Getting in to my two hour work groove…...

Hour 1 of yesterday's workout was an eye opener. Last Nights class was not what I was expecting. Based on the site I registered for at all. The class was called Sexy Stretch/Floor Play. Sounds alluring right. Who wouldn't want to crawl around on the floor feeling sexy right. Here is the class description to get you just a bit more detail on how I was thrown for a loop:

This class combines sexy floor play and sensual stretching for an erotic flexibility workout. You will lengthen and tone muscles through slow and sultry movements utilizing yoga, ballet, contortion, gymnastics and exotic dance techniques. Get ready to build a toned, limber, luscious body!

So I get there and my instructor who is very awesome I must say tells me to grab two yoga mats. one to lay on and the other to roll to put under my knees. I guess this should have been my red flag # 1, but I let it go. I am in my head thinking we are going to do splits, and sexy yoga moves. Well HONEY CHILD I was WRONG WRONG WRONG. This class should have been called Planks, Planks, and More (with sprinkles of crunches thrown in). This hour was a killer no ifs ands or buts about it, but I was proud of myself. I got through it and you know what I am looking forward to the next one.

Tracking my food intake…..

Since the start of my healthier me quest the bane of my existence has been the tracking of the food I eat. Today I woke up and said Freida you need to get better at tracking your food in the Myfitnesspal App. I get to work this morning and I log into the site with the sole purpose of updating my weight and low and behold I am down a whopping 15lbs!!! A big whoot whoot to me. High Five….Go Freida, Go Freida, get ya sweat on. LOL Anyways as I was redirected to reset my goals I cannot meet these goals if I don’t put in the effort. Yes I am putting in the effort of getting my behind off the couch and in the the pole studio, but all of my hard work goes down the train when I come home and eat something that will make everything I just did a waste of time.

Don’t get me wrong. I fought every step of the way for this 15lb weight loss, but I feel that I can be a lot further if I were to track my food intake properly.

This week I have embarked on my daily consumption of 128 oz of water a day. Yes you read that correctly 128 oz of water.  Today is day 2 and its’s going is all I can say at the moment.

Non Training days....

Now that I have been training for some time now on the days when I can’t train I get the blues. I miss my friend Mr. Pole and that decompressing time from my lovely family. I have notice some downsides to my workout of choice and it is with my hands. I am getting callouses on my palms and my hand tend to hurt similar to arthritic pain. After a pole fit class my hands tend to need time to recoup themselves. I have started looking for aids to help in this area, but no luck yet.

More training please?....

At my new studio home I decided to check out the pole fit class. Well honey child once again it was not what I was expecting. I am used to more of the work out than the pole part. This pole fit within it self is nothing to laugh at. We did some of the stuff I am used to crunches, firework kicks, fan kicks, etc. The words 200 squats were uttered and I wanted to run screaming from the room, but I got through it, YAY GO ME!!! I was floating on cloud nine and doing a little diddy in my head to the tune of 200 bodywave squats I did it I did it yeah yeah when I caught the tail end of ok ladies now lets invert. I immediately start looking around the room and was hoping this was not indeed part of the class but some sort of a joke until the instructor demoed the invert in question. I gave it several attempts, but failed at each. Which put me in a depressed mood for the rest of the class. At the end of the invert torture we had to perform a routine and end it with a dynamic move (meaing feet off the floor). My move of choice was a climb into pole sit. Overall I signed up for the next Pole fit class. I will get that invert eventually.

More training please?....

I have been Poling for about 6 months now and I feel that I am behind compared to other ladies in my class so I decided I need to up my training. I started going to a studio that is in my neighborhood and I have to say even though it’s unfortunate I may have found my new training playground. To try out the place I purchased a 5 class pass groupon. My first night there I got there a bit early to scope the place out and my first impression of the studio was the size. I have learned over my time of training that the number of poles and the space they are put in will determine if the studio is about teaching Pole or how many bodies they can squeeze in. The studio size is adequate. The set up is pretty basic..open space with a front desk. Poles in the room in an L shape. Chairs along the walls. Lounge in the back with storage and restrooms.

Once I got over the initial scope out I watched the last 5 minutes or so of the Zumba class that was happening and I was captivated. I instantly told my hubby if I don’t like the pole here I will come and take the zumba. Anyways back to the task at hand..Pole class started with a warm up as usual. Internally I was bracing myself for all of the yoga and push up and lunges (dubbed as 5 minutes of hell LOL) , but the instructor put her shoes on and I was a bit taken aback as she introduced herself as well as the other ladies that were regulars and to my suprise you had to pick an alter ego. They all had alter ego names such as Milk, Red Hot, Sasha,,etc. I was called upon to introduce myself and had no clue as to what my alter ego name would be so I got dubbed Delicious for the day.  

The warm up was over in a blink of an eye. She said ok now that we are warmed up lets work on a Fireman. I am looking around kind of let down. Where was my 5 minutes of hell? Am I warmed up? Did I make the right decision coming here? As I tune back in she is finishing her demo and it wasn’t much of a demo with regards to technique. If I had been a newbie I wouldn’t have been able to grasp what she was talking about. First X was the level of technicality. Too late I am here now need to get with the program.

Class continued without a hitch and the things we learned were all part of a routine that we performed at the end a few times which I took back my X for because that is what I was missing at the place I had started out yet. It was too technical with bits and pieces of fun mixed in and this is supposed to be fun disguised as a work. At the end of class there an individual performance portion. You are on center stage and you have 30 seconds to dance for your life. It was soo much fun. The ladies made it ran with pre-tend money, they cheered you on, you were made to feel accepted.

On the quest for cute workout gear...Follow up

In class my instructor will have her cute pole gear on consisting of the tiniest boy shorts ever made with the matching sports bra and will have the nerve to say she isn’t hot. To myself as well as some of the other women in the room were like honey please can we trade for one moment please. I will take the rock hard abs and the toned muscles if you don’t want it and wear that cute outfit all day.

In my recent searching for workout gear I have come to a realization that I am taking steps closer to the tiny clothes movement. When looking for pole gear now my focus is how much of my skin will be exposed to get the best pole contact. I am not there with the tops yet. still a long way to go on this healthier me journey, but the lower half all bets are off. 

Wearing heels was…….

Starting to train with heels on was off to a rough start. I am in class I am all excited to wear my shiny new 6 inch heels until it was time to put them on LOL. After a bit of a struggle I am up off the floor in these silent killers and take baby steps to my pole. Once at my trusty friend Mr. Pole it was time for “Pole walk” and I’m like ok well how hard could that be it’s just walking right. Well let me tell you trying to concentrate on staying upright in 6 inch heels while being sexy was quite comical. So the walk is over and it’s now time for some spins and combos. First combo was “Dip Spin, Pirouette, into Back Hook Spin. First attempt was wobbly. My instructor kept telling me forget they are shoes and think of them of extensions of my feet. Second attempt less wobbly but wobbly. You know what they say; third time had to be the charm right. Well no not here. The third attempt started out graceful but ended with me being a twisted mess on the floor.

You would think with all of the struggling I would just say to heck with the shoes and went back to my bare feet, but no on this I will not give up. I will kill these moves in these 6 inch heels come hell or high water. Next combo of the day was “Fan Kick into Pole sit. This I killed on the first try which was a total confidence booster. Several attempts later and I was feeling on top of the world thinking to myself yes hunty you are killing it.

At the end of class I was totally proud of myself. My first time in heels wasn’t smooth but I didn’t give up.

It took me about 3 weeks to feel 100% comfortable Poling in my shoes. I  found that having the height of the heels gives you an advantage when trying to things on the pole such as climbing.

When will I start wearing heels!

Saturday I am starting with level 2 (class description below)  and I think I may be ready to try with shoes. I am not sure how this will go but I am going to give it 100%. If I don’t make it the full 60 minutes in the shoes at least I have a starting point.

Class Description:

Goodbye Good girl, hello vixen! This class is sure to have you using muscles you never thought you had. Learn basic spins, while taking your Introduction to Pole moves to a new level.

On the quest for cute workout gear

As a plus size woman I also wondered what to wear to class and where to buy it. I have been trying different shorts and even though they are allowing me the skin to skin contact I need I still feel self-conscious because there are times when my butt is a bit too exposed.  When this happens I feel embarrassed for myself and pity for the woman behind me. So I am on a quest to find the perfect short length that will give me the skin contact I need with the pole but yet keep all my goodies safely tucked away.

Sweaty hands!

A new thing I have learned about myself during my journey to become a Pole Dancing Rock star is I HAVE SWEATY PALMS!! Sweaty palms and pole fitness are a bad combination. You cannot get or keep a proper grip on the pole with sweaty plams. I am looking for the perfect solution for this. I have researching again and I found Nelson Sports Products Dry Hands 2-Ounce Ultimate Gripping Solution by dry hand on Amazon. I will give this a try and let all know how this works out.

Sweaty Hands!!! (Follow up)

I have tried two versions of grip since I have been getting more advanced in my poling and of the two I have used I have to say that the Nelson Sports Dry Hands works for me sometimes too well. If you are a Poler and happened to stumble across my blog first I would like to say Welcome Aboard and Thank you...now back to the grip; oh yea the working too well part and finding my balance. I always use a dime size portion (trying to make it last and apparently that’s all you need, besides it’s $10 a bottle) and apply to my palms and touch them together and then up and down on the pole. Sometimes I have do this process repeatedly in class because my palms are still so sweaty. There are other times when I don’t and I got to do a spin and my hands are stuck. So slide just me trying to hold my body up for dear life trying to finish whatever move I am doing. Inconclusion my hands are still sweaty but grip helps.

My quest to climb the pole has officially began.

I have taken 6 level 1 classes so this week I decided to add Pole strength classes to my training regimen. Boy this class stood up to it’s name.

Class description:

  ARE YOU READY TO BUILD A STRONG UPPER BODY AND STRONG CORE (WHICH ARE REQUIREMENTS FOR INVERTS, SPINS AND A VARIETY OF POLE TRICKS)? This class has just what you have been looking for and more! This class will focus on strengthening and conditioning the upper body (arms, chest, back) with a variety of resistance exercises, we also will focus on the abdominal muscles and trunk flexibility.

Let me tell you. This has been by far the most intense workout I have had since starting my pole journey. Our warm up was a killer 5 minutes of jumping jacks, burpees, and push ups. I HATE PUSH UPS!!!! Next was ab work on the pole consisting of standing crunches with one leg wrapped around the pole at an 90 degree angle. I am a big girl and let me tell you this was laughable. It was a lot going on trying to keep my leg up and do the turning crunch. Our teacher noticed my struggle and demonstrated a modified version that I was able to get through. After the crunches we did pole push ups which were ok and bicep curls using our body weight for resistance. These I like but the entire time I’m in my head thinking the pole is going to snap in half due to my weight every bicep curl of the way.  Next we did standing crunches. You now where you put all your weight on the pole and bring your knees up to your chest. Wow talk about  a killer! At this point I check the clock and it has only been 15 minutes and I am drenched in sweat. LOL.  After more pole work it was down to the floor. Boy oh boy was I in for a treat or more torture as some would call it it. We started with more ab work consisting up crunches, plank to push ups and hip flexors. At the end of the floor workout I didn’t know if I would be able to stand up but low and behold I did. Now we are back to the pole. This time is to learn grips to that are the basis of learning to one day invert on the pole. These moves were something else I tell you. At the end of the 60 minutes I felt stripped bare to do the core. I was able to see during this workout I was able to see where my starting point is and where exactly it is I need to go. I know you all may be like it seems like you didn’t enjoy it, honestly it was AMAZING!!!! and will I be doing it again, YES next Tuesday and I can’t wait.

Pole Level 1!

To start let me explain to everyone what exactly this class is:

Class description:

In Introduction to Pole you will learn basic pole moves, transitions, and floor work. You will also learn how to move around the pole like a sexy diva, all while building sexy lean muscle.  Prerequisite: None. This class is designed for those new to the pole world. 

What I learned in that class:

 Upon arrival to my first class I was excited but also nervous. Are they going to tell me I was too big to take pole lessons, would I be the biggest woman there, will I am embarrass myself because I can’t get the moves, so many questions swirled around in my head, but it was too late turn tail and run. I got into the studio and saw the poles and most of my fears and concerns just faded away. My first instructor was amazing!!! She made everyone in the class feel welcome and that is a lot for me.  

We started with a yoga themed warm-up that sure achieved it’s goal. Our first move to learn was to how to properly walk around the pole. Who knew there was an art to walking around the pole. I was like ok this isn’t so bad I can do this. After this we moved onto half spins, server spins, pivots. By this time I am sweating and a little dizzy, but hey I am having a fantastic time. After all the walking and “spins”(mine were the true definition of the struggle LOL)  I was pretty much up for anything until she showed us a move called the dollar bill pick up. Yes you read right  the dollar bill pick up. This moves involves you doing a one handed back bend and picking up imaginary money that has somehow ended up behind you. The instructor saw my face that must have shown pure terror because she said don’t worry you will be fine and you can do this. Hey what could I do but get through it so I gave it my best shot.  Whew I got the back bend and I feel freaking awesome.  

Hello my fellow Curvy Poleanistas,

Welcome to my obsession! I am Freida, of Washington, DC and I am obsessed with Pole Fitness. I would like to take the time to say thank you for stopping by to check out my crazy world and welcome to my blog. This is my place to encourage other women like me who are looking to get in shape and come out of their preverbal shells. I will share with you along the way my ups and downs of my getting in shape through pole fitness.

My back story: I am a wife and mother of 2 who over the years have constantly put my health on the back burner to the point where my husband is pushing me out of the door to the closest gym or fitness class, LOL. I am currently a level 1 student and have been training for 1 month so far. I was addicted to this form of exercise since my very first class.

I am in no way a health or fitness guru and I am learning as I go. I will provide tips that have worked for me and those that have not. I will not be posting crazy 30 day challenges or diets to drop a quick 5,10,15, or 20lbs my blog is about me getting the best shape I can be through pole fitness. I admit there may be some healthier eating options sprinkled in along with other works out I have incorporated to get stronger for pole, but for informational purposes only.

Prior to starting my training I realized there isn’t much information for the more curvy women like myself that would like to get into this form of exercise and I wanted to remedy that if even in a small way.

I have completed numerous web searches for pole fitness before and after photos as well as check out blogs of other pole fanatics, but unfortunately they weren’t helpful to me. I am a visual person and I know that works as a great motivator for myself.

I decided that I will be the guinea pig for us bigger ladies that would like to get into Pole fitness.  If I can help one person or motivate them to at least give it a try then I have achieved my goal. I understand how it feels to walk in a room and be the heaviest girl in the room and wondering why am I here? Where is the exit? How long will it take for someone to give you that look of confusion wondering why you of all people are here?  I understand that instant blow to your confidence this causes that will intern cause you to question why am I here and why am I doing this to myself?  

I’m hoping to be healthier, but above that to ultimately feel good about myself and to feel more like a woman and what better way to do that than twirling around a shiny pole lol. The entire workout is sensual and takes you out of your shell even if you put up a stern fight. When your instructor says “do something with that free hand; such as caress your body, rub your hair, etc.” once you get over the initial thought I look like an idiot it’s not so bad I promise.