Technique Tuesday's: Pull Up Sit!!

Aloha Tuesday is here!!!

 This week's Technique Tuesday move is the Pull Up Sit!  The Pull Up Sit is a very great way to get from the ground on to the pole:).  With doing this move more skin is required therefore we must ditch the Yoga Pants and Capris for our cute shorts!  When I say shorts I don't mean your BF's basketball shorts but girl shorts;).  This is only to have more skin for sticking onto the pole and doing this move.  Doing this move you are working Biceps, Abductor, Adductor, Shoulders, Lats and Delts!  Sounds great right!?!?!  Well, let's get to it!:

Start facing the pole with your hands on the pole above your head and in the hand shake grip.

With your shoulders pulled back and down pull up your body keeping your chest up (without jumping) until your chest and hands are at about the same level.

Pull your legs up (straight legs and bent for modification), bring them together, squeeze and cross your ankle with your groin close to the pole.

Sit!

From here, if this is your first time, you may feel a burning sensation where the pole meet the skin of your thighs.  If you are feeling this, you are doing it CORRECT!  This burning sensation will go away in time after you have done this move more.  It is IMPORTANT to remember to SQUEEZE those thighs together to keep yourself up there.  This is not a move that should have your arms doing al of the work.  After the sit point of the move, your legs should be able to take over (after time) and you should be able to no hands this move or at least lessen your grip or do one handed.  After you have mastered the no hands, you are ready to do some fun stuff with this move;)!  Another IMPORTANT thing to do is to engage your core during this move especially if you go with no hands.  Engaging your core will keep you a lot more stable that you would be if not engaging it.  Oooooo and SMILE!!!!!  We don't want people to know you are in pain lol!

Well, that is it for the Pull Up Sit!  Have fun and feel the burn!!!

Motivational Monday's!

Aloha Monday All!

Yes, Monday already!

Yes, what she said lol!  Let's do this and have a great and MOTIVATED Monday!!

Stretchy Sunday: Torso Twist!

Aloha Sunday:)

This week's Stretchy Sunday's Stretch is the Torso Twist!  OMG do we LOVE the Torso Twist!!  This is a great stretch to do once a bit warmed up that will make your back feel awesome!!!  The Torso Twist Stretch is stretching while opening up your hips.  Let's get into it!:

Get into a Plie` position making sure that your knees will not pass your feet, your legs are more of a wider stance and your back is in a nice nuetral position.

From the Plie` position, bend your knees into a Plie` Squat and place your hands on the inside of your thighs right above your knee cap.

You then will push your right hand against your right inner thigh while dropping your right shoulder towards the ground keeping both arms straight and looking towards to sky.

Repeat this on both sides with alternating between each side.

Didn't that feel awesome!  Great!  Add this to your personal warm up and start to feel the great stretch more often;)!

Have a great Sunday!!!

Saturday's Polefessional: Steven Retchless!

Aloha Saturday!!!

What a great way to start a Saturday off than with this week's Saturday's Polefessional Steven Retchless!!!

Steven Retchless on the cover of Vertical:)

Steven Retchless is a breath of fresh air!  He is such an awesome performer, model, instructor and overall great man;)!  We were lucky enough to take on of his workshops at the International Pole Convention in LA last month and we were so glad we did!  His workshop started off with a sexy warm up to get you in the mood, instruction on some of his signature 'away' from the pole moves and ended with a sexy cool down....just how we like it;)!  Steven was sure that everyone that needed help got it and also made sure to answer any and all questions everyone had.  He was so sweet and down to earth that made you LOVE him even more!  He is such a strong and talented Polefessional with the best attitude.  Not only is he awesome in performance but he always has the cutest booty shorts and heels on!!!

Steven Retchless working it!

Here is his little bio straight from him Facebook page:

Steve Retchless is the first-ever Male American Pole Fitness Champion, winning the title in 2010. His dance technique, originality and performance quality are what sets him apart in the Pole Dancing Community. Born in Las Vegas, Steve spent his childhood in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, which became the primary influence behind his dancing. He returned to the U.S. to attend high school at the Las VegasAcademy of Performing Arts, and graduated with honors. He then studied at the California Institute of the Arts, where he furthered his classical dance technique and composition skills. Steve has experience in a wide array of dance forms, from classical ballet, modern dance and hip-hop to burlesque, jazz and pole fitness. His style fuses the lightness of air with the power of being rooted to the ground.


All around awesome!!!  If you haven't already, You Tube this great man and see for yourself just what he can do and how great of a performer he is;)!!

Steve Retchless in the Extended Butterfly 

Have a Happy Saturday and Pole on!!!

Fitness Friday's: Full Body Workout with Hot Hula Fitness!

ALOHA FRIDAY, FINALLY!!!!!

This week's Fitness Friday's topic is Full Body Workout with Hot Hula Fitness!

Hot Hula Fitness is a great full body cardio workout that is fun, sweaty and effective;)!  I heard about Hot Hula Fitness first from a fellow Pole Dancer that was certified t Instruct Hot Hula Fitness (Owner of Just Pole Retail line Pi`ilani:) ) who ranted and raved about it and encouraged me to give it a try.  Like usual, it took me sometime to actually try a class but once I did I was hooked!  Hot Hula Fitness is a great counter part to Pole Dance since Pole works mainly on your core and upper body Hot Hula Fitness covers the cardio aspect as well as the core and lower main muscle groups!  What a great pair!  It was so fun and awesome that I wanted to share the love as well and got certified to instruct as well!  Another great thing abut Hot Hula Fitness is that it is really for anyone, I mean anyone!  When you walk into a Hot Hula Fitness class for the very first time you will immediately be welcomed into the Ohana and fit right in.  People of all walks of lives do it whether or not they are doing it to add to a daily workout routine, to get back into working out or for fun!  Here is a little more on Hot Hula Fitness straight from their website:

Hot Hula Fitness is a fun, new and exciting dance workout.  It provides a “total body workout” in 6o minutes.  Hot Hula Fitness isolates your larger muscle groups, increasing strength and definition to your core with specific emphasis on the abs, glutes, quads and arms.  Inspired by the dances of the Pacific Islands, Hot Hula Fitness incorporates easy to perform dance movements set to the sounds of traditional Polynesian drum beats fused with funky Reggae music, resulting in a modern, hip fitness workout.  All ages and fitness levels will enjoy Hot Hula Fitness.

Hot Hula Fitness was created by the oh so wonderful Ann-Rita Sloss who believes that everyone deserves a fun, healthy and balanced life with a by providing a fun and effect home and group exercise:)!

Sounds great right!?!?!  It is!  If you haven't please try a class if there is one near you and enjoy this great sweaty workout!  To find out more about Hot Hula Fitness, where you can take a class, how you can become certified, how you can enjoy Hot Hula Fitness in the comfort of your home, etc go to the main website at http://www.anna-rita.com/.

Have a great Friday and bring in the weekend with an awesome and fun workout!!!!

Tippy Thursday's: Pole Apparel!

Aloha Beautiful Polers and Happy Thursday!!!

This week's Tippy Thursday's Tip is for Pole Apparel!  Now, you may think that it wouldn't matter what your wore but once you start getting more into Pole Dancing and going from level to level you will notice that the type of Apparel you wear does matter:)!  And to tell you the truth, the higher the levels you are in and the more advance moves you learn the less you wear and the more fitting the apparel will need to be.  That is why you see all the awesome Polefessionals (usually) wearing very little:).  If you are going to your very first Pole Dance class you want to wear something very comfy, stretchy and has some give in it.  You also do not want to wear any shoes since you will be barefoot the whole class;).  And you may want to wear something or a color that makes you feel cute and sexy since you will be exploring that side of you more during Pole Dance:)!  So, in the beginner levels you may want to wear apparel such as Yoga Pants, Capris, Tank Tops, Shirts, Comfy Sports Bras, etc.  Here are some examples of some Just Pole Apparel you could wear for beginner levels:

Just Pole Comfy & Cute Tank & Yoga Pants:)

Just Pole Stretchy & Sexy Tank & Capri:)

When you Pole, you will notice what works for you and what doesn't.  When you start to learn more Intermediate Pole moves you will notice that you will need more skin to stay in those holds better.  Therefore, you will need to lose the pants and capris and trade them in for some cute shorts:)  You want to make sure that the shorts you wear are also stretchy and comfy but also cute and not too short to where you are showing your goods in a nice splay or split hold;)!  Here is an example of Just Pole Apparel you can wear as well as some other Apparel that would best work for Intermediate Pole Moves:

Bad Kitty pole Fit Shorts:)

These are Just Pole Yoga Shorts (Up Close lol)

When you start to get into the more Advanced Moves for Pole you will notice that you will need a little more skin.  Therefore, buh bye shirts and tanks!  More Advanced Moves require more skin from everywhere you can get it so a good sports bra and pair of shorts will work best of course making sure they are also stretchy, comfy and cute:)!  Here is an example of something you would most likely wear in a more Advance Pole Class:

The BEAUTIFUL Estee sporting Bad Kitty comfy Sports Bra & Shorts:)

Remember girls, these are our recommendation from our own experience of Pole Dancing:)  You will find what best fits you, makes you feel comfy and sexy!  You may NEED to go shopping at some point and we all know how we just hate shopping......not lol!

Have a Happy Thursday:)!

What's in the Pole World News Wednesday's: IPSF World Pole Championships 2012!!

Aloha Wednesday!!

This week's What's in the Pole World News topic is the IPSF!  IPSF stands for the International Pole Sports Federation!  The IPSF just had their World Pole Sport Championship in London thought up by the legendary KT Coates as well as some other great members of the IPSF!  According to KT the event was AWESOME and there were 60 competitors from 25 different countries!  KT's decision to organize this competition came from her petition to support Pole in the Olympics she created 5 years ago.  She says that about 7,000 people signed the petition from all over the world which is definitely believable!  From there she got together with some other awesome people to create the IPSF.  From creating the IPSF, she and all the members saw that there were no Pole Competitions that compared or were really similar to the olympics. This is where they made it happen:)!  The World World Pole Sport Championships was a competition where they had qualifications, invited the top 2 winners from each competition, stage was set for a competition and not a performance and the judges were trained on what to judge on and wore uniforms!  Sounds pretty darn close to how the olympics are huh?!?!  So, as KT says, this competition definitely made history in the Pole World as well as the Fitness world in general!  KT also says that this competition will definitely be back next year!!!  So, yes this was a competition and yes there were winners.  Who were these winners you ask........  here they are!:

Women's Single Champion Winners:

1st - Natalia Tatarintseva (Ukraine)

Men's Single Champion Winner:

1st - Evgeny Greshilov (Russia)

1st - Ruth Mansfield & Tiffany Downes  (Australia)

All competitors were beautiful!!!  To read up more on the competition go to IPSF's main site at:

http://www.polesports.org/

Regardless, if you support Pole in the Olympics or not keep supporting Pole and what it has done for you:)

Have a great Wednesday:)

Technique Tuesday's: Body Wave!!!

Aloha Tuesday!!!

This week's Technique Tuesday's move is the Body Wave!!!

We love us some Body Waves;)!  Not only are Body Waves super sexy but they are also a workout in themselves and a great stretch all at the same time!!  The Body Wave is one of the most versatile moves in Pole Dance because there are literally thousands of ways you can do them feet on the ground, feet in the air, on the floor, in a climb, on the wall, etc.  Although this may be one of the most awkward moves to learn once you get the hang of it you will love it!  We will show you a basic Body Wave and once you get this Body Wave down add your own flavor and work it from different angles, different heights, big and small whatever floats your boat:)!  Let's do this!

Start facing the pole on your cute lil' tippy toes and your feet wider than hip width apart:)  You don't want to be too close to the pole yet you don't want to be too far either.  Pick a comfortable spot somewhere in the middle.

Place your hands at chest height in the hand shake grip.

Like a wave starting with your head or chest slowly imagine like you are licking the pole with your body one body part at a time.  Meaning, starting from the head or chest, push your head towards the pole, the chest, torso, hips, pelvis then sit.  Repeat a million times..jk:)  After pushing your head towards the pole start to move your head back away from the pole while your chest is pushed towards the pole and then follow through with the rest of your body.

This can definitely get awkward when first learning it in a room filled with other women!  But, the great thing about the Body Wave is that you can do it anywhere!!!  It may be a bit different but same concept.  You can use the pillar in the middle of the house, the wall, anything that's stable enough to hold your weight.  Now, don't get to crazy with this and try going really fast right away.  Start slow and once your body is used to the movement you can play with the speed, angles, height, one hand, hair flips and whips, tracing, etc.

Well, have fun polers and Body Wave the day away;)!!!

Motivational Monday's: Workout Buddy:)!

Aloha Monday!!

This weeks Motivational Monday's topic is Workout Buddies!!!

We all know how important regular exercise is in our daily routines yet we lack the motivation to get it in at all!  Especially when you are just getting back into the routine of working out it can be REALLY HARD to find the motivation to get your workout on.  Once you start working out and get past that point of, "Ugh, I have to work out!" you are good to go!  But until then, find yourself a Workout Buddy!  As Workout Buddies you can help motivate each other to get that workout off the checklist for the day.

Why should you get a Workout Buddy?  Workout Buddies are awesome and helpful because:

1. They will be there to verbally motivate you when you are in a rut.
2. They unintentionally motivate you by just being there.
3. They provide helpful tips from another point of view.
4. They as well as you have the same goal in mind.
5. They like you would not do it if it weren't for the other!
6. And much more!!!

Workout Buddies are a great way to get yourselves back in the game and provide that extra motivation and push to get the workout done as well as to progressively get better at your workouts!

Find yourself a Workout Buddy and get your workout's on!!

Have a great Monday:)

Stretchy Sunday's: Wrist Circles!

Aloha Sunday:)

Today's stretch of the week is Wrist Circles!

I know your thinking, Wrist Circles, really?!?!?!  Your wrists are so important and used almost every minute of the day (not including during sleep;) )!  As a Pole Addict I know from experience that your wrist are also VERY IMPORTANT for pole dancing.  Think about all the moves you do on the pole....   Fireman Spin, Two Handed Pirouette, Shoulder Mount, Carousel, HAND SPRING!!!!  OMG Polers, wrist GALORE!!  Let's get into this the Wrist Circle Stretch!

Hold your right arm out with your wrist align with your forearm.  Put your hand and fingers to the right, take them down, to the left and up in a clockwise motion.  Do this at a nice and smooth pace as you would for your neck and really feel that stretch.  You can do this as much times as you want but you want to do it at least 5 times in each direction (clockwise and then counter clockwise).  After you have done your Wrist Circles in both directions on your right wrist, please repeat for your left side as well.

The best thing about the Wrist Circle Stretch is that you can do it anywhere and everywhere that your hands are free!!!  At work while on the phone, in the car while sitting at a light, in line at the grocery store, everywhere!!  Doing Wrist Circles daily will help maintain and increase the range of motion of your wrist (BIG in pole!) as well as the strength and flexibility (also very BIG in pole!)!  You should notice after a while of doing Wrist Circles that your wrist will not hurt as much as they did when you did a certain move.  You will notice a difference in time:).  These Wrist Circles are also awesome for people with arthritis.  Gentle wrist circles throughout the day will help ease the pain a bit.

There are many Wrist Stretches and Exercises that we will make sure to bring to you through our blog in the future.  For now, get to it!  You could have been doing Wrist Circles the whole time you were reading this (LOL JK!)!

Have a great Sunday and see you again next week for another great Stretchy Sunday!!!

Polefessional Saturday's: Jenyne Butterfly!!!!!!!

Aloha Saturday!!!

This Saturday's Polefessional of the week is the beloved Jenyne Butterfly!!

Looking into Pole Dance, Jenyne Butterfly was the first Polefessional that I saw on You Tube and my goodness she was awesome!  If you have not You Tubed Jenyne yet please do so:).  She is so graceful, cute, always makes you smile, and most important looks like she loves what she is doing (because she does)!  At the International Pole Convention we were unable to take her free, yes FREE workshop because if you could imagine everyone else there wanted to go to it as well!  We heard a lot about it and heard a lot of good!  Jenyne was very helpful when needed and broke down the moves so everyone knew what she was talking about.  Not only is Jenyne a Polefessional but she is also a Professional Aerial Artist as well!  So, how did she come to be so AWESOME?!?!  Here is a little bio of Jenyne straight from her website:

JENYNE grew up in Washington, the northwestern part of the United States.  Little did she know at the time, the few years she spent attending gymnastics classes at a very young age would affect her entire life.  It wasn’t until she discovered pole dancing at the age of 18 that she realized her true passion in dance, sport, exercise, performance, and competition.  Jenyne was attending college studying interior design and architecture but she soon realized that she could apply her creativity into something more fun and physically challenging.  The costumes, make-up, music, theatrics, and the view from heights of 30 feet above were all too fascinating.  Jenyne made the decision to break away from school and focus on her skills into the entertainment industry with aerial acrobatics on apparatus such as pole, silks, hoop, trapeze, rope, hammock, and bungee.  She never would have imagined living out the dream of “running away to join the circus” until it actually happened.  The relocation to Las Vegas was the ultimate decision to follow her new chosen career in show business.  Jenyne now features as an aerial performance artist in shows all over the world.  She has won titles such as the first United States Pole Dance Federation Champion, Silver Medalist in the World Finals, performed for the likes of Cirque du Soleil, Dragone, Tiesto, David Guetta, and Paul Oakenfold, featured in movies and music videos, as well as graced the covers of magazines.

JENYNE has become one of the most well-known, respected, and sought after pole dancers in the World.  She has continued to grow and revolutionize the pole dance industry by starting an entire vocabulary of positions and transitions.  Jenyne has dedicated herself to shining new light on the possibilities of flying and using apparatus such as the pole to move, express, perform, and train the body to do near-impossible things through a healthy progression of physical fitness.  She believes there is an incredible amount of beauty in defying gravity… lifting your body and spirits at the same time.  She enjoys traveling and meeting people while encouraging and teaching them to find their wings.

Jenyne Butterfly is an inspiration to many and continues to be!  She is one of the Polefessionals that helped paved the way for pole dancers everywhere:)!  Thanks Jenyne, you are truly appreciated and loved!


Have a great Saturday and as Jenyne would say, For Fun, For Flight, For Fitness!!!

Fitness Friday's: Breathe!

Woohoo, it's finally Aloha Friday!!!!!


What better way to start your Aloha Friday than to take a deeeeeeeeep breathe!

We all don't realize but there are actually times when we are holding our breathe and most of those times it is when we are working out!  This is a bad habit but for some reason comes naturally because we all think it helps for some odd reason.  Proper breathing is ESSENTIAL during exercise such as running, swimming, yoga, weightlifting and pole dancing:).  A good breathing pattern ensures that your working muscles will continue to receive the oxygen they need to keep contracting.  Most of the time we don't think about breathing because our bodies naturally do it:).

How? 

When you inhale, air is pulled into microscopic air sacs in the lungs called alveoli, when oxygen is delivered to red blood cells and carbon dioxide is transferred from the blood to the air in the alveoli.  The oxygen-rich blood flows to your heart, which then pumps it out to your body.  You then exhale the carbon dioxide.

We like great technique!  So here are breathing techniques for you;):

Practicing and training can help you to increase your breathing effectiveness, allowing you to improve your oxygen intake!  The Chinese technique for retraining mouth breathers by practicing nose breathing.  To use this technique, take 3 quick breaths in through your nose without exhaling while at the same time raising your arms out to your sides, moving them higher with each breath to open your chest.  After the third breath, exhale and lower your arms.  Humming with exhalation is another technique you can practice.  Take as deep of a breath as you can. Hum during exhalation, pushing as much air from your your lungs as possible.

Here are some GREAT breathing exercises:

The abdominals and diaphragm are essential muscles in the breathing process, and strengthening them will allow you to breathe more easily.  Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent and your hands on your stomach, directly beneath your ribs.  Breathe in through your nose, feeling your hands rise with the expansion of the diaphragm.  Release and repeat.  Once you are comfortable with this, repeat this exercise, allowing your chest to fully expand.  There should be a rolling effect from your stomach to your chest.

Depending on the type of exercise you are engaging into your breathing will change.  The way you breathe will be up to you.  You find a pattern that best fits you and the specific exercise your are engaging in:)!  I know that my breathing patterns change when doing Hot Hula versus Pole Dance!  If you don't have a breathing pattern try and make one for yourself.  I didn't at first when I really started getting into exercise and once I got one I noticed things getting easier and feeling a lot better for me.  For example, I HATED running or jogging but that was!  I later found out that it was because I wasn't breathing in the correct pattern for me.  Once I found that pattern I was GOLDEN:)!

Well, until next Fitness Friday, work on your breathe and rock that work out even more!!!!

Tippy Thursday's: Beginner's in Heels!

Aloha Thursday!

Today's Tippy Thursday's Tip is for Beginner's in Heels!!!

Once you've jumped in the Pole Dancing Band Wagon you also want to immediately jump into the Pole Dancing with Heels Band Wagon too!!  This is completely normal even for women who NEVER wear heels and would have to buy their first pair of heels to get on that Band Wagon!

Here are a couple of tips to follow before trying to Pole Dance with heels on:

1. Take a week to wear heels on a daily basis.  For example, wear heels to work, to the grocery store, etc.  Get used to these things first ladies especially you Stiletto Virgins and Stiletto One Night Standers!
2. After you are comfy with walking in them after a week start to do your Pole Walk with them.  You may think this will be an easy transition and it may be for some but it is different seeing that your body movements will be walking regular and doing your Pole Walk;)
3. Comfy with the Pole Walk in heels?  Try standing with your back on the pole and do a Pole Pump or two.  Then do your Pole Walk into Pole Turn into a Pole Pump;).

Baby steps ladies, baby steps!  After you are comfy in those heels with all the above try doing some of the beginner moves and transitions in those heels.  It may still be awkward and unbalanced for a while but the more you practice with them the better you will get.  I would suggest to always make sure you have a certain move down without heels before you try them with the heels.  Especially when you get to more advanced moves like inverts and holds.  Make sure you have those DOWN before trying with heels.  You want to make sure your control from a hold and inverted move is strong and steady and that you are able to completely control your body all the way to the ground because landing hard on to your heels can be a very dangerous thing and will most likely lead to injury!

The RIGHT pair of heels for Pole Dancing:

1. Although strapless heels are super sexy make sure to have straps on the heels you use for Pole Dancing for the safety of you, all the people in the same room as you and all objects around as well (many accidents where heels go flying during certain moves)!
2. They should have rubber soles and rubber on the bottom of the heel as well (shown above).
3. They should fit perfect!  If you are between sizes go for the smaller one because after using them for a while they will stretch out and start to fit better.  If you get them too big they may get too big and fall off or may cause you to lose balance a lot more often (more prone to injury than you already are).
4. NO wedges!
5. Nothing dangling, not just yet anyways.
6. MOST IMPORTANTLY: they must be cute;)!

Unfortunately, the best place to find heels that follow the above criteria are at "Stripper" Shops.  Best thing about the "Stripper" Shops is that you can see, touch, feel and try on the heels before buying which is great!  Another option you can go with is online purchasing!  Great thing about online purchasing of heels is that there are so many options, no awkward feeling walking into the shop, cheaper prices and reviews.  You pick what best fits you:)

BE SAFE!

Please remember to be safe with the heels ladies!  I know I sound like a mother send her child off on their first solo car drive but I just want to stress being safe:)!!  The criteria and tips posted above are my opinion from experience and not backed up by any federation or association:).

Have fun ladies and see you back here next Thursday for another Tippy Thursday Tip!!!

What's in the Pole World News: Las Vegas Pole Expo!!!

Happy Wednesday!!!!

What's in the Pole World News ...... Las Vegas Pole Expo is coming up!!!!

Whose gearing up for the Las Vegas Pole Expo!?!?!?!  We are!!!  Just Pole has a Retail Booth there for the whole Expo:)!  If you are coming to the Pole Expo come a visit us!

The Las Vegas Pole Expo is on September 6th till the 9th at the Las Vegas Palms Casino Resort and filled with FREE seminars, fun and educational workshops with our favorite Polefessionals, great vendors and so much more!

If there is even the slightest chance that you can make it you should definitely look into it because like the International Pole Convention I know this event will not only be a great opportunity to learn, network and meet other Pole Addicts, Lovers & Supporters like ourselves but will be so much fun and life changing!  Here is the link to the main page for the Las Vegas Pole Expo:

http://www.poleexpo.com/

Some of the Pole and Non Pole Workshops include A$$ Class with Marlo Fisken, Burlesque with Suwasit, Divine Goddess Play with Amy Raven, "Hot" Tricks with Alethea Austin, Chair Dancing with Jamilla, Power Pole with Zoraya, Ultimate Conditioning & Flexibility with Estee and so much more options to learn from the best in Pole!!!

Alethea Austin, Jamilla & Estee!!!

Even if you do not go to any of the paid workshops there are so many things you can do like attend the free seminars, check out the booths and most important come to watch the Pole Classic & Pole Star Showcase Theatrics on Saturday September 8th!

Just Pole will be all over the Las Vegas Pole Expo and we hope to see you there!  We will have more details on the actual Las Vegas Pole Expo during and after the event!

Have a great Wednesday!!

Technique Tuesday's: Pull-Up Crunch!

Aloha Pole Lovers & Supporters :)

It's Technique Tuesday's and I am blogging about my FAVORITE strengthening move the Pull-Up Crunch!!!  The Pull-Up Crunch is SO GREAT for Pole Strengthening and strengthening all together!!  This is a move that will help you with gaining the strength to properly invert, transition from different holds, etc.  Although it looks like an easy move it is commonly done wrong.  The following photos will show how to properly do a Pull-Up Crunch!

1.  Starting position:  Stand with your side towards the pole and your inside arm (arm closest to the pole) in the Strong Arm Hold position.  You can place your hips in front of the pole by placing the hip closest to the pole in front of the pole (this will help with the Pull-Up Crunch at first until you get more used to it:) ).  You will then place your outside arm's hand (arm furthest away from the pole) right above your inside arm's hand.

Strong Arm Hold

Starting position for hands & upper body

2.  Slowly pull up your legs into a fetal position while engaging your core and tucking your tailbone in.  You want to imagine bringing your knees all the way to your face as shown below.  The incorrect way to do a Pull-Up Crunch would be to keep your back in an arched position with your tailbone sticking out as shown below.

Proper Pull-Up Crunch

Improper Pull-Up Crunch

3.  To get out of the Pull-Up Crunch slowly release your legs back to the ground.  Jumping out of this move or releasing your grip too fast can cause injury.

Need more of a challenge?  The following are ways to challenge yourself if the Pull-Up Crunch is a bit too easy.

Pull-Up Straight Leg Crunch

 Pull-Up Straight Leg Crunch:  Keeping your legs straight and together while pulling them up towards your face (kind of like a pike) will add a great challenge!

Pull-Up Straight Leg Splay Crunch

Pull-Up Straight Leg Splay Crunch:  Keeping your legs straight while pulling them up into a splay towards the sky can also add a great challenge as well.

If you are doing this for the first time or even if you have done this before you may want to have a friend properly spot you so you can feel how the Pull-Up Crunch will eventually feel and you can see what your Pull-Up Crunch will eventually look like as well!

Doing the Pull-Up Crunch 3 - 5 times daily and holding it each time for about 3 - 5 seconds will definitely help you get stronger.  You will see a great difference in no time!  Well, I hope you LOVE the Pull-Up Crunch even more now!

Have a great Tuesday and come back for more Technique next week;)!!!!

Motivational Monday's: Challenge yourself!

Aloha Monday already!?!?

Monday's are always a downer especially after a great and relaxing weekend of no work and sometimes can be hard to get back into the groove of things.  Stay positive and make it happen today!  Take a couple of deep breaths and hit the ground running because ......

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."  This is so true!!!  Challenge yourself today with something more, something different, maybe stepping your game up a little more in your exercise routine or adding something new!  Whatever you do today start you week off right by adding a challenge instead of staying on a steady path.

"The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible." 

Arthur C. Clarke

So, shoot for the impossible today and challenge yourself to reach your goal!!  If you have reached your goal set another one and do it again!

Have a great Monday and go get it!!!

Stretchy Sundays: Cat-Cow Stretch :)

Aloha Everyone:)

What better way to start off your relaxing Sunday than with stretching!!  This weeks featured Stretchy Sundays Stretch is the well known Cat-Cow Stretch!!  The Cat-Cow Stretch is a great stretch for everyone and should be done on a regular basis:).  The benefits of the Cat-Cow Stretch are as follows:

    -  Improves posture and balance
    -  Strengthens and stretches the spine and neck
    -  Stretches the hips, abdomen and back
    -  Increases coordination
    -  Massages and stimulates organs in the belly (like kidneys and adrenal glands)
    -  Creates emotional balance
    -  Relieves stress and calms the mind

As you may have noticed not only are these great benefits for Pole Dancing but also for everyday life!  Now, let's get into the proper ways to do the Cat-Cow Stretch!

Begin with your hands and knees in Table Top Pose making sure your hands are directly under your shoulders, your knees are directly under your hips and your spine is in a nice neutral position (not arching your back just yet).  Let your neck be long and eyes looking towards the ground.  Stabilize your shoulders blades by drawing them down your back.

Once you have gone into the Table Top Pose you will go into the Cow position.  While you inhale lift your sit bones upward, press your chest forward and engage your core.  Lift your head and look forward while relaxing your shoulders away from your ears.

As you exhale you will go into the Cat Pose.  All at the same time round your spine upward, tuck your tail bone, draw your pelvis bone inward and engage your core.  Release your head towards to floor without forcing your chin to your chest (which can cause injury so try to keep your head in line with your torso through out the Cat-Cow Stretch).

Go back and forth between the Cat and Cow Pose matching it with your breath.  Inhale into Cow and exhale into Cat.  Do it about 2 - 4 times each for Cat and Cow making sure you are evenly distributing your weight between your hands and knees.  After your final exhale into Cat Pose end the stretch in the Table Top Pose.

After you do this a couple times it will start to all come naturally with pairing the breath with your movement.  You will start to feel the benefits after doing this stretch consistently.  The great thing about this stretch is that it can really be done anywhere you have a flat surface!!

Get your stretch on today and make it apart of you routine as well to feel all the awesome benefits.  Have a great day!!!

Polefessional Saturdays: Felix Cane!!!!!

Aloha Pole Lovers!!!

The beautiful & amazing Felix Cane!

We love Felix Cane!!  She is not only an AMAZING Pole Dancer with ridiculous flexibility but she is a genuinely sweet, caring and passionate individual:)!  We got the great opportunity to take her workshop at the 2012 LA International Pole Convention last month and it was not only awesome but extremely helpful and super fun!  Throughout the whole workshop we all were laughing, having fun and understanding how to do her specialty moves like the Spatchcock!!!  Although my flexibility isn't quite at that level I know how to safely enter and exit the Spatchcock which by watching her do it is very intimidating.  She was very good at going around and making sure everyone was good with the current move before moving on and making sure to provide modifications if needed:).  

Felix Cane in the Spatchcock:)

With her great talent she has won many competitions all over the world!  Here are a list of titles the amazing Felix Cane has won:

1. Miss Pole Dance World 2009
2. Best Female Stripper 2008 – Australian Adult Industry Awards
3. Miss Pole Dance Australia 2008
4. Miss Nude Australia National Final 2008 – Pole Dance Champion
5. Miss Nude Australia WA Final 2008 – Entertainer of the Year & Hottest Body
6.  STAR Awards – Best Female Performer 2007
7. Miss Hustler Centrefold Oceania 2007 – 1st Place
8. Miss Pole Dance Australia 2006

Not only is she a winner of all the above competitions but she is also in many productions such as Zumanity!  Before discovering her passion for pole dancing, Felix was schooled extensively as a dancer in Perth from the age of 11 to 15.  She then moved to London where she continued to study many forms of dance, but predominantly contemporary and classical.

Felix has experience in performing with professional contemporary and classical dance companies and working in many different venues including theatres in and around London.  In London she also worked in television and film!  She is an all around amazing and talented woman huh?!?!  In January 2006, Felix started pole dancing lessons in Perth, WA.  In September of that year, after pole dancing for only 8 months, she won the WA heat of Miss Pole Dance Australia 2006 and then later that year she went on to compete in the National Championships competition in Sydney.

Felix Cane has had a huge influence on Pole Dancing and we thank her for all she has done for and in the Pole Dancing Community!  She is one of our idols and favorite Polefessionals:)

I could go on and on for days on how amazing Felix Cane is in so many ways but I`ll get into that at another time;)!

If you have not seen Felix Cane in action yet please go and You Tube her, you will be amazed and immediately motivated!!

Have a great Saturday everyone:)!

Fitness Fridays: Engage that Core!!!

Aloha:)!

We all hear our instructors telling us, "Engage that core!" but do we all know why they tell us to do that like all the time?!?!  As they and many say, engaging your core is important!  I never knew much about core exercises and the benefit of having a strong core before starting Pole Fitness and looking more into it.  After doing my research out of curiosity I know the benefits and I want to share what I have learned with you awesome people!  First of all, we are all brainwashed or assume that our core are our abdominals when in fact the core consists of the area from your chest all the way to your thighs!  if you really think about it, these are the main muscles in which you us daily and even at sometimes every minute or second of the day!  So you can see the importance of keeping this area strong and engaged during Pole Fitness or any workout at that!  Better balance, better coordination and greater muscle tone are the main benefits to engaging your core (which are GREAT benefits!).  Here's a little break down to better understand just why and how these benefits arise from just engaging your core:

Better Balance!

By engaging your core when you are pole dancing you are centering your strength which then focuses that strength to your core.  When the core is engaged and strong your balance increases because all your strength in centered in the largest and main muscle groups of your body.  The core muscles help you keep balanced through out all your daily tasks like walking, working out, etc.  If you still don't understand why and how engaging your core can better your balance do a little test!  Do this test near a wall and be ready to catch yourself.  Garb a trusted partner and have them shove you as you stand without engaging your core.  You may go flying which is why you need a trusted partner.  Go ahead and do this same thing but with engaging your core.  See the difference?!?!?  Can you see how engaging your core can help with Pole Fitness?!  It is crazy how just engaging your core can help with your balance of everyday activities to Pole Fitness!

Better Coordination!

By engaging all your core muscles, your entire body will work together to complete the task you are doing.  Picking up heavier loads is an awesome example!  When picking up heavier loads you need to bend down, lift with your legs (NOT YOUR BACKS PLEASE!), support the load with your biceps and keep your body in an upright position with your abs ... all at the same time!  Try engaging your core every time you pick up a heavier load, you will start to notice everything flowing a little better and your coordination also improving!  Isn't that amazing, just by engaging and strengthening your core you can also better your coordination for Pole Fitness which we all know you need!!!

Greater Muscle Tone!

This benefit is a given seeing that you are engaging and strengthening your main muscle groups greater muscle tone is bound to follow!!!

Doesn't now knowing the benefits of engaging your core make you want to engage your core all the time?!?!  Do it!  This will only benefit you in all that you do on a daily basis!  I personally engage my core all the time more so now because I could use these added benefits!!!  I have a office job that requires me to sit in one spot for 8 hours a day:/  I long ago decided to throw out the rollie office chair and swap it out with my awesome bouncy exercise ball!  This helps tremendously with engaging your core throughout the day because if you don't .... your probably going down!  Well, go and engage those cores and have a beautiful Friday!!!

Tippy Thursdays: Pole Dance Virgins ... You Can Do It!;)

Aloha Lovlies:)

Today's Tippy Thursday's Tip is for people who are interested in pole dancing as well as people who have just began the wonderful journey!  The most obvious but best tip you could get going into pole dancing is to never get discouraged!  Every person is different which means every person is going to learn and catch on to new things at their own pace so if someone on the pole next to you gets a certain move right away and you don't, don't get discouraged!!  It is very important to remember this because although your thinking, "Um, duh!  I know that!", we all do this but just remember to keep telling yourself that your time will come and you will totally get that specific move in time!  The worst thing you can do is push yourself to much which could possibly lead to an injury.  Always make sure when learning a new move that you are using the correct technique and giving your body and mind time to adjust to this new move as well.  The worst thing you can do to yourself is to find something you love doing, push yourself to hard and get injured to where you cannot enjoy your new found love.  So, with that being said, YOU CAN DO IT!!!  As Aaliyah once sang, "If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again!"  If you believe in yourself and stay positive you will feed off of that and not only get that specific move but feel better about yourself:)!

POLE ADDICTS, POLEFESSIONALS, POLE VETERANS AND POLE INSTRUCTORS:

Please comment with any feedback or tips for our wonderful new comers and newbies on how they can keep themselves from getting discouraged from your own experience:)  I know we all have had our times and could share to help:)

Have a great Thursday everyone!!