Pole Dancing a good workout?

Short answer; yes. Long answer; yes, and here’s why!

Pole dance emphasises a whole body workout, builds serious upper body and core strength, coordination and flexibility, and combines cardio, bodyweight training and dance.

Want to know which muscles you’ll work and with which pole dance moves? Read on…

Shoulders & Upper Back

The Shoulders and Back work hand in hand and comprise the most important muscles used in Pole & Aerial.

Movement example: Pole or Aerial Invert (Going Upside Down)

Muscle(s) Used: Deltoids, Trapezius, Latissimus Dorsi, Rhomboids, Rotator Cuff Group.

Arms & Hand

Your forearms, wrists and hands are the most used body parts as this is what you’re holding on with. The bicep and triceps work together to lift, pull and push your body into each position needed. So, your arms will be getting a good workout for the entire session.

Movement example: Corkscrew

Muscle(s) Used: Bicep, Tricep, Brachioradialis.

Core

Having a strong core is key to lifting into moves with control. It is good practice to work on your core strength by cross-training and conditioning.

Movement Example: Pull Up Crunch

Muscle(s) Used: Transverse Abdominals, Rectus Abdominals, Internal & External Oblique, Serratus Anterior

Lower Back

Working with the upper back and core, the lower back muscles play a huge part in your entire body’s functions, attaching to the hips and abdominals. They help hold up the spine and gluteal muscles.

Having strong and healthy back muscles allows you to have better control in and out of moves, perform backbends, and have good posture.

Movement Example: Bridge

Muscle(s) Used: Erector spinae, Latissimus Dorsi, Obliques.

Lower Body (Hips and Bottom)

Your hips and bottom comprise many muscles that will help you in pole and aerial. For any split, fan kick or leg extension, you need your gluteal muscles, hip flexors and surrounding muscles. It is essential to work all equally to avoid injury and overdevelopment.

Movement Example: Fan Kick

Muscle(s) Used: Hip Flexor (Psoas major and minor, Iliacus), Glutes, Hamstring.

Legs

Your legs play a big part in your posture and lines; by engaging your quads and calves, your legs will straighten, allowing your foot to point and flex when needed. It is vital to stretch your leg muscles to build flexibility.

Movement Example: Splits

Muscle(s) Used: Quadriceps, Calves, Hamstring

How Do I Buy A Pole For Pole Dancing?

Buying a pole is easy and fun with X-POLE! But, which pole is right for you? There are many options available, designed to suit all budgets and skill levels, so let’s get right into how to buy a pole for pole dancing.

The key things to consider are; Pole type (Static only, static and spinning, pressure mounted or freestanding), and the pole diameter and finish.

Static, spinning, or both?

Did you know that pole dancing poles can spin? That’s how some of the fantastic stuff you see online is done, with a spinning pole!

When starting out on their pole journey, most people start with a static only pole, such as the X-POLE SPORT pole. This gives you the chance to get used to being on the pole, using muscles you never thought you had to lift, hold and move around the pole.

As you progress and your skills improve, you might want to start adding spinning pole to your repertoire. This is where the X-POLE XPERT, XPERT Pro and X-STAGE Lite come into play.

The XPERT and XPERT Pro are removable home poles designed to be put up between the floor and ceiling of your chosen dance space; no drilling, screwing or permanent fixings into the floor or ceiling are required.

The X-POLE XPERT is the most popular pole dance pole globally, used by amateurs, enthusiasts and professionals all over the globe. Static and spinning modes come as standard with this one, with just a few turns of the hex screws located at the bottom of the pole. There are also a ton of variations available in different finishes and diameters, but we’ll get onto that in a bit.

Next up is the X-POLE XPERT Pro. This is the creme de la creme of home pole dance poles. The same functionality as our XPERT poles, but with our X-LOCK system added in, no need to adjust hex screws; just lift and twist the X-LOCK system and your pole goes from static to spinning. A lift and twist back, and your pole is in static mode again.

Lastly, we have the X-POLE X-STAGE Lite, the go-anywhere, freestanding podium pole. The X-STAGE is an excellent choice for someone looking to take their pole experience with them. Like the XPERT and XPERT Pro, the X-STAGE has spinning and static built-in but does not need to be mounted between the floor and ceiling of your chosen dance space. The X-STAGE is supplied with carrying cases to make transporting your stage easy and available in various diameters and finishes.

What diameter pole should I get?

While there are quite a few different diameters available on the market from other providers, we have stuck to two; 40mm and 45mm. But what’s the difference?

40mm diameter poles are great for beginners with less developed grip strength, kids and the more petite polers out there.

45mm diameter poles are the industry standard. They can be found in nearly all studios and at most competitions and exhibition events.

There’s a debate on whether you should start out with 45mm and “tough it out” rather than go a bit easier with a 40mm, but in the end, it’s all down to personal preference and what works for you!

Which pole finish is best?

We have a wide range of finishes available for all our pole dance poles, including Chrome, Stainless Steel, Brass, Titanium Gold, Powder Coat and Silicone.

Here’s some essential info on each finish:

Chrome – The industry standard finish and a good all-rounder for all levels of skill/experience. High-grade steel poles are coated in Chrome and polished to a high finish.

Stainless Steel – A great alternative to Chrome or Brass and very hard-wearing. Also suitable for polers with nickel allergies and ideal for commercial environments (studios and gyms) with a lot of polers! Stainless Steel poles are polished to a mirror finish.

Brass is great in hotter climates as the grip factor increases with the ambient temperature and is the perfect choice for nickel allergy polers.

Titanium Gold – Chrome poles are taken and electronically coated with the finish for an enhanced grip.

Powder Coat (Black, Pink & White) – Useful for people who struggle to grip standard metal poles. Very high grip factor! Steel poles are powder coated and baked to seal the finish. Available in black, white and hot pink!

Silicone (Black & Pink) – The ultimate easy-grip pole! Steel poles have a silicone sleeve attached to the surface of the pole. Minimal skin to pole contact is needed. Available in 45mm pole diameter only.

Personally, my fav pole is the XPERT Pro 40mm Stainless Steel.

If you need help choosing your pole, give our sales team a call, and they’ll happily talk you through the options available to you.