Keen to give pole dancing a try but you don’t know where to start?
Well, Zig Zagler once said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” While you may not want to be the best pole dance on earth, it still makes you feel proud once you’ve accomplished pole dance moves that you once struggled with.
No matter if you’re a beginner pole dancer or have been at the game for a while now, fitness magazine spoke to Kathy Lee, of the pole project, to create the perfect workout for you.
“You generally don’t need any previous sport/dance experience to learn these moves. Some of these moves can cause bruising on the skin but these will go away once your muscles get stronger,” says Kathy Lee.
The workout:
- The Pole Sit
- The Plank
- The Lean Back
- The Crucifix
Move 1: The Pole Sit
Starting: To achieve this move cross both your legs around the pole (like sitting on a chair)
The movement: Tilt your hips slightly towards the bottom leg and keep a straight back and engaged tummy.
Trainer tip: Squeeze those thighs together
Targets: Legs, glutes and core muscles.
Move 2: The Plank
Starting: This move can be started from the Pole Sit position.
The movement: The bottom arm is pushing and the top arm is pulling to help balance the body, while the legs are locked straight and pushing down toward the floor.
Trainer Tip: Squeeze the legs together. This ensures that you don’t slide off the pole.
Targets: The core, upper and inner thighs, glutes and arms.
Move 3: The Leanback
Starting: Begin in ‘Pole Sit’ position
Movement: Straighten and engage the bottom leg and slowly lean the body back while the top knee hooks around the pole.
Trainer tip: It is important to keep pushing that straight leg up toward the ceiling in order to retain grip on the pole.
Targets: Thighs, glutes and stomach muscles. This move is sometimes used as a conditioning exercise for doing sit-ups on the pole.
Move 4: The Crucifix
This is the pole dancing newbie’s introduction to the upside-down world. This move focuses on strengthening the inner thigh muscles and glutes, as well as engaging the core and back muscles. Squeezing those thighs together is once again an absolute priority. The Crucifix also provides a great mental challenge, as many pole students learn to overcome their fear of going upside down by practicing this move. More advanced? Try these four toning exercises.
Workout by The Pole Project, Cape Town
Performed by Hedwig Taylor
Image courtesy of The Pole Project