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Pole Exercises
By Susan Peach
Pole dancing is tons of fun...we all know that! But did you know that you
can use your dance pole as a vertical home gym to help build the
sport-specific strength you'll need to safely do all those spins lifts and inversions?
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It's true! In addition to giving you the strength you need to do the tricks you want, building up your pole dancing muscles will also help reduce your chances of injury. Having strong muscles mean you're going to be more in control on your pole. And being in control means you'll be much less likely to resort to momentum, which can be a dangerous thing if you rely on it instead of on your muscle strength.
So let's get you started with a few sample pole exercises so you can get a feel for just how useful that vertical piece of steel can be.
Just tap or click on any of the photos shown below to see full instructions, more demo photos and safety tips.
(The exercises shown below are generally safe for most people in reasonable physical condition. However, for those who haven't packed their common sense on their pole journey, please read this disclaimer.)
Let's Get Pole Strong!
1 - Sitting Pole-Up Exercise
This exercise is a great way to start safely building the strength needed for lifts,
holds and spins. While upper body strength is important for these types of moves, core control is equally critical. The sitting pole-up exercise - done correctly - helps you build both.
Once you can do a few sets of these, you can graduate to the kneeling and standing versions for more challenge.
See full instructions for the Sitting Pole-Up exercise here
2 - Pole Knee Lift Exercise
Like the sitting pole-up, this pole exercise builds both upper body and core strength, something you'll need a lot of as you start to learn some of the more difficult tricks and lifts.
You'll also be able to work on your split grip with this exercise. The split grip is commonly used for many intermediate and advanced moves, so it's a good idea to start working it into your practice sessions fairly early on. That way, you'll be strong enough to start learning all the moves that use this grip once you're ready for them.
See full instructions for the Pole Knee Lift exercise here
3 - Pole Lunge Exercise
This is an excellent exercise for toning your butt. As a matter of fact, if you don't feel this one the next day, something is definitely wrong!
While many people think of upper body strength when it comes to pole dancing, let's not forget about all those inverted leg grips, lay backs, and other advanced moves that require lower body strength. And then there's the tight buns factor. If you want some of that, this is the exercise for you!
See full instructions for the Pole Lunge exercise here
Disclaimer
As with any fitness program, please be reasonable and know your limits. Start slowly and build gradually to avoid injury. And if you have any questions or concerns about whether these exercises are right for you, please check with your doctor, health care practitioner, personal trainer, or other professional who is familiar with your physical condition, abilities and any limitations or contraindications.
Susan Peach is an early pioneer in pole dance fitness and the voice behind Your Pole Pal, a long-running resource for the pole community. She taught dance & fitness for nearly 30 years, leading hundreds of classes and working with thousands of students aged 6 to 80+, and created original programs when formal training did not yet exist. She also produced one of the first pole fitness DVD series, along with instructor training and Latin dance fitness programs. Today, she writes and builds Your Pole Pal, still with a soft spot for Latin dance music.
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