Session Twelve: Fireman's climb.

I didn't get a video of myself climbing to the top. When climbing up the first time I relied on my upper body strength to pull myself up to the top of the pole.  I did this because it was an easier option for me due to having upper body strength, however I fatigued my arm muscles pretty quickly and learnt this was not an effective way to climb.  When I tried climbing for the second time I used my legs and combined this with momentum to enable me to climb more effectively.

Below is a video of what I a fireman's spin looks like.

Over the 12 sessions I have gained more upper body strength, better abs, tighter glutes, and a lot more confidence.  I have also discovered that pole dancing is not a sexy, glamorous and easy skill to master.  People should stop undermining people who perform pole dancing as a means of fitness, sport or occupation until they have tried it themselves and obtained the friction burns and bruises that come with it.

Below is a video of a professional doing pole dancing.

Session Eleven: Routine

Session Four for introduction course:

First week of the course:

Design of session:

The instructor gave an overview of the course. 

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1.     Run up and down the stairs

2.      10x push ups (either on knees or on toes)

3.     10x star jumps  

Stretches

1.     Wrist rotatory stretches 

2.     Wrist flexion stretches

3.     Wrist extension stretches

4.     Shoulder stretches

5.     Chest stretches 

Below is a video of a routine. It has all the moves I have learnt over the course. I have not posted individual videos of each move as I just chose to focus on two spins and to show you my improvement. 

Reflection:

Before I did the routine I went over all the moves that we had learnt over the course. I knew that I was quite confident in my ability however there were others that I wasn't so confident with. The back hook spin and the fireman's spin were two moves that I felt confident doing and the front hook spin was one where I wasn't. When I did the front hook spin I found it hard to get momentum when spinning therefore I was quite ridged and I spun to the ground pretty quickly.   I had not run through the routine before it got recorded which is why there are some small timing issues. 

Overall I felt like I have improved from the first week. I gained more confidence which helped me to try and get more involved.

Session Ten: Basic Invert

Firth week of the course:

Design of session:

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1.     Run up and down the stairs

2.      x10 push ups (either on knees or on toes)

3.     x10 star jumps  

Stretches

1.     Wrist rotatory stretches 

2.     Wrist flextion stretches

3.     Wrist extension stretches

4.     Shoulder stretches

5.     Chest stretches 

Below are picture of me doing a basic invert:

The instructor had to help me get into position  for this move because I didn't really know how to turn myself upside down. In this situation is was more important that I was able to experience being upside down than having the skills to get myself in to the correct position. The instructor is ensuring that my knees are correctly locked because I have to be able to grip onto the pole with my knees. 

Below is a picture of me doing a basic invert.

Session Nine: Basic Plank

Design of session:

The instructor gave an overview of the course. 

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1.     Run up and down the stairs

2.      10x push ups (either on knees or on toes)

3.     10x star jumps  

Stretches

1.     Wrist rotatory stretches 

2.     Wrist flexion stretches

3.     Wrist extension stretches

4.     Shoulder stretch

5.     Chest stretches 

Below of are picture of me doing a basic plank on the pole. There are also pictures of some of the bruises that I obtained from the pole. 

Reflection:

I found this pose easy to do but it was extremely painful on the inner thigh.  It was important to learn back and point your toes and hands in opposite directions.  I also found that I was spinning while doing this pose which meant I was lacking core muscle strength.

Session Eight: Stretch and Strength Session

Saturday 9th May

Design of session:

Today I did a flexibility and strength session and followed this video and also the link below. Flexibility is an important aspect of pole dancing because the more advanced the move is the more you are required to rely on your flexibility. After doing this session I felt it made the following weeks session and skills more obtainable.  I had become quite sore from pole dancing and it was good to release some tension from my muscles.

I chose to do an online yoga and pilates session to improve my flexibility and strength.  After doing both of these sessions I was very sore but I felt I had benefited my pole dancing by becoming stronger and more flexible.  Some of the exercises in the pilates video required a lot of core strength which was made easier by the strength I had gained by pole dancing alone.

Yoga Video: 

Pilates Video:

Session Seven: Second Self Directed Session

Second self directed session: 

Design of session:

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1.     Run up and down the stairs

2.      10x push ups (either on knees or on toes)

3.     10x star jumps  

Stretches

1.     Wrist rotatory stretches 

2.     Wrist flextion stretches

3.     Wrist extension stretches

4.     Shoulder stretches

5.     Chest stretches 

Below are two videos from the first session:

Video one: Back Hook Spin:

Learning the back hook spin (Frieden, 2014): 

1.     Step with the outside leg and pivot lifting the inside leg. 

2.     Turn your body towards the pole. 

3.     Once you’re facing the pole you should grip the pole with your other hand at the level of your jaw. The hand should be well wrapped around the pole and the elbow bent out towards the side. 

4.     The inside leg will wrap around the pole behind the knee. It is good to think about lifting your foot as if you wanted to touch your heel with your bottom.

5.     As soon as you take off tilt your head and chest to the back and push your pelvis forward.

Reflection:

I felt like I was getting stronger which is helping me with my grip which is also helping me with my momentum around the pole.  I was still getting a lot of bruises from pole dancing.  I have noticed from the first week that my body is staying higher on the pole and are now able to spin for longer periods of time.  I still need to work on kicking my heels up towards my bottom.

Session Six: Third Session at Introduction Course

Third Session at Introduction Course 

Design of session:

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1.     Run up and down the stairs

2.      10x push ups (either on knees or on toes)

3.     10x star jumps  

Stretches

1.     Wrist rotatory stretches 

2.     Wrist flextion stretches

3.     Wrist extension stretches

4.     Shoulder stretches

5.     Chest stretches 

Below is a video of doing the fan kick after completing the third session.

This week we didn't learn any new moves however we did the moves on a pole which rotates. When you begin pole dancing it is better to learn on a static pole because it allows you to build up your upper body and core strength. A static pole also allows you to build callouses on your hands which makes gripping onto the pole easier. When using a spinning pole a different kind of strength is needed and having a good grip is important.  A spinning pole can also get you twirling a lot faster than what you're used to doing causing dizziness and motion sickness, this means it is very important to start off slowly.  If you tend to get dizzy it is good to focus on your pole or a non-moving body part (Myers, 2010). 

References: 

Myers, L. (2010). Static versus spinning poles. Retrieved from http://www.thepoledancingshop.com/static-versus-spinning-poles/

Refection 

I found the spinning pole very off putting as I got dizzy easily and struggled to focus on the task.  For the front hook spin I found the spinning pole beneficial because I was able to gain momentum which I wasn't able to achieve on the static pole.  Overall I felt like my technique and ability was improving in pole dancing.

Session Five:First Self Directed Session

Friday 1st May

First Self Directed:

Design of session:

I went in to an 'open' session to practice previous learnt moves. I still followed the same warm-up that I did in the introduction course. In the session I focused on improving my back hook spin. 

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1.     Run up and down the stairs

2.      10x push ups (either on knees or on toes)

3.     10x star jumps  

Stretches

1.     Wrist rotatory stretches 

2.     Wrist flextion stretches

3.     Wrist extension stretches

4.     Shoulder stretches

5.     Chest stretches 

Below is a video of the back hook spin after my first self-directed session. 

 Step with the outside leg and pivot lifting the inside leg. 

2.     Turn your body towards the pole. 

3.     Once you’re facing the pole you should grip the pole with your other hand at the level of your jaw. The hand should well wrapped around the pole and the elbow bent out towards the side. 

4.     The inside leg with wrap around the pole at the behind the knee. It is good to think about lifting your foot as if you wanted to touch your heel with your bottom.

5.      As soon as you take off tilt your head and chest to the back and push forward the pelvis.

References 

Frieden, C. (2014). Pole Dance - Step Around to Back Hook - Beginner [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9034MqI26DY

LeVan, A J. (2009). Seeing is believing: The power of visualization. Retrieved from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/flourish/200912/seeing-is-believing-the-power-visualization


Statics/detailed information collected.

• 1 hour session
• From the 10 attempts, 8 were successfully completed  

Reflection:

I felt my technique had improved today. Using visualization helped me with my technique and my confidence. I think that the more confident and comfortable I was with doing the spin the more I was able to focus on the finer techniques such as insuring my pelvis was pushed forward. It is also helped me imagine that I was kicking my butt with heels as I spun around the pole which helped me gain better technique for the spin.The friction burns from the poles where painful and I noticed I had bruises inside my upper leg.

Session Two: First class in Introduction Course

Wednesday 22nd April 

First week of the course:

Design of session:

The instructor gave an overview of the course. 

Warm up:

Cardiovascular warm-up 

1. Run up and down the stairs
2.  x10 push ups (either on knees or on toes)
3. x10 stair jumps  

Stretches

1. Wrist rotatory stretches 
2. Wrist flexion stretches
3. Wrist extension stretches
4. Shoulder stretches
5. Chest stretches 

Below are two videos from the first session:

Video one: Back Hook Spin:

Learning the back hook spin (Frieden, 2014): 

1. Step with the outside leg and pivot lifting the inside leg. 
2. Turn your body towards the pole. 
3. Once you’re facing the pole you should grip the pole with your other hand at the level of your jaw. The hand should well wrapped around the pole and the elbow bent out towards the side. 
4. The inside leg with wrap around the pole at the behind the knee. It is good to think about lifting your foot as if you wanted to touch your heel with your bottom.
5.  As soon as you take off tilt your head and chest to the back and push forward the pelvis.

Video Two: Fireman's Spin  

Learning the fireman's spin (Grace, 2013)

1. Begin walking forward around the pole with your inside arm holding onto the pole.
2.  Use your outside leg to gain momentum, swing and and hook it around the front of the pole. 
3. As your inside leg leaves the floor, bring your outside arm to the pole. 
4. Cross your legs at the ankles as you slide down the pole.

Referencing: 

Frieden, C. (2014). Pole Dance - Step Around to Back Hook - Beginner [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9034MqI26DY

Grace. J. (2013). Beginner moves. Retrieved from poledancedictionary.com 

Statistics/detailed information collected 

• 1 hour practice session 
• Back hook spin: From the ten attempts, six where successfully completed 
• Back hook spin: From the four missed it was due to me not being able to get my hands into the correct position or not getting enough momentum, therefore got stuck on the pole. 
• Fireman's Spin: From the ten attempts, all ten where successfully completed. My placement of my lower leg and ankles needed improvement however I was spinning well around the pole. 

Reflection:

I found the back hook spin more difficult than the fireman's spin due to it needing more coordination. The pole started off cold and wasn't very slippery which was very off putting. It was also a bit nerve racking doing the moves in front of people I didn't know. I noticed that spinning around the pole hurt my back which was also off putting however I knew it was because I was using muscles I had never used before. I had a great deal of fun but I knew I had a lot of hard work ahead and so much to work on. 

Session One: Learning about Pole Moves

Design of the Session: Monday 20th April 

This session was a theory based session on some of the beginner spins, floor work and slides that I will be doing in my blog. I had no idea what to expect when approaching the studio door. Even the idea of pole dancing made me feel nervous and insecure, therefore I thought it would be very beneficial to watch YouTube clips and read up about how do some of the moves I would be learning in my introduction course.


Below is an image of an example and description  floor work which Ill be doing in my course (Grace, 2013)

Below is an image of an example and description of a turn Ill be doing in my course (Grace, 2013)

Below is an image of an example and description of a slide ill  be doing in my course (Grace, 2013)

Some basic spins where the back hook spin and the front hook spin. Below is a YouTube video on how to do both these spins.

Below is a video on the fireman spin

Referencing information design:  

Grace, J. (2013). Beginner Moves. Retrieved from poledancedictionary.com

Pole Fitness: Introduction to Pole Fitness

 Acknowledgement of (reference) literature, class material or other sources of information
that informed the design of each session

Start of each session

• Warm up- run down and up stairs
• 10 x push ups
• 10 x star jumps
•  Dynamic and static wrist stretches . 

The running up the stairs and star jumps allows the blood flow to your muscles which in turn means you are able to get more out of your stretches.

• Session in the introduction course consisted of refreshing the previous weeks movements you learnt. 
• End of session-ab exercises and stretches. 

Flexibility an important aspect of pole fitness. 

• It is important to keep your back muscles strong and flexible as doing this can help prevent injury and help you to preform twists and movements on the pole (Soul-POLE, 2015). As part of the cool down we did hip bridges and cat stretches. Hip bridges help with 
• 3. Record statistics or detailed information about what was completed

 Reflect on how the session design influenced learning

When you say to someone that you do pole dancing or pole fitness, people often jump to the conclusion that you are a stripper however this is very stereotypical. Burnbridge, 2012 described pole dancing and or fitness as 'an art, a science, and a sport'. Pole fitness can fit into the category of holistic exercises as the body, mind and spirit are integrated. it requires a person to be very focused on their body position and movements when practicing and mastering even the most basic pole fitness exercises (Burnbridge, 2012). My friend suggested that I should try pole fitness for this assessment and I was immediately hesitant due to the stigma around pole dancing. As I began reading up on it I released that there were comments about how you get bruises, callouses and that it requires a lot of strength and that it really wasn't all that sexy. Pole fitness can be self taught through YouTube videos however I chose to do an introductory course at Vertical Aerial Dance Studio (VAD). I have not chosen a specific skill to do this assignment on but rather looked at the progression I make through doing an introductory course and self directed sessions.

Overall I have learnt that keeping variety in session is important to say motivated.  Over the 12 sessions I learnt a variety of pole dancing skills with mainly focusing on the back hook spin and fan kick.  A negative aspect of learning so many skills across 12 sessions is that I didn't really master any but gained improvement in most.  For future reference for designing sessions when learning a new skill such as pole dancing I will just practice one skill until mastered before moving on to the next one.

Referencing: 

Burbridge, S. (2012). Pole Fitness. American Fitness, 30(3), 18-20

Session Four: Stretch Session

Saturday 2nd May 

Design of session:

Today I did a flexibility session and followed this video and also the link below. Flexibility is an important aspect of pole dancing because the more advanced the move is the more you are required to rely on your flexibility. After doing this session I felt it made the following weeks session and skills more obtainable.  I had become quite sore from pole dancing and it was good to release some tension from my muscles.

  

 http://www.howcast.com/videos/509389-how-to-do-stretches-pole-dancing/