If you have your pole sorted and have done some in studio classes you may be able to skip the first section as it mostly covers pole and training safety. The second half of this post covers specifically how to use Practical Pole!
Important Links:
Pole safety
First we need to ensure your pole is safe and fitted well. There are many brands of pole but I highly recommend buying from a reputable source. Many of the cheaper poles are not load tested or designed for weight bearing and as a result may not be safe for the tricks we'll be doing on them. I can only recommend X-Pole and Lupit from my own experience but there are others that are safe, so do some thorough research as to what's available in your country first.
Once you've got your pole please ensure you've put it up correctly and followed the manufacturers instructions exactly. If in doubt, find someone to help you. There are usually installation videos available on youtube that you can follow along with. Most home poles will be pressure mounted so ensure you've used a stud finder to position your pole directly on a beam or joist.
Ideally you would have plenty of room around your pole but in reality very few home polers do. It is recommended to have a minimum of your arm span all the way around. You can test this by holding a broom on the point you'd like to place your pole, or by putting your pole up and holding it, and walking around the broom or pole with both arms outstretched. If you can make more space or place the pole somewhere else then do. If you can't then you'll have to learn to be incredibly aware of your surroundings and compensate in certain positions to make yourself fit. For example, in extended butterfly I have to bend my back leg at certain points of the room. Also be aware of light fixings. I kick my lightbulb a lot eek.
Check your pole EVERY. TIME. YOU. USE. IT. Not once a week or once a month. X-Pole recommend pulling and pushing the pole from the middle to ensure it is safe and tight but I would also recommend you try to push it out from the bottom and have a good big spin on it. If your pole is on carpet, or in a space where the temperature changes a lot, you may want to tighten it more often. If you notice anything unusual then get off and check your pole again.
Home training safety
Training at home is not going to be the same as training in a studio. You likely won't have a crash mat or spotter available and there's no one to keep an eye on you, but there are ways of keeping yourself safe and rules you should follow.
Rule One:
The first rule of training at home is to never train when you're alone in the house, even if you're not doing anything challenging. One time I was training late at the studio by myself and my knee cap subluxed after banging it on the pole in a simple spin. I was left screaming on the floor with no idea of how I was going to get help. I couldn't move, the door was locked and no one knew I was there. Luckily once I started trying to crawl towards my phone it popped back in to place, but it could have been bad and I may have been left on the freezing studio floor until someone came to teach the next afternoon. Having someone in the home with you who can get help is super important. If you absolutely don't have this then keep a phone close to you at all times and avoid doing anything super challenging.
You must take pole seriously if you're training alone. It is essentially an extreme sport and highly risky. Falling from even a low height onto your neck can cause severe head injuries and paralysis. It is rare but every single time I have heard of this happening it has been in the home, not in a studio. I don't say this to scare you or freak you out from training. It's all about being sensible and listening to your body. If it doesn't feel right or secure - it likely isn't.
Rule Two:
Buy a crash mat or start saving for one now. As noted above falling from even a small height can cause horrific injuries and it's not worth the risk. If you can't afford one currently then please ensure you put lots of soft items on the floor, pillows/blankets/sofa cushions/mattresses, when trying anything challenging or just avoid it all together. There's a huge amount we can do from the safety of the ground - there are entire groups of pole dancers who rarely ever invert. Look online at "Low Flow" tags for inspiration.
Be aware that even falling incorrectly onto a crash mat can result in injuries. Remember to always try to tuck the chin to chest, get whatever you can on the pole and try to roll onto your side where possible. Never put your hands out unless you're low and controlled, you could dislocate or break your wrists/elbow.
Rule Three:
Train within your limits. Training at home can be a much slower process. You'll likely be spending a lot of time going over the same tricks in different ways. It doesn't have to be boring, in fact one of my favourite things to do is drill my spins and dancing. Basics done well are far more impressive than crazy tricks executed badly. I get a lot of students come to me from other studios who tell me they've been working on all these crazy tricks, and they have photos to prove it, but when they get in the studio they can barely point their toes or string two tricks together and they look like they're really struggling. Don't be that person.
Whenever you learn a new spin, transition or trick you'll want to be working on it for weeks. Achieving something once for a photo or video is not enough. Drill it over and over again. Think about different entries and exists or how to order your favourite tricks in a new way. The pole move generator on Pole Move Book can be a lot of fun to try out (though watch how they level tricks, there are a few suspect tricks in the beginner section eek) or, as I do, you could write all your favourite tricks and spins on pieces of paper and pull them out of a hat. It forces you to think creatively and find your own ways of moving.
How to structure your training
There are many ways you can structure your training but if you want to get the most out of it you'd be best doing some planning. Every session should start with a warm up and end with a cool down (you can find these in the beginner section) but other than that it could look very different based on your goals. Regardless of what you do you shouldn't be jumping on the pole, doing a few tricks and then stopping abruptly.
You should be doing some form of strength training as part of your training. Tricks alone will not build adequate strength, form and technique for good progress and you're more likely to get injured. Some people like to do their strength training at the beginning to get themselves extra warm and prepare their muscles for what they'll be doing. Others prefer to do it at the end otherwise they find they are too tired for the tricks. Figure out what works for you.
You may want to do a little of everything each time you train, or you may prefer to do your strength training, flexibility training and tricks/dance training separately. I prefer doing a little of everything. If you have specific trick goals then consider what you might need to achieve that goal and focus on doing the right exercises. If you want to aerial invert then you need to have a strong knee raise/tuck position, as an example. If you're not sure what you need just ask! I am always happy to help and you can find me in the fb group or via message on patreon.
How often to train
If you've just started then an hour a week may be ample for the first month or two. You'll likely be pretty sore and your body needs time to recuperate before you train again. We actually don't build muscle whilst exercising - it comes during the resting phase.
Over time you may feel ready to increase to two hours or more a week. Be careful of overtraining as you will be likely to get injured. Tendinitis, and other injury, in the first year of pole is very common. You need a minimum of two days rest a week, with longer breaks once a month and a full weeks break every 6 months or so. It can be hard to step away when you first start and are super enthusiastic, but you'll hurt your progress if you don't give your body time to rest.
Where to start on Practical Pole
The best place to start, after reading this, is the website! Click here and you'll find everything laid out by category and level. Beginner and Intermediate are laid out in a rough order you can follow step by step if you wish but don't forget that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses and it's okay if you need to skip or come back to something. After this point training gets less linear and is more about working on your own strengths and weaknesses. This platform is very much a constant work in progress so always check back in case you've missed anything.
I have also been working on putting together collections on Patreon, this was not a feature when we first started. These will not be as useful as the syllabus on the website if you are following in order but may be fun to dip in and out of or find something new to try.
Where you personally choose to start will depend on what your prior experience has been but in my personal experience many students come to me telling me they've been working on some pretty hard skills and yet they don't have their basics. So, unless you're sure you have a strong foundation at beginner level, you may even want to start there. All instructors teach differently so it's likely you'll learn something regardless! You're also welcome to jump in roughly where you think you are, or simply dip in and out as you wish.
Although I have mostly separated dance/low flow/heels and tricks (beginner does include more dance) you can integrate them however you want. Ideally you would work on a trick or two and something dancey each time you train, but if you're a trickster or a dancer you can just focus your attention where you like!
If you're completely lost pop me a message and I will see what I can do to help!
Tips for hacking Practical Pole
Create your own playlist
Some students have started creating their own youtube playlists with warm ups, conditioning, the tricks they're working on and a cool down. It makes it easy to create your own training plan that can be adapted and changed!
Document your journey
How can you see your progress if you don't track it? It could be via your own social media account, a folder on your phone, sharing with the other students in the facebook group or simply keeping a journal, but it is important. And please don't be shy with sharing, we all want to cheer you on and we can't do that if we can't see what you're up to! It makes me really happy to see what everyone is doing.
Filming yourself as a tool for progress.
It's even more important to film yourself and watch it back. Firstly how we think we look and how we actually look are often different, but it can also be a great tool for progress. Looking at what you've done and being able to give yourself constructive feedback is a super power. Be fair to yourself, what looks good? What doesn't? Does a different angle look better? What are your arms doing? Are your toes pointed? Are your legs straight? Analyse it, then try to improve one thing at a time until you're happy. I credit most of my success to using this technique.
Use the facebook group and me!
I am a wealth of knowledge and I truly want to help. The easiest way to ask questions is in the facebook group or via message on patreon but please do not hesitate to do so. It's a part of your membership. I may ask more questions, ask you to film what you're doing if it's appropriate, or I may create content just for you! It'll depend on the circumstances.
Don't forget to cheer the other students on. It can be daunting to post your videos or photos in the group and absolutely confidence crushing if no one interacts. We have to help build the community we want - which is supportive, kind and vibrant. If you see someone post in the group just take a moment to comment or like their post. It makes all the difference!
Finally... don't beat yourself up!
Progress isn't always linear. You'll have good and bad days and there will be tricks you just struggle with forever. The great thing about pole is that past the foundational skills - it doesn't matter. A student of mine was telling me that she still struggles with crucifix after many many years and how frustrating it is. When I thought about it....there's only a few skills that you NEED a crucifix for. Everything else you can work around and find different entries. It's great if you can get these skills, and you should never give up, but it's okay if you can't do something!
Even famous pole dancers have their strengths and weaknesses. Often you won't realise because they don't show their struggles. I've often told my students, "there's lots I can't do, you just don't realise because I don't teach you those things". Usually I leave it for the cover instructors.
Important videos
Before you get started I recommend you check out the posts and videos below. It includes a lot of knowledge that is fundamental to your success. There are a lot of myths and misunderstandings around anatomy in the pole community but understanding how you body works best will make all the difference. It took me years to do my twisted grip deadlift because I didn't know how to access my shoulders. Having strength is great but only if you know how to use it effectively.
Pole Myth - "Shoulders back and down"
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