If you’re interested in exploring the world of pole dancing for fitness, or are simply curious about the physical demands of the sport, then this post is for you.
Pole dancing has gained popularity in recent years as a form of artistic expression, exercise, and entertainment around the world. More and more people are taking up pole dancing as a sport.
But is pole dancing actually hard?
How much physical strength and skill is required to become proficient in pole dancing?
In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the physical demands of pole dancing and provide some insight into what it takes to succeed in this exciting and dynamic sport.
So let’s jump in and find out just how hard (or not!) it is to be a pole dancer.
How Hard Is Pole Dancing?
Your first pole dancing class will not be as intimidating or challenging as you imagine it will! You’ll start by learning the basic moves required, such as a fireman spin, pole walk and front hook spin.
Learning the basic moves required for pole dancing is not difficult. It’s normal for lots of learners to need a few lessons before they pick up the basics.
Lots of the positions that you put your body into when pole dancing are not the sort of positions you’ll get into regularly! So it’s normal for your body to feel strange as your muscles start to process these new movements.
After you’ve got the basics down – it’s about perfecting these basic tricks and conditioning the body in preparation for more advanced tricks.
See also: So, when can I invert on the pole then?
Your instructor should be demonstrating and introducing you to moves and pole tricks that are within your ability to perform comfortably.
But What If You Have No Upper Body Strength?
This is the most common barrier to learning pole dancing that people put up for themselves.
Listen – no one is strong enough to pole dance when they first start, OK?
*I* wasn’t strong enough for pole dance.
I sucked at it.
It took me several months before I was able to hold my body weight comfortably.
The point is that pole dancing gives you the upper body strength the more you do it!
Of course no one has the natural ability to climb the pole with ease – you have to learn, practice, improve… all the time!
Can You Pole Dance If You’re Not Flexible?
Flexibility is another common barrier that people face when wanting to learn pole dancing.
Getting more flexible is possible if you attend pole fitness classes regularly. It’s OK if you’re not extremely flexible to start with as you will gain flexibility the more you workout with the pole.
Not everyone has natural flexibility – but using the pole as apparatus is an excellent way to stretch. Your instructor should show you specific techniques to stretch out your muscles that will help you get more bendy in no time.
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Advanced Pole Dancing Moves Are Challenging
Advanced pole dancing moves are designed to be challenging – they’re supposed to look physically impossible even though it’s usually explainable by simple physics and plenty of practice.
Heck – there are still pole tricks that I can’t do and I’ve been pole dancing since 2008!
Janeiro for example, I damaged my Ulnar nerve in my elbow and wrist when I was a kid and never regained full sensation, so my body does not allow me to get into position to do a Janeiro on the pole.
Even though I’m able to perform pole trick much more advanced than that! It’s just one of those tricks that’s a nemesis for me.
Advanced Moves From 10 Years Ago Are Now Considered Intermediate!
Pole dancing as a sport and artform has evolved a lot in the last decade.
Thanks to the creativity and innovation of pole dancers and performers around the world – we have new tricks, poses and combos to aspire towards.
A decade ago, tricks such as shoulder mount, brass monkey, and superman/superwoman were considered advanced.
These days, these are at the harder end of intermediate tricks.
That’s because many advanced pole dancers would hit a plateau after a couple of years of pole dancing and were inventive enough to create new imaginative poses!
You Don’t Need To Know EVERY Trick
There are hundreds, if not thousands of pole dancing tricks and combos. So, who cares if you can’t get one of them perfect?
It’s OK! Move on!
As there are so many awesome pole dancing tricks to learn, pick another one to work on instead. You never know, you could go back to that trick in a few weeks time only to find it’s easier than you first thought!
See also: Coming back to pole dancing after a break
Making Pole Dancing Progress
When you’re learning how to pole dance, it’s amazing when you see you progress. However, you should be careful not to treat pole tricks as a check-box exercise.
✅ Iguana mount done – what’s next?
Once you can successfully complete a pole trick – it’s not over!
You need to continuously perform that trick regularly in order to improve it – take photos, make a video of yourself, make it better, perform it aerially instead of from the ground or make the entrance/exit to the trick more imaginative.
If you are stuck on one particular trick – don’t worry – it can take weeks or sometimes months to perfect a new pole trick! However it’s no big deal – just work on another trick!
Pole dancing is great because you can work on multiple tricks, spins and poses at once. It’s not like a video game where you cannot progress to the next level until you complete the previous one.
You can work on 10+ pole tricks at a time, just don’t overwhelm yourself!
See also:
Pole Dancing Is Hard For a Reason
Pole dancing is supposed to be a challenging way to stay fit – it’s not supposed to be easy! It’s a physical skill that needs to be learned and improved over time.
It may surprise you to know that pole dancing originated as a sport for men over 800 years ago. Even then, it was intended to be a spectacular form of human physical achievement to be looked upon with awe.
The Fact That Pole Dancing Is Hard Makes It More Enjoyable
The challenge offered by pole dancing is unique compared to other sports.
All sports offer a sense of achievement, but with pole, something feels even more special than that.
When we engage in physically challenging activities such as pole dancing, we are forced to push ourselves beyond our comfort zone and learn new skills.
Learning new seemingly impossible looking tricks on the pole can be rewarding and fulfilling, as it allows us to see progress and improvement over time.
Pole dancing also provides a sense of adrenaline and excitement. This can lead to a feeling of euphoria and increased enjoyment as our brain gets flooded with happy chemicals!
The fact that pole dancing is physically demanding provides a sense of personal growth, excitement, and social connection.
See also: How much does a pole dancer earn?
Conclusion: Is Pole Dancing Hard?
Pole dancing is an extremely physically challenging but very rewarding form of exercise that requires strength, flexibility, and control.
As a pole dancer, you’ll use your physical strength to perform various spins, climbs, and inverts. While it may seem intimidating at first, with practice and determination, anyone can learn to pole dance.
In addition to being a fun and unique way to exercise, pole dancing can also improve your overall strength, coordination, and body confidence.
See more: Health Benefits of Pole Dancing
So whether you’re looking to try something new or just want to get fit in a fun and empowering way, give pole dancing a try!
Happy Poling!
