The Best Of Pole Fitness – June 2016
I read a lot every month, from pole to general fitness, healthy eating and nutritional information.
I come across things around the web from time to time that I think you guys will be able to take helpful advice and information from.
So, whenever I see something I think you'll benefit from, I save it right into my Evernote. Once a month I'll put together a roundup of my favourites for you to enjoy.
So without further ado, here is the second post in my series of favourite pole fitness, health and nutrition articles I read this month!
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Pole Fitness
#1) A Day In The Life Of A Performing Pole Artist
In this post by Michelle Shimmy on the Bad Kitty blog we get a detailed and eye opening look at life from behind the curtains of being a professional performing pole artist.
I love this article, and although some of the points detailed in here may sound off-putting, it's a great idea to read up on this if you're seriously thinking about taking up performing.
While underneath it all it's not so glamorous as you might think at first, it's still a lot of fun and if performing is in your heart you should go for it!
Just be sure to read up on Shimmy's advice here so that you know exactly what to expect and how to stay safe.
#2) Heels To Avoid If You Want To Clack
In this article on Cleo's Rock 'n' Pole, Jillian Wilschke gives us the low down on which heels should be avoided if you plan on getting in some sexy heel bangs.
This article no longer exists and is not available in internet archives
Not only that but she also lists the ones that will withstand the clacking and which ones give the best sound, so if pole shoes are on your wishlist then this is a must read!
My only extra to this is that I would avoid glitter coated heels - my glitter heels are scuffed already and I have barely dragged them and done absolutely ZERO heel bangs.
#3) Picture Perfect
In this fantastic post on Aerial Amy's blog she brings us back down to earth from our social media bubble with a bump.
I love this post because it outlines everything you feel as you scroll through your Instagram and Facebook feeds looking at everyone's perfectly executed moves.
In similar form to a post in last month's roundup about how we react to other people's successes, Amy's quote here hits the nail on the head for how we react;
"Look at how good Everyone is! I am not that good! I suck at ALL the things that Everyone is good at!"
She talks about how we don't post our pictures and videos with all their flaws on social media and how actually we are all in this together, that we need to remember we are one big network of people - all in the same boat.
#4) What Makes A Pole Move 'Hard'?
This post on the Pole Freaks blog by Holly is another thought provoking piece for the roundup this month as she gets us to really put a few things in perspective.
Her article really gets you thinking about what makes a move hard to you, is it the strength required or the fear factor?
When asked "What is the hardest move you can do?" how do you choose?
Check out the post and have a think, what is the hardest move so far that you can do and what is it that makes it hard?
#5) Name That Pole Move!
Jillian is up again this month with another brilliantly bold post on Pole Geek!
I do love a good rant and this one really resonated with me as Jillian got her biggest pet peeves off her chest, I'm sure you've all seen someone 'invent' their own pole move at least once.
In this post she tells us why even if you think you invented a pole move, it has probably been done before and how you shouldn't claim it as your own every time someone new figures it out.
In the acrobatics, gym and pole world there is very little left that hasn't been done before - so while you personally haven't seen it done before or posted on the internet, that's probably just because no one posted a picture of it yet!
#6) How Many Calories Can One Pole Class Burn?
Danielle from Poleitical Diaries has been doing some research to find out how to track calories better with pole fitness!
Using the My Fitness Pal app she realised that there was no accurate way to record her workouts and so after some research found the best fitness tracker for the job!
With her own data she discovered she's burning around 557 calories per pole class, and you can check out her exact stats in the post, including weight, height and what her typical pole class looked like.
#7) Are You Working Towards SMART Pole Goals?
I'm loving this short and sweet post by Mel on her blog Mel Nutter, as she goes over some important points for effective goal setting in order to progress.
As with anything in life, not just pole, your goals should always be 'Specific', 'Measurable', 'Achievable', 'Realistic' and done in a set 'Timeframe'.
Mel writes that planning your goals out like this will keep you on track to support your strength and flexibility journey with less chance of injury, and she also includes some good examples of goals you can set for yourself!
Other Fitness Tips
In this section I'll be sharing tips from fitness blogs around the web that can be useful in your pole training too!
#8) Fast Track Your Diet Goals With These Psychological Triggers
In this post on the My Fitness Pal blog, Coach Stevo begins by introducing us to an eating habits experiment conducted in 2010.
The results of the experiment showed that we often eat according to cues in our environment rather than actual hunger, and following on from that the rest of the article goes on to show a selection of ways to stop ourselves from 'mindless eating'.
So if you're looking for a healthier lifestyle and having trouble with leaving junk food behind take a look at these 3 psychological triggers that will give you a head start!
#9) Smart Meal Prep Tips
Meal prep is the very best way to make sticking to your healthy eating program healthier, as you take away the difficult choice of what to eat by preparing your food in advance.
This article from Heather at Life In Leggings gives 22 awesome tips to help get you started with meal prep, because the thought of it can often be overwhelming!
I think my favourite tip in the post is the one about using a slow cooker, I'd be lost without mine and just 2 days of cooking can be enough to keep you in food for over a month!
You can't see the whole freezer contents in the picture but at the moment we have; bolognese, sweet potato chilli, scrambled egg and pinto beans breakfast wraps, chicken soup, peanut butter chicken and beef stew ready to go.
#10) Say Goodbye To Tight Hips
This post by Beth at Sublimely Fit is mainly directed at runners, but since I know a bunch of pole dancers who have tight hips I thought you guys could benefit from these hip opening exercises.
Tight hip flexors can be a huge barrier to many pole goals, not least of all your splits, which is why I love these gentle yoga poses to help open them up!
The reclined pigeon is one of my favourites for a stretch that's simple but effective, you can really feel it working 🙂
Tips For Mums
Although I’m not a mum myself, I forever see people looking for advice on pole and exercise during and after pregnancy.
Since I have neither the qualifications nor experience to advise on pregnancy in any way, I'll do my best to share any helpful articles I find on the subject every month here in the roundup!
#11) Cleo The Beginner
After seeing this post by Cleo The Hurricane this month I couldn't miss it out in our pole and pregnancy section.
It must have been hard to write about going from rockin' pole superstar to full time mummy and while it's been a huge change for Cleo she's all about sharing her story to inspire others.
Editors Note: This article no longer exists and is not available in internet archives for reference
Having started pole dancing at 27 she has come a long way and won Miss Pole Dance Australia not once but twice! She also continued to pole with attitude all the way through her pregnancy!
Since regressing post pregnancy and feeling a little defeated she says she has realised that pole dancing is super hard and that it's easy as a professional to take your strength for granted.
With a positive mindset though, she says she will come back even if it takes her 2 years to get back to where she was. So if you're reading and struggling post pregnancy don't feel down, keep at it and enjoy your journey, it happens to even the best
The Healthy Food Corner
In my house we do a lot of food prep, I'm forever looking for healthy meals I can cook in bulk.
Apart from saving a bunch of time this also allows me to worry less about diet and what I'm going to eat in the moment of choosing a meal.
Once a month my partner and I pick 2 - 3 recipes each, buy all the ingredients for around 8 portions in bulk, and then spend a day each cooking!
So, every month I'll share my favourite recipe from the month with you right here:
#12) The Main Course
I am absolutely loving this healthy chicken parmesan recipe by Lindsay over at Pinch Of Yum.
It's healthy, only needs 7 ingredients, only takes 20 minutes to cook and it's super tasty!
As with all of the recipes on Pinch Of Yum it also comes with all the nutritional information you need to easily log it in your fitness tracker.
#13) A Healthy Tasty Treat
This one was harder to write about as I just spent a little while drooling at the computer screen, sorry guys!
Moving on, this month's healthy yet tasty treat is another recipe from Pinch Of Yum, this time we are looking at healthy sea salt dark chocolate bars.
Let me explain in more detail incase that doesn't get your mouth watering; that's a healthy chocolate bar made with oats, coconut, nuts, seeds, peanut butter, delicious dark chocolate, a sprinkle of sea salt and no baking required!
You can also whip up a huge batch of these and store them in the freezer for a long time so they will always be to hand for a not so naughty snack =D
#14) Something Different To Wash It Down
It's smoothie time again and this month I'm loving this banana almond flax smoothie recipe by Jaclyn at Cooking Classy.
It's great for breakfast or just as a snack and is very filling and full of protein, so if you're bored of cereals and healthy breakfasts this is just like a tasty desert, but it's so good for you!
Flaxseed is also great for getting more Omega-3 and you can keep a stock of bananas frozen for this one when you fall in love with it.
If you've read any great pole fitness articles you think deserve a spot in the top 10 next month feel free to share them with me here.
