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Are you a pole dancer that needs to practice pole dancing from home or the gym, but there’s no pole?
If yes, then there are several pole dancing fitness exercises that you can try.
They are mainly upper body and core training exercises to help pole dancers build strength, increase their flexibility and at the same time improve stamina for better performances.
Unlike other sports, Pole dancing is a very dynamic one meaning that dancers across the globe are in a constant move to improve pole dancing moves and incorporate more sophisticated exercises.
What this means for you as an enthusiast pole dancer is that relying on regular stretches and some passive exercises will not be very beneficial in achieving flexibility and stamina.
Most pole dancers and trainers usually introduce workouts that feel like work.
If you are tired of this and need to try some new and fun pole conditioning exercises, then here is a list of the top 7 pole dance conditioning exercises and their guides.
What is Pole dance conditioning?
Before we delve much deeper into this topic, we have to work on the same page.
So what is a pole dance conditioning workout, and why is it necessary?
Pole dance conditioning is considered a dancer’s workout performed pre-dance to achieve the stretch required for the specific pole dance move and improve stamina and flexibility.
The exercises may vary depending on your goal move.
If the goal move is advanced, then the more strength, flexibility, and stamina it needs.
For that reason, you might be required to try some of the most sophisticated workouts.
The conditioning exercises for pole dancers might seem easy and straightforward, but they require a lot of knowledge and practice to achieve.
A pre-performance conditioning workout aims to increase the foot arch flexibility, strengthen the calves, and build general body strength.
Pole dance conditioning exercises are very important when you start learning the inverted moves.
This is the time when you need to be more and more flexible and strong.
Flexibility is very important in pole dancing.
While it’s focused on making sharp, pretty, and clean lines, it’s also important to achieve different types of pole dance moves and help avoid accidents.
It actually prevents instances of muscles being overstretched.
A good example is when you try to hold your own body weight and eventually rush to an invert using momentum.
In this case, this can put an excessive amount of strain on muscles and the body.
Conditioning, in this case, prepares the body for the next move.
It conditions the body by making it prepared and flexible through a series of dynamic movements.
The dance conditioning workouts are meant to push your limits slowly and eventually raise the threshold of your flexibility and strength.
Conditioning exercises for pole dancers
As much as we want to advance in pole dancing, we must know that pole dance is addictive, and we tend to feel the guilt of over-training.
Regardless of whether you’re already proficient with pole tricks or not, there are certain pole dance conditioning exercises that you should try.
Here is a list of 7 best pole dance conditioning exercises and a specific exercise written tutorial.
Warm-Up exercises
Before you head any further in pole dancing, you should start with warm-up exercises.
If you want to gain strength as a pole dancer, you must do proper warm-ups.
But you still have to know that pole dance is a strenuous activity where you can easily be hurt.
You must be flexible, and there’s no better way of loosening the joints and the muscles than some simple warm-up exercises.
Use Dumbbells to do some swings with the arms and shoulders.
After this, consider taking 50 reps of dead-pulls, calf and knee lifts, and also squats.
I’ve come across some pole dancers that after this, heads to the pole and walks around the pole for about 10 circles.
This is actually a good way of warming your lower body muscles.
If you must do this, then lift your body up and down after every circle.
This practice will strengthen the muscles in your lower body.
Twerk
Twerking is the ultimate full-body workout that strengthens the muscles in the upper and lower body.
As we all know, thighs are very important in pole dancing.
Twerking as a conditioning workout makes the thighs super strong.
It also makes the hips flexible and eventually boosts your confidence as a pole dancer.
Twerking the right way can help you burn up to 500 calories in a short while.
When you’re in the twerking class, you are probably holding a squat during the better part of the training.
For that reason, twerking will definitely improve core strength.
It compares to pole dancing because you really need to brace the abs to workout the lower body muscles.
Moving on, twerking strengthens the arms, which are equally important in pole dancing.
When twerking, you need to bench press, and it’s equally very easy to get upside down on the wall.
This way, I can guarantee that the arms will be worked out perfectly.
As a pole dancer, confidence is important.
Twerking as a workout improves your confidence in the pole.
How to Twerk: Step by step guide
Do you want to practice twerking and improve your full body strength?
There are several ways you can do this but remember the basics are very important.
- Get into a squat position – The first step is to get low to the ground and ensure you are easily balanced. However, don’t go too low. The knees should actually always be behind the toes. The legs should be wide open, and the feet turned out. This is to help with balance as you pick a fun start.
- Shake your butt – The second step is to shake your butt. You can choose to do this slowly at first and increase the pace. Pick a pace that you’re comfortable with. NB: There are several other ways of practising the twerk workout. You can do the wall Twerk or the hands on the ground twerk.
Pushups
Pushups are perfect exercises for upper and lower body workouts.
If pushups are done the right way, it can work as a compound exercise to involve muscles in the chest, shoulder, arms, back, abs, triceps, and legs.
All these muscles are very important in pole dancing.
The pushups have a couple of modifications depending on your fitness levels.
Beginners can try the basic pushups as a strength workout.
When pole dancing, you’ll probably need to push against the pole and hold your general weight.
Since pushups work all the muscles in the upper and lower arm, including the chest’s pectoral muscles, the deltoids of the shoulder and the erector spinae of the back, you can be sure that it’s the best conditioning workout for pole dancers.
How to do pushups: Step by step
- Get in position Get to the floor, ensuring that the hands are wider than the shoulders.
- Balance the toes and hands Get the legs back to make sure that you are balanced on your toes and hand. The body should be in a straight line to the toe. You should not lag the middle or even try to arch your back. Depending on what you want, you can position the feet to be wider or close to each other.
- Contract your abs and tighten the core. Before making any move, you should pull the belly button toward the spine with the aim of contracting the abs and tightening the core.
- Inhale as you bend the elbows and lower yourself. The elbows should get to a 90-degree angle.
- Exhale as you push back Lastly, as you push back, you should exhale and begin to contract the chest muscles. Keep the elbows slightly bent.
Box Splits
Box splits are perfectly fit for improving the full-body strength or strength for specific positions.
The workout plays a significant role in achieving mastery at pole dancing.
It’s actually true that you have to strengthen the core and the upper body muscles.
Although this exercise is important, you should try high-intensity workouts if you want to gain more strength.
Burpee is one of the best full-body workouts that can help you develop muscles.
Another advanced workout for tightening and strengthening the abdominal muscles is the Jack-Knife sit-ups.
The Box splits are also known as forward splits or front splits.
They are actually very impressive ways of showing off flexibility and improving your stamina as a pole dancer.
If you must try it, then here are some steps to follow as a beginner.
How to do the Box Splits
- Which is your dominant leg? – What to do first is to really identify which of the legs is dominant and easier to use. As a matter of fact, most people favor one leg as opposed to the other. To determine, put one of the foot in front and the other one behind for a few minutes, eventually, switch and feel which of the two is more comfortable.
- Place the dominant leg in front – The second step is to place the dominant leg in front and stand up with the hips square. For some people that use pillows, place them between the legs where the hips will get.
- Slowly make the way towards the floor – You should now make your way towards the floor from a standing straddle position. You should slide the front leg forward and the other one in the opposite direction. You can go as far as you’re comfortable without forcing the movement. You should have support to prevent going too far.
- Where do you feel a stretch? – It now the time to find an area where you feel a little stretch but ensure that the rest of the bodyweight is supported by the pillow. After feeling the stretch of the muscles, hold it there for about 15 seconds. You can hold this position by supporting the weight with your hands.
- Go further with time. – As you get much more comfortable, you can choose to go further. After holding the position for a few seconds, it will definitely be time to go further. You can do this by easing yourself down by half an inch and when you feel ready, push further. But be careful not to hurt your muscles.
Trunk Twists
Trunk twists is another exercise that stretches the back, the upper torso muscles and the spine.
It’s thought to be one of the best pole dance conditioning exercises for pole dancers.
The main benefit is that the exercise can improve core strength, stability, flexibility, and stamina.
The exercise is also known as Supine Trunk rotation exercise that has been used to improve the core strength, increase the mobility of the spine, and challenge pole dancers to go beyond.
How to perform trunk rotation Pole dance conditioning exercise
- Sit with the legs crossed.
- Reach the left leg towards the left foot. The second step is to place the right hand at the side for support after reaching the left hand towards the other one.
- Twisting the torso The other step is to twist the torso slowly.
- Twist to the left You can now switch the hand and twist to the other direction.
- Repeat this up to 4 times.
Planks
Pole dancers equally need to have a strong abdomen.
For that reason, Planks are perfect for working out the abdomen and the core.
The exercise works the rectus abdominis and the core muscles, and the abs running from the pelvis to the shoulder girdle.
Always add a plank to your daily workout if you want to ensure that the core is strong and stable.
Plunks are very important because they help stabilize the body balance and power the body for the activities ahead.
How to do plank exercises
- Start with the plank position. – In this case, the face should be down with the arms and toes on the floor. The toes should be directly under the shoulder while the forearms face forward. Make sure that the head is relaxed and you are directly facing the floor.
- Make sure the abdomen muscles are engaged. – You should keep the torso straight and rigid at this stage, and the body should be in a straight line from the ears to the toe. The shoulders should be down and heels over the balls of your feet.
- Hold here for about 15 seconds and release – You can work this one out for up to 60 seconds.
Spelling Bee
The spelling bee is the last exercise that we’ll talk about here.
Exercise is very important in working the leg and the back muscles, which are vital in pole dancing.
It is undoubtedly among the best exercises for people looking for hip flexibility.
How to do the spelling bee
- Lie with the face-up and legs together.
- Rest the arms overhead and lift the feet straight up to the ceiling.
- keep the upper body still and use your two feet to trace letters in the air. Choose a word that you want to spell and do exactly that.
Top 5 tips to get stronger and better at Pole dancing
Every pole dancer has been there, checking all social media profiles of known pole dance gurus, watching wide-eyed as they take some sophisticated pole dancing moves.
The thought of how these performances are made exclusive and entertaining hit us hard, and we become eager to try.
Although some of the information we get on TV is embroidered, there are chances that you can achieve the same move or at least something closer with these top 5 tips to scale your game.
Your Overall fitness is paramount
As a pole dancer, your overall strength is very important.
You can try some cardio and strengthening exercises that can boost metabolism but at the same time, make sure you invest more energy in exercises that will make you stronger, improve flexibility and stamina on the game.
Try some pole dance classes with several class options depending on the stage you are in pole dance.
One of the best exercises you can learn is Aerial conditioning, which is actually a low-impact, aerobic and callisthenic workout.
The exercise complements most needs of pole dancers.
Try Bodyweight exercises
There are those days you cannot make it to a pole dancing class or the studio.
In those instances, pick a few tried-and-confirmed weight exercises and perform them at home or your local GYM.
Most of these exercises are efficient and can effectively improve your upper body strength.
It’s always advisable to start by choosing one exercise each for the core, the upper body strength and lower body strength.
The best of these exercises included Lunges, squats, Russian Twists, Push-ups, Handstands, Triceps dips and Crunches.
Yoga is beneficial
The immense health benefits of this ancient practice are numerous, especially if you are a pole dancer seeking to perfect her more and increase flexibility.
Yoga is the best of all practices that enhance your flexibility and fitness.
When practised well, it can help reduce stress, improve sleep and balance your life, all of which are important aspects of a good pole dancer.
Nutrition for Pole dancers
Our bodies rely on foods to fuel and drive us.
As a pole dancer, you automatically require enough energy to perform different pole dancing moves.
As much as you need food, there are certain diets that you should ditch permanently.
You should be very mindful of what you are eating.
It’s very important to involve a nutritionist in making this decision.
Consistency
Just like any other sport, consistency is key in achieving your goal as a pole dancer.
It doesn’t matter how many pole dance moves, strength exercises, and flexibility workouts you’ve to combine; consistency and commitment should be key.
Commitments to your practice are very important in improving the moves and advance your career.
Take good rest
Lastly, pole dancers shouldn’t hit the studio 24/7, as it’s the case with most beginners.
We are not superhumans, and for that reason, we should always make sure we take enough rest.
It’s also recommended never to try advanced pole dancing moves when we’re sleepy or tired.
FAQs
What exercises are good for pole dancing?
There’s a long list of exercises that can work perfectly fine for pole dancers.
However, classic pushups are always the best for stamina, strength, and flexibility.
You can actually try chest-to-bar, do bar pull-ups and pushups if you need extra performance.
Other exercises that can improve strength include the plants, twerks, pistol squats, and sprints.
What is Pole dance conditioning?
Pole dance conditioning is a workout done by the pole dancer to improve strength, stamina, and flexibility pre-performance.
The exercises may vary depending on how sophisticated they are.
The more sophisticated the move is the more strength and flexibility the performer needs, and definitely the more advanced the pole dance conditioning workout.
How do you strengthen your arms for pole dancing?
There are a couple of exercises you can try to improve your overall strength, flexibility and stamina.
Of course, pushups and diamond pushups are the best.
But you can consider wide pushups, triceps dips, pull-ups, and planks.
How do I prepare my Body for Pole dancing?
You need to start with warm-ups where you can do some lunges, twisting, stretches, and running.
Conclusion
Pole dance conditioning is very important if you want to be more flexible, energetic, and strong and have the right stamina to perform different pole dance moves.
This brief has covered the best pole dance conditioning exercises and briefly helped you perform each of them at home.
I’ve equally listed the top 5 tips to sharpen your pole dancing skills.