“Why Can’t I Nail This Pole Trick?”
As pole dancers, we are ambitious and determined. When we set our sites on something it is SO frustrating when we aren't achieving it. Every poler will encounter a “nemesis” trick during their pole journey, a trick they want that continues to elude them. Here are some reasons why you can’t nail that trick just yet and what you can do about it.
1. Your body isn’t actually ready for this trick yet.
Let’s talk safety; just because you want a trick doesn’t mean your body is ready to work on it. There might be other prerequisites to the trick that you don’t yet have or arn’t even aware of. As tricks get more advanced, there could be more mobility requirements or other tricks you should be comfortable with first in order to perform the desired trick safely and successfully. For example, if an active split is not in your toolbox, a bird of paradise is not right for you. Or, if you don’t have an extended butterfly, its not time for an ayesha yet. This doesn’t mean that you need to remove the trick from your goals, it just means that there are other steps you need to work on first.
The Solution: Take a step back to assess and reflect. Talk to your instructors. If the question of “is my body ready for this” isn’t a resounding yes, then you need to reevaluate your training plan.
2. You aren’t being strategic in your approach.
Throwing a trick over and over again is not the way to learn a trick. In fact, that is a great way to find yourself with an injury. Any given trick consists of multiple smaller movements. Isolate those movements and practice them. Isolate and condition the muscles that they require. Tricks are both technical (where do I put my limbs and in what order), and part strength/mobility (what position does my shoulder need to be in and how much is it pushing). Both need to be independently addressed in your training.
The Solution: If all you are doing is throwing the trick over and over, then you need to isolate the components of the trick in your practice and work on your strength and mobility. If you are already doing those things, then it’s time to try something different.
3. You’re mentally psyching yourself out.
You are SO frustrated and discouraged about not getting this trick yet. It has become a personal vendetta, and you’ve put so much pressure on yourself to overcome it. Maybe you’re even thinking you will never get this trick. These thoughts and feelings will stand in the way of actually doing the thing and are counterproductive to making progress.
The Solution: Take a step back. Breathe. Take a break from working on this trick for a bit and focus on something else. Give your emotions a chance to reset and calm down, then come back to it. This could be a day, a week, or even months. Check in with your headspace and ask yourself if your thoughts are helping or hurting your goals.
4. Your body actually needs rest.
Tired bodies (and minds) don’t perform as well as rested ones. Are you overtraining? Is this the ONLY trick you are working on? Are there other things in your life making you stressed and tired? Your mind and body is the foundation of anything you do. If they aren’t rested and taken care of, everything else will be much more challenging.
The Solution: REST! Take days off of training, take care of your body post-training, drink enough water, do recovery work, and give your body the nutrients it needs.
Still feeling stuck? Or, are you unsure of what to do next? Your Essence instructors are here to help you and would love to lay out a customized plan to crush your pole dreams with a consultation, a private lesson, or some extra accountability. Get started here: https://www.essencestudiopole.com/privates
