Last week I decided to try out a pole fitness class with a friend of mine. I had heard a lot of hype on how great of a workout it was and wanted to see if it was true; boy was it challenging.
The class I took was just for beginners but it was effective; I took the class on the Tuesday night and my muscles just stopped hurting the following Sunday. To give you an idea of how effective it was, my upper body was so sore that I could barely get dressed for days!
Here are some examples/images of what I have learned so far, and am still working on perfecting (to say the least):
Most pole classes seem to look the same inside: poles equally and strategically spread out through the room, usually a few mirrors so that you can watch your form and technique. Also, they tend to be brightly lit: this image is adding an alluring & romantic effect for show. Overall, expect a dance studio, but with poles throughout the dance floor.
After going through a warm up and basic technique, the first spin that you may be taught is the "Fireman Spin", like you see here in this image. It is one of the easier spins to perfect.
The next spin that you see pictured here is called the "Butterfly Spin". This one is more difficult than the first to perfect (I bruised up my knee pretty bad trying to get this and it still needs work). Don't be fooled by the pretty picture, this is a tough spin for beginners to grasp.
After doing this class I now have respect for anyone who can pole dance and make it look graceful and effortless. I am not joking when I say that this takes some serious upper body and core strength to do this properly, and is even more impressive when you are able to make it look good in the process.
I highly recommend you try this at least once in your life (if you're shy, go with a friend). It's a great and fun environment, not to mention so fun. I'm not one for choreographed fitness routines (I'm not the greatest dancer to be honest), but I loved this and will be doing it again this week!
Take Care,
Leanne.
