Tag: Pole and Aerial

The Ultimate Guide to Pole Dance Attire: What to Wear for Comfort, Safety, and Style

Posted on by Joey

What should I wear when pole dancing? It’s a very common (and sensible) question that we are often asked. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, choosing the proper attire is crucial for performance, safety, and confidence. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what to wear when pole dancing, blending comfort, safety, and style seamlessly.

 

  1. Safety First

 

Pole dancing involves a lot of gripping and friction, so your attire plays a significant role in ensuring safety. Here’s what to keep in mind:

 

– Skin Exposure: More skin exposure means better grip. This is why pole dancers often wear shorts and crop tops. The skin on your arms, legs, and torso provides the necessary friction to hold onto the pole.

– Avoid Lotions: Avoid applying lotions or oils before your session, as they can make your skin slippery and increase the risk of slipping.

 

  1. Comfort is Key

 

When it comes to pole dancing, comfort is paramount. Your attire should allow you to move freely without any restrictions. Here’s what you need to consider:

 

– Fabric: Opt for breathable, stretchy fabrics like cotton blends, spandex, or lycra. These materials wick away sweat and offer flexibility.

– Fit: Ensure your clothes fit snugly but not too tight. They should stay in place without digging into your skin or causing discomfort.

 

  1. Essential Pole Dance Attire

 

– Shorts: High-waisted shorts are popular as they provide coverage while allowing maximum skin contact with the pole. Look for shorts with a bit of compression to keep everything in place.

– Sports Bra or Crop Top: A supportive sports bra or crop top is essential. It provides the necessary support while allowing upper body movements. Choose one with good coverage to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions.

Leggings: Leggings are a great option for warm-ups and cool-downs. Opt for pole-specific leggings with grip panels to assist with certain moves.

– Grip Aids: If you have trouble with grip, consider grip aids like liquid chalk, grip gloves, or knee pads for added safety during practice.

 

  1. Stylish Yet Functional

 

Pole dancing is an art form; your attire can reflect your style while being functional. Here are some tips:

 

– Colors and Patterns: Feel free to experiment with colours and patterns that make you feel confident and fierce.

– Accessories: Leg warmers, ankle boots, or heels (for advanced dancers) can add a stylish touch. Just ensure they don’t hinder your performance or safety.

 

  1. Special Considerations

 

– Beginner Dancers: If you’re new to pole dancing, start with essential, comfortable attire. You can explore more specialised clothing as you become more comfortable with the moves and grips.

Advanced Dancers: Advanced dancers might want to invest in specialised gear, such as pole dance shoes or knee pads, which can enhance performance and protect against injuries.

 

  1. Hygiene and Care

 

– Wash Regularly: Pole dancing attire should be washed regularly to maintain hygiene. Follow the care instructions on the labels to ensure longevity.

– Rotation: Have a few sets of pole dance attire to rotate between sessions. This helps in keeping your gear fresh and ready for use.

 

Choosing the proper attire for pole dancing is a balance between comfort, safety, and style. You can enhance your performance, prevent injuries, and feel confident on the pole with the right gear. Pole dancing is all about expressing yourself, so let your attire reflect your personality and flair. Happy dancing!

Is Pole Dancing a good workout?

Posted on by Joey

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

Vertical Leisure Ltd. (X-POLE) Christmas Shipping and Stock

Posted on by Joey

As we get closer to the peak of the festive season, demand for products is increasing day by day. Logistic and courier networks are being stretched to the point of failure. Industry experts predict up to 592 million parcels will be sent in the UK in the weeks before Christmas.

UK ports are in a state of crisis trying to deal with significantly increased demand for space and empty containers to insert back into the shipping process. As a result, supply lines are being drastically affected.

Major global corporations, such as Honda are also feeling the squeeze, with supply chains being practically frozen, leading to a shutdown in production at their UK base of operations in Swindon.

We advise our customers that while we and our logistics partners are working hard to ensure prompt delivery, there are likely to be significant delays. We regretfully announce that as of today (Friday 11th December), we cannot guarantee any new orders or existing backorders placed will be delivered in time for Christmas. Of course, we will continue to accept and process orders as normal and dispatch orders as soon as stock becomes available.

The X-POLE UK and Europe office will be closed for Christmas from Wednesday, December 23rd and reopen on Monday 4th January 2021. Any orders placed during this time will be processed on our return to the office.

 

Big News: X-POLE Stock Drops Incoming!

Posted on by Joey

Big news and something to smile about in these trying times; we will be receiving stock drops throughout May and June and we will resume shipping in the United Kingdom and Europe (with the exception of France) by the 12th May.

All our most popular lines, including (but not limited to) SPORT, XPERT, XPERT Pro, X-STAGE and A-FRAME’s will be restocked and ready to ship by the end of May.

We will be fulfilling existing paid pre-orders on a first come, first served basis and then start processing new orders.

Now is the time to order your favourite X-POLE items to avoid disappointment, beat the lockdown blues and stay on top of your game or just have a hell of a lot of fun with your new purchase! Don’t forget to tag us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter if you’re posting about your new item, we love to feature our brilliant customers in our feeds!

With lockdown procedures varying from country to country, we and our courier partners will try our best to deliver items, but we appreciate your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times.

Once an item has been dispatched, you will receive a notification from UPS, which can sometimes end up in your junk mail folder, so please keep an eye out, as the email will have your tracking number, which allows you to follow the progress of your order once it has left our warehouse.

There is a limited amount of technical support available from [email protected]; why not check out our FAQ’s, technical support page or YouTube channel for manuals, trouble shooting and instructional videos in the meantime.

Enquiries regarding orders can be directed to [email protected], our friendly and knowledgeable team will endeavour to respond within 48-72 hours.

Stay safe, stay home and stay well!

The X-POLE Team

The (Not So) Secret Diary Of A Pole and Aerial Hoop Beginner – Week Eleven

Posted on by Joey

I am nearly three months into my Pole and Aerial journey. So far, it’s been an amazing and incredibly rewarding experience. My health, physical and mental, has improved dramatically. I am eating much more healthily and sleeping better too. I feel energised and better able to focus at work, so the benefits of this little experiment far outweigh any fears I may have had before it started.

Week Eleven – Pole

After the usual warm up with Hannah, we started out with a spin sequence as a recap of what we have done in previous sessions.

This included Step Around, Back Step and Cradle Spin. I’m really starting to feel comfortable with these now, along with the other spins we have learnt to date.

I also managed to do a climb to the top of the tallest pole in the studio! It was hard going, but I was determined to get to the top of the pole this week and lo and behold, I did! I was so pleased with myself, now I just need to work on the form and make it look good.

A lot of people have spoken to me about the dreaded Shoulder Mount since I started this journey. Well, this was the week for our introduction to it.

I positioned myself on the pole as Hannah had shown us and held my breath waiting for the pain to hit, but it never came!?! We were practicing Shoulder Mount Arch specifically, which is a little kinder on the shoulder as far as I understand it, but this seemed a lot easier and less painful that I could have imagined. Hannah was very surprised at my progress out of the gate with this one, which made me feel very proud of myself.

We finished of the session by revisiting our Inside Leg Hang. Inverting on to the pole and then positioning my legs was fine, it was when I put some actual weight on my hold that the pain arrived; it felt like a branding iron was being applied to my inner thigh and I’m not too shy to admit, I shouted an expletive I don’t care to repeat (it involved implying that the pole has intercourse with its mother, make of that what you will).

Honestly, my thighs were still burning a whole day later! Here’s a short video of me half-way achieving it:

Another great session this week, which has boosted my confidence on the pole another level.

Week Eleven – Aerial Hoop

The usual warm up resumed with Ellie resumed this week, sans the abs challenge from the last couple of weeks (my core was grateful!).

Front Balance was the first order of business this week. We practiced two different entries into this, a Backwards Invert and a Side Transition.

For me, the Backwards Invert went really well and I was pleased that I managed to get it in just one or two tires. The Side Transition was another story. Each time I tried to do this, I seemed to roll over my hand (painfully), maybe I wasn’t paying attention to Ellie when she was demonstrating this particular thing, but I’ll have to wait until week twelve before I can try again, as I’m on vacation from this Tuesday, so will miss out on my usual class this Wednesday.

We also tried Hip Holds. These proved to be a bit painful for me when transitioning into them, due to being a guy. Something else to work on in the next session too.

In preparation for Upside Down Man In The Moon, we revisited the standard Man In The Moon first. Ellie made the transition from standard to upside down look very simple, but when it came time for me to try, the hand positioning and movement proved a little difficult to grasp and unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to nail this move.

Finally, just for fun, we revisited some of our favourite moves we have learnt to date and I chose to have another go at Pencil Hold on the bottom bar of the hoop. It didn’t feel as smooth as the previous times I had done it, but it was something.

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The (Not So) Secret Diary Of A Pole and Aerial Hoop Beginner – Week Ten

Posted on by Joey

Week Ten – Pole

I’m in double digits for weeks attended, I can’t believe how far I have come on this journey already and how rewarding it has been!

I’d also like to preface this post by saying this was without a doubt one of my best sessions so far, really felt like I achieved something and made progress, but more on that in a bit.

Hannah walked us through our usual warm up, before we moved on to climbs.

If you’ve read any of this blog series before, you’ll know I’ve never made it past two climbs on the pole and certainly not to the top of the pole. Well, this was my week (admittedly it was on one of the shorter poles in the studio), but I got to the top and hung out for a while quite comfortably, even giving the truss a tap for good measure (I know this is a no-no in most situations, but I couldn’t resist).

The next item on the agenda was Martini Sit. This looks deceptively easy (especially with Hannah pulling it off so nonchalantly), but I was in a for a rude awakening when it came to try it myself. The amount of butt/leg needed to really hang off the pole is the key here (not to self; buy shorter shorts!).

We then tried out a Step Around in to Back Hook. This didn’t prove too troublesome and I like to think my feet are nicely pointed while doing it (Hannah, any thoughts?).

I really nailed the next move; Inverted Crucifix! I got a good distance off the floor in my inversion and the hold on the pole was super solid, I was not moving anywhere unless I wanted to, which felt amazing. Coming down and the standing the ‘right way up’ again afterwards messed with my sense of balance a bit, but I reckon I’ll get used to it.

Finally, before we moved on to some stretching to end the class, I had another go at Butterfly. After the success of my Inverted Crucifix, this came a lot more naturally, still a little shaky, but I pulled it off none the less.

Week Ten – Aerial Hoop

Ellie started us out on our usual warm up and we moved to our usual conditioning.

We then started Single Leg Hang conditioning, which proved a bit painful after all the Martini Sits from pole previously, so I wasn’t able to hold it as long as I normally can or make any “pretty shapes.”

After this, Ellie talked us through a Side Seat Transition. I had visions of losing my grip and falling on to a most undesirable area on the bottom of the hoop, but thankfully my grip was great this week, so nothing to worry about.

Once we had this down, we moved onto a little combo consisting of Splits Away, the Side Seat Transition, into an Invert before finishing on a Front Balance. This was my first time really trying the Front Balance, so I was a little intimidated (flashbacks of the pain from Back Balance sprang to the front of my mind), but it turned out fine in the end.

After that, we worked on our under-bar shapes; Pencil, Split, Stag and Mexican.

Finally a little Gazelle practice to round out the session before some stretching and that was my hour up.

I realise I’ve been a bit lax with photos and videos lately, for anybody that’s missing them, I promise to remember to get more going forwards.

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The (Not So) Secret Diary Of A Pole and Aerial Hoop Beginner – Week Nine

Posted on by Joey

Week Nine – Pole

Apologies for the belated post, it’s been an incredibly busy week at X-POLE HQ.

Anyway, after the usual warm up with Hannah (I must get it all written down and detail it for you guys one day) and some conditioning, we got on the poles and started the main portion of the session.

We started with Fan Kick in to Pole Sit. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you’ll know that my Fan Kick isn’t the greatest: plenty of effort put in, but it looks a bit “limp!” Anyway, throwing caution to the wind, I really decided to go for it on the first attempt. It didn’t turn out too bad until my ankle connected soundly with the pole while sweeping round to get to the Pole Sit (another bruise to add to the collection)!

But after a few more tries it was more or less there, so I can’t complain too much and after the initial shock of the ankle smash into the pole, there was little to no pain (even now).

Then we moved onto Statue into Fan Kick, into Pole Sit. This was obviously a little more challenging than the previous moves, I think I’m 75% there with getting it nailed. Statue didn’t hurt nearly as much as I thought it would by the way!

After this, Butterfly with a Crucifix Exit into Flatline Scorpio. This proved a little too much for me and I didn’t even get close to finishing it in this week’s session.

Finally, we added spins to the end of the combo: Step Around, Fan Kick, Chair and Figure Four Spins; I’m happy with all of these, except the Figure Four, which doesn’t flow as smoothly as I’d like, but it’s in my head now, so I can visualise it more easily.

I have to admit, this was the most intense pole session I have done so far at the Aerial Attic, but it was also one of the most enjoyable; I was totally shot after this lesson, but also had a great feeling that I’d worked hard.

Week Nine – Aerial Hoop

Ellie started us out on our usual warm up and we had another go at completing the Harry Styles – Watermelon Sugar abs workout challenge from MadFit. The rest of the group seemed to nail it, but I think I ran out of steam around the 2:45 mark (it’s harder than it looks).

Again, if you fancy trying it, check out the below video:

 

We did our usual conditioning (Ellie went fairly easy on us this week in my opinion) and then started on Spinning Inverts. This proved more challenging than it looked for me, I think leading with one foot and then leaning into the spin was a bit hard for me to comprehend at first, but I got there eventually (with a lot more swinging than spinning I must admit).

Then once we were up, we added Side Hang Variations. These really tested my flexibility and I think I pulled something in my back, as it’s been aching a little since the lesson.

After this, we added Pull Up to Peter Pan, which was easy in principle, but making it look smooth and controlled is the key.

Then Man in The Moon was added to the routine, into Amazon, to Cradle, then on to the top bar for Secretary and finally, adding a move of our own choosing to finish off the routine.

Admittedly, I did pretty much everything bar the Cradle, and only once (very messily), before I had to take a break, as it had been a long week already it was only Wednesday night!).

On par with Monday’s Pole session, this was the most challenging session of hoop I have done so far, but it felt great to string a lot of things we have worked on in the previous nine weeks together into something fully formed. It was amazing to watch everyone else in the session too, they all performed beautifully and I was totally in awe of their stamina to get it all done and run through their routines three, maybe even four times before the end of our hour, big kudos to everyone involved!

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The (Not So) Secret Diary Of A Pole and Aerial Hoop Beginner – Week Eight

Posted on by Joey

Week Eight – Pole

After the usual warm up session with Hannah, we went back to our flow sequence from the previous week, consisting of Step Around, Back Step and Step Around Pirouette.

All of it flowed pretty nicely for me on both sides except that damn Step Around Pirouette! I really must get to working on it at home, as it’s starting to annoy me that something that looks so simple is causing me so much grief!

We did add a Figure Four Spin to the end of the sequence too. Thankfully, this only took one or two tries to get for me, so it balanced out the frustration I was feeling from the Step Around Pirouette.

Not sure how many readers this next passage will apply to but none the less, here goes. Beard Oil is nobody’s friend when it comes to pole, even though I’d thoroughly washed my hands before class to get rid of any residue, my hands were still a bit slippery. My tip; stick to beard balm once in the morning for conditioning and hold on a pole day, unless you don’t mind arriving to class looking like an unkempt badger!

Back to the pole stuff! After the flow sequence, we revisited our inverts. This time, attempting a Butterfly. Getting up is fairly smooth for me now, I think my next aim is to really control the lift.

Anyway, I digress. On the first attempt at Butterfly, I was probably a bit too low on the pole, so it didn’t really go as planned. Second time around, my core wasn’t properly engaged and my back wasn’t particularly straight, by this point it was time to start the final stretch of the session so no more chances for another try, but I know what I need to do next session to get it right.

Week Eight – Aerial Hoop

Ellie started us out on our usual warm up, but hinted we’d be trying something a bit different towards the end.

The something a bit different turned out to be an abs and core workout choreographed to a song. While this was incredibly fun, after two minutes or so I was done in!

If you fancy trying it, check out the below video:

After this, we started on Back Balance to Birds Nest. I did pick up a lovely bruise on the top of my foot from the Birds Nest!

Ellie then showed us Secretary on the top of the hoop. After the Poisson from last weeks session, I felt pretty confident about this move from the start. The locking of your legs around the strop really makes you feel secure in place!

We did try Flying Secretary too, but as with Pole, we were close to the end of our session so I didn’t get to nail it this time around, may be next week.

I’ve just created a twitter account too, follow me here.

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The (Not So) Secret Diary Of A Pole and Aerial Hoop Beginner – Week Seven

Posted on by Joey

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing Christmas and New Year’s break! Honestly, after the first few days of lay-ins and lazy brunches, I was getting restless and wanted to get back into the studio for some upside-down time.

Apologies for the belated post, it’s been all stations go here at X-POLE to bring you guys the best in pole and aerial, we’ve got some really exciting ideas for 2020, stay tuned to our blog and social media for updates throughout the year. If you aren’t already signed up to our emailing list, follow this link to register, we always share all the best news, offers and promotions via our newsletters.

Week Seven – Pole

After nearly mastering Hannah’s warm up in 2019 after six weeks, I felt confident I could easily slip back into it in the first session of 2020, until I realised she had changed it up a bit for 2020! Thanks for keeping me on my toes Hannah!

The first thing we worked on in this session was Outside Leg hang from Straddle Invert. I’d been fairly happy with the progress I’d made on Straddle Invert at the back end of last year, so I was looking forward to adding something to this. I practiced this on the ground a few times first of all on both sides, to make sure I was comfortable with it before trying it on the pole. Hannah then spotted me as I tried it out on the pole. As per usual, I had a preferred side (left in this case felt most comfortable, if such a word can be applied to this!). The squeeze on the backside of your knee to be able to hold in position was very uncomfortable, but after the first few times, you kind of forget about the discomfort. We did also look at the transition from Outside to Inside, but I didn’t feel 100% confident about this on the pole, so practiced a few more times on the floor.

We then revisited Forearm Climbs. Now, climbs in general for me aren’t my strongest suit, the initial lift is fairy smooth and strong (especially Forearm), it’s stringing together the co-ordinated movements to progress up the pole smoothly that stump me right now, however, I think the more I practice, muscle memory will eventually kick in.

Hannah then started showing us a flow sequence consisting of Step Around, Back Step and Step Around Pirouette.

The Step Around and Back Step flowed nicely pretty much from the get-go for me, the Step Around Pirouette was another matter! I think being conscious of myself and my hand placement will fix this up.

All in all, it felt amazing to be back in the studio and working again, I never thought at the beginning of this journey that I would crave it so much, but it really is part of my life now!

Week Seven – Aerial Hoop

I’d also been looking forward to Aerial Hoop over the break, so when Wednesday night rolled around, I was raring to go!

Ellie started us out with some ‘Skin The Cat’ shoulder conditioning to warm us up for Poisson.

We revisited Mermaid, but this time added a transition to split variation. This was fairly difficult for me, as my flexibility isn’t quite up there yet, but I got some semblance of the move, so it’s a base to move forwards with.

After that, a Top Bar Hox Hang was next on the agenda. This was a lot easier than I thought it would be, but after the Leg Hangs from Monday’s pole session, it was a little uncomfortable to start with.

Then came the Poisson. This was a hell of a lot of fun and felt amazing to nail! I was really pleased with this and below you can see a pic!

Before moving to a final warm down and stretch, we also had a go at Elbow Hangs and some variations (think tear drop shapes). This proved a little too much for me on either arm so I gave it up for a bad job, but I’m determined to get it in the next session.

It’s so good to be back in the Aerial Attic, I can’t wait for this week’s sessions and I’m keen to see how far I can progress in 2020.

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