"Go to pole class."
I got into pole dancing at around May 2018 when I was just starting out as a process engineer. I was introduced to the Fit & Fab pole fitness studio by a very good friend 
I'd always wanted to give it a try ever since I saw my favorite YouTuber Anna Akana doing it on her channel. I shared the same goal as her - to learn how to be sexy. Why did I want to be sexy? Well, I didn't think I was and I wanted to change that. Looking sexy and being sexy are two different things. With pole dancing, I'd get to hit both so it didn't take my friend much convincing I became a Fit & Fab poler after my first free class.
It started out as a fun venture but as years passed, Fit & Fab meant so much more to me. It was my oasis. My day could get really messy but pole time would be fun, empowering and warm - like family.
If you've always wanted to give pole dancing a try but are intimidated by it, I have shared below what you can expect in a pole class. It's cardio, toning and a bit of strength training in one. At the end of this blog, I will also be sharing how we can integrate art in pole dancing - the Fit & Fab way.
Please enjoy my pole dancing routine!
Back when we were still in the Pajo, Lapu-Lapu studio, our pole teachers (aka our pole mommas) would lead the warm-up. Your pole outfit can be a gym shirt and shorts but as you progress, you'd realize that the skimpier your outfit, the better your performance 😆. This could be due to your need to bring justice to your outfit, or could be because you stick better to the pole with more skin contact. There's no need to wear running shoes, being barefoot is okay. Everybody in the class would grab a mat and find a pole - this would be your spot. Your pole teacher will then blast the music and you will start with jumping jacks.
Now that the studio's closed, our pole momma's generosity opened her headquarters for us. We're now left on our own but we don't mind.
After the warm-up, the pole teacher will lead the dynamic stretching. Stretching usually takes 10-15 minutes, so warm-up plus the stretching will total at around 30 minutes. The stretching exercises go from the top to the bottom of the body. Starting from the head, neck, shoulders, hips, back, hamstrings, legs and ending in splits. The pace of the dynamic stretches is usually dictated by the pace of the pole teacher. With the right music in the background, you'll not feel as much pain from the inflexible parts of your body - it's a great diversion instrument!
Here are some of my favorite stretches in gifs. I'm wearing leggings here despite sharing that the skimpier the outfit the better your performance will be 😆. I wore leggings since I intended to practice floorworks right after this stretching session.
For now, since we are left to do the stretching on our own, I don't feel that my stretches are deeper compared to those when we were still doing them as a class. I tend to gloss over this part since there's no pole teacher supervising my every move anymore. Don't follow me - this is a recipe for injury. In my defense, I don't want my excitement to do my downloaded pole moves to wear off. Again, do this diligently!
I have to admit that this is my least favorite part of the pole class training. Why? Because this test my limits and to say that it is painful would be an understatement. Pole conditioning is strength training. I remember my pole momma said that pole dancing works out the muscles that we didn't even know existed. I didn't even know that I had a rotator cuff until a good friend and fellow pole sister 
Here are some of the pole conditioning exercises that I don't like doing 😆. The first gif shows the pole climb. This is one of the first exercises that a pole beginner can unlock. Reaching the ceiling through your pole climb is the first gateway to pole purgatory. I remember how my first pole climb went. My pole teacher tricked me into placing my faith in a pole grip called Itac. She told me that it would let my hands stick better to the pole and that it was a magic lotion that will let me reach all the way up to the ceiling (such naivety, you feel?). I placed my faith in it and I was able to climb all the way up to the ceiling. It worked! The pole studio was then filled with cheers and applause when I was able to reach the top. My coach then greeted me with a smirk on her face saying "I lied to you. It wasn't the Itac that did it, it was you."
If pole conditioning was my least favorite part of the training, this next part is my most favorite. Learning about different pole combinations gives me a sense of achievement and it allows me to give off my own flair. These are some of my most recent combos achieved. Just in case you're wondering if that is the pole is spinning, yes, that is right. You can actually set your pole to static or spinning configuration. When you start out, the pole teacher will focus on teaching you static pole tricks. As you develop your strength and grip, she'll add more fun by challenging you to do some spinning pole combos.
Now that our pole sessions aren't taught as a class anymore, my pole sisters and I usually save pole tricks by professional polers and attempt to figure them out. Our coach still assists us with proper alignment and contact points so we can nail the combo. It takes me 5 tries until I get a combo right. Sometimes less than 5 when my focus is sharp.
Here are some of the combos I nailed with the help of my coaches and pole sisters:
Like any physical activity, the cooldown will cap off the whole session. Pole dancing cooldown looks like what is shown in these gifs. It involves deep stretches and negatives of the exercises of the muscle group actively engaged during the pole conditioning and combo.
I remember back when classes were still held that during this time we practice our headstand and splits as well.
This is the Fit & Fab Studio Trademark - the Recital. Recital season is the most stressful yet fulfilling time of a Fit & Fab poler. This is where you can showcase and put together everything that you have learned from the classes. You can choose to perform a solo piece or perform with a group. As for me, I have chosen to do both as I realized that it could become an experience that will really build my confidence.
A lot of creativity is poured into this grand event. From the pole piece to the costumes to the decorations and theme - everything should be extra! That's what our pole queen mama would say. You'll be surprised at how many working girls will rise up to the occasion. Girls with 9-5 jobs go out of their busy work week to give it all in the performance. It's nerve-wracking but empowering how these women take this seriously. Performing, for me, is a selfless act in the sense that you are offering your talent in front of an audience that may or may not be pleased with your performance. Regardless, you'd still want to give it your best.
I have performed in front of people for a few times now but the nerves are still very much there. Nothing's changed except for the desire to give my audience a good show - this has been increasing every year. What keeps me grounded is the sisterhood that is going on behind the scenes. Unbeknownst to the audience, the pole sisters of the Fit & Fab tribe has in one way or another helped put together every piece just to give you a performance that you won't ever forget. Here are snippets of my 2019 recital performance:
Thank you for reading all the way through. Pole dancing is a pretty taxing workout but with the right guidance and empowering sisterhood, you'll look and feel sexy on the inside and out 🔥.
She is on a mission to become better than who she was yesterday. A chemical engineer and a financial advisor, she hopes to give value to this space as a motivated individual. She found the perfect marriage of what she wants to do in life and her mission in financial advising. She balances her work and life at the comforts of her home. She loves to meet like-minded people and watch The Bold Type in her free time. Watch this space for tales of self-improvement and self-acceptance, per Mark Manson, "the philosophical tightrope."
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