Who is it by?:

‘Mr Burlesque’ aka Rodney James

Who is it for?:Anyone interested in learning the art of modern Burlesque

Costs: Around £23

Buy at: Dance Fitness Institute

Candy & Chrome Rating: ****  4 out of 5 stars

Fabulous Fabulous Fabulous…no pole though









The Review

Warm Up

First things first – Rodney is shockingly camp and ultra fabulous – he takes a bit of getting used to at first in his PVC hotpants and all,  but believe me, this guy is very professional throughout, delivers instruction clearly and makes it very fun at the same time.

The first time I watched the warm up I thought it was long – but it’s not, it’s just right to be honest.  And the exercises used are very specific to what’s about to come next too, making it an effective pre-workout warm up.

Step by Step Routine

Mr Burlesque comes into effect here as he purposely over exaggerates relatively simple movements in order to let the watcher easily follow the routine and make it look sexy.  That’s really important.  Not everyone oozes sex appeal and shimmying, bodywaving, slinking and even strutting does not come naturally to so many people, myself included – we NEED to have it broken down and over exaggerated so that we can learn how to do it slowly and build up the confidence to be able to do it and make it look natural and sexy.   Mr Burlesque uses this perfectly and his movements are that much easier to follow.

The routine is burlesque inspired but modernised, reminds me of something from a Pussy Cat Dolls video.  There is no clothing removal to worry about, more like a choreographed dance routine designed to show off any curves or other assets a woman’s body may have, in a sexy way – but without being too vulgar about it.

Chair Dance Routine

Again it’s very sexy, modern and Pussy Cat Doll-esque.  Easy to follow and nice to watch too!  The clear instruction also leaves very little room to get yourself tangled in a knot around the chair or falling about the place!  it’s used more like a prop to show off your body again rather than a balancing beam!

The Challenge

In this part of the DVD, Mr Burlesque and the girls demonstrate both the step by step routine and the chair dance routine together as one, in full costume.

Rodney’s boots will cause some jealous prangs so watch out for that, but overall the girls look fabulous and the routine is sexy and fun.

One on One

And the fun isn’t over yet, in this section we join Rodney in the gym for a little bit more burlesquing which could be added to the original routines if you like.

Girlfriend Party Time

Rodney and the girls then show you his above routine in full costume and as a group to prove how fun it is and how fabulous you and your friends can look performing it all together.  This whole DVD and it’s choreography is designed to inspire NORMAL women to try the art of modern burlesque and prove that it really is for anyone, and of course that sexy is for EVERYONE!

Overall Comments

Ok like I said, Rodney takes a little getting used to at first – maybe in Australia it’s a general everyday occurrence to have your male instructor sashay around the room like a Pussy Cat Doll in PVC boots and hotpants, but for some I can see this being a little unexpected.

His clear instruction and exaggerated movements make the routines easy to follow for EVERYONE, even the not-so-co-ordinated which really makes it something that everyone can try.

The choreography is sexy without being vulgar, does not include costume or clothing removal but definitely makes full use of ‘The Art of Tease’, whilst still being modern enough to appeal to all. 

I also think the routines have something for everyone and would suit any woman regardless of shape, confidence or level of fitness.

Okay… it’s not really a Pole Dance Magazine per say, more like a collection of pole dance relative, magazine quality articles I have written – just because I’m such a big pole dweeb!  (and I’m not afraid to admit it I tells ya!).

I don’t claim to be a great writer – I probably can’t write for toffee actually.  But I really enjoy combining the experience in special interest media, with the one thing I am most passionate about, MY specialist subject, MY area of expertise and niche interest – POLE DANCING!

I thrive on information as inspiration – I like to see what’s out there and what’s possible, interview people, share stories, write about my findings.  It’s what keeps me motivated and drives me to want to always better myself.

Also, as a newbie poller – I found information about certain topics VERY limited on the net, so I have a lot of pole dance articles on here that maybe new poller’s might find helpful also, a kind of ‘basic guide to pole’ even.

So, this section – might not be a pole dance mag, it might even be badly written, I’ll let you decide…it’s just a little something I have put together to share with all the other pole dweebs, or newbies out there that might find it useful or interesting.   Check out the ‘Catalogue of Articles’ section below for a full list of content.

Love, Tiny xXx







Click on the title to view the article…..

• Why Learn to Pole Dance?
• Choosing a Pole School
• Warming-Up for Pole Dancing
• Basic Warm-Up Stretches for Pole Dance Exercise
• Cooling-Down after Pole Dancing
• Basic Strength Training & Maintenance Exercises for Pole Dance
• Basic Strength Training & Maintenance Exercises for Pole Dance…cont…
• Flexibility Training for Pole Dance Exercise
• Flexibility Training for Pole Dance Exercise…cont…
• Splits Training Exercises – Felix Cane style!
• ‘HOW TO’ take care of your X-Pole
• Grip Aids – tried & tested
• Sweaty Hands – Non-slip tricks
• Pole Dance Competitions 2010
• Polesque – An article by ‘Mr Burlesque’
• Weights Training for Pole Dance
• Pregnancy & Pole Dance Diary

Every year, new students come to Candy & Chrome to learn how to pole dance.  But why?  Why do it?  What’s in it for YOU?

There are MANY reasons why people come to our classes, but one of the biggest is because of it’s fitness benefits…..



The Fitness Benefits of Pole Dance Exercise…

Pole dancing has time and again been proved to improve:

*Cardiovascular fitness
*Assisting weight loss
*Strength & muscle development
*Flexibility
*Posture/Poise/Grace
*Balance
*Co-ordination


Pole dancing is NOT just a sport, it is outrageously good fun! It gives you something to be focused on, and get passionate about.

It’s also a fabulous accompaniment to any other fitness regime you currently have.  Most of our students who have completed even just a basic pole dance course come back feeling motivated, supported and encouraged to revive their gym or fitness regimes, which would otherwise still be festering ont the ‘to do’ list!  YOU WILL WANT to spend more time in the gym, making use of that wasted membership in order to loose that little bit of niggling weight, or improve your stamina - so that you can nail new tricks in class and build a whole repetoire of pole dance skills!

You might be very surprised at what YOU can achieve through pole dance – it’s not just about shimmying around a pole anymore!



Calories burnt whilst pole dancing…

Well this is a debatable topic in such early years of research, but it is DEFINATELY safe to say that pole dancing as a form of exercise kicks ass! Here is what we have found so far…..



Average calories burned per hour of dance:

POLE 290 calories per hour THE WINNER! (sourced from Boots.com)
Disco 261 calories per hour
Salsa 261 calories per hour
General 261 calories per hour
Ballroom 203 calories per hour
Irish step 255 calories per hour

We found this information to be a bit old though, also… it doesn’t really shed any light on what intensity level of pole dancing it is based on, for example – one hour of shimmying around a pole at a basic level of ability might burn 100-250 calories per hour, but if you were spending the hour training at a more advanced level, with higher intensity content and much more difficult moves – placing more demand on the muscles, surely that would burn even MORE calories?! 

So we had a poke arount the net again and found some more results…..

Calories burned per hour of pole dance 2:

400 According to Wiki Answers.
350 According to Polesations Yahoo group
250 According to Millymin.com
250 According to weightlossresources.com




Amazed by these figures, we decided to dig a bit deeper to try and find someone who has been able to measure it more accurately. Sadly, we only found this one post on the forum of about.com.  It is a pretty interesting find though…

“Well I scoured the web and there are a few sites that have calculated the burn of pole dancing they seem to consistently agree on anything from 400 – 600 per hour depending on how many lifts you are doing – (200 if you are just dancing around the pole no lifts/spins).

Having borrowed my friends HRM, I also found a website that lets you input for age, weight, average HRM and time and calculates the number of calories burned – (I’m not sure how accurate if it but it’s better than nothing and it seems to give me roughly the same results as the gym machines that allow details to be entered).

In a hours practice last night I burned 533 calories … anyway it lets me know I have seriosuly been under calculating my burn which is what I really wanted to know…”





Other Benefits of pole dancing lessons…

Like we said earlier, there are MANY reasons why people come to Candy & Chrome for pole dancing lessons, and the fitness benefits was just one of them.  Other good reasons include:

*Having a laugh!
*Confidence – For your body & you!
*Better self esteem
*A new hobby
*Making new friends
*Enjoying the progression, week by week
*Having a regular, weekly social activity
*Having something different to talk about!
*The support network you ONLY get with pole
*Feeling inspired
*Learning a new skill
*Embracing new sides of your personality
*Enjoying the ability to surprise oneself each lesson
*Being motivated – it rubs off in other areas of life too
*Enjoying a challenge
*Having a stronger body & stronger mind
*Feeling sexier – little by little
*Having something fun to look forward to every week

If you are wondering about joining pole dance classes and are faced with different options from different schools, CHOOSE YOUR POLE SCHOOL CAREFULLY.

As with most things, prices vary – but this is not to say one school is better than another, what is MORE important is VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY. Here are a few hints to help you dodge the cowboys, and find a class that will suit you.

Ask about the instructor’s experience…..

Have they been pole dancing themselves for at least over a year or two? Otherwise…..how would they expect to teach something they have little experience in?  Just because you walk into a class and the girl is nice and can do lots of tricks on the pole, do not assume she is experienced or a knowledgeable teacher.  As pole is such a new sport, many people are not claiming themselves as teachers with less than a year’s learning under their belt!  Similarly, just because someone waves a piece of paper about and claims they are fully qualified – the course they have completed may just be some Mickey Mouse weekend intensive or home study course, you don’t need to prove ANY skill on a pole to complete this – anyone can pay for these courses.

Keep in mind – ‘How does this compare to someone who has been pole dancing for x amount of time, or knows the mechanics of the moves well, or is an experienced mentor, or has a lot of relevant other dance/fitness history’ etc…

Ask if your instructor is dance or fitness qualified…

Anyone half serious about TEACHING a pole dance class, or any fitness/dance based class for that matter will at least have bothered themselves to study a bit about human anatomy, the effects of exercise and how to conduct a class.  Athough, this is not ALWAYS absolutely essential in many areas of fitness, as earlier stated EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE is more important.   

Ask if your instructor has insurance…

If you have a serious injury (and this can happen ANYTIME, whether you are pole dancing or just cleaning the loo!), you want to feel safe in the knowledge that the insurance will cover you.

Ask if your instructor is First Aid qualified…

As above, if you have an injury – you want to be in a position that the person controlling the room knows how to deal with it!

Do some research…

Look at the school’s website, does it look professional?  Are there plenty of pictures of the actual classes being run, and the instructor?  Is it friendly and welcoming?  Is it informative?  Forwarned is forearmed people, so lots of information shows a school that really cares for it student’s wellbeing and has the knowledge and expertise to deal with ALL of your enquiries.

What’s the student to pole ratio?

If there’s only one pole and 10 ladies expected to dance around it – how much learning will you seriously get out of that? No more than 4 ladies to a pole MAX – otherwise you’ll be waiting all day for a turn!  ALSO, ask how big the groups are…. if there’s only one instructor and 30 students (i.e. like an average aerobics class, although aerobics is ground based exercise at least!) all clambering poles does this seem safe? NO!

Ask questions before you join…

Anyone running a respectable school will be only too happy to answer your questions as best they can, with educated answers.

Look for testimonials…

From other students to see what they think of the classes being taught.

Stick with what’s important…

Yes price is ALWAYS important we know, but look at what you get for your money….comfortable and professional environment, properly equipped dance space, quality of instruction, facilities, safety, knowledge of the instructor, location, continuous help & personal tuition.

Ongoing training options…

Unless you come aways absolutely hating pole dance (unlikely), you will probably want to carry it on, either as regular exercise or to progress your skills further….does your chosen school offer options for you to do this?

Warming-up is something everyone should do to prepare their bodies before pole dance exercise,  no matter whether you are an elite sportsperson or just starting an exercise program, it is essential that you perform a warm-up. 

The traditional approach to warming-up involves a 3-7 minute period of light cardiovascular exercise, which starts at a gentle pace and gradually picks up in intensity.  This is then supplemented with a whole body stretch to loosen up the muscles. 



Why do I need to Warm-Up first?

A thorough warm-up before you perform your pole dancing routine is a crucial factor in reducing the risk of injury.  What you are trying to avoid is any sudden strenuous exercise, which could lead to the body being unable to keep up with the heart’s need for oxygen.  This potentially dangerous situation can easily be avoided by carrying out a sensible warm-up.

A good warm-up, followed by stretches can:

*Optimise your physical condition, enabling your body to cope more easily with the activities that follow.
*Increase the flexibility in your muscles, ligaments, tendons and cartilage. This reduces the risk of strains, sprains and tears.
*Improve the mobility and movement of the joints by activating the fluids surrounding your joints, reducing friction and wear and tear.
*Increase the blood flow to the muscles.
*Increase the temperature of the muscles.
*Increase the speed of muscle contraction and relaxation.
*Reduce the risk of injury during exercise.
*Reduce the risk of premature fatigue which can occur if the cardiovascular system is unprepared for strenuous activity.
*Help with mental preparation for sport.



Ok, so what should I do to Warm-Up?

Spend 3-7 minutes doing your favorite light cardiovascular exercise, make it fun!  This could be jogging, cycling, trampolining, swimming, aerobics, dancing with the Wii, chasing the dog around the garden, even vigerous cleaning will do it – two birds one stone!  Start at a gentle pace and gradually pick up in intensity.

Next, you will need to complete full body stretches – we have attached these below, with a brief description of how to get into each position properly, using the correct posture.  If you’re unsure, you can always ask you instructor to show you the strectch again, or correct your posture for you – so you will always get it right!

CLICK HERE FOR OUR SET OF FULL BODY STRETCHES

More tips for an optimum Pole Workout!

*Drink lots of plain water during and after a video or class.
*Aim to drink at least a pint during and a pint soon after the class.
*Try to avoid drinking alcohol, coffee or caffeine- laden drinks soon after any vigorous dancing – they could give you a headache.
*Just stick to plenty of fluids such as plain water, pure fruit juice or fruit or herbal teas.
*If you are hungry, have a light meal or snack. Don’t leap straight into a really heavy meal – it just won’t go down very well!
*Leave yourself rest time before bedtime if dancing in the evening. The body can take a long time to return to it’s resting state after a bout of exercise – even if the dance class is very gentle. And going straight to bed too soon after may give you a restless night.
*Make sure there’s enough time between dancing and bedtime to properly wind down.



1) LUMBAR SIDE BENDS – 8 bends right, 8 bends left.
Description:  Stand upright with your feet hips width apart and hands by your sides.  Keeping your head up & back straight, bend your upper body to the right, then centre, and to the left, then centre.  Imagine you are sandwiched between two giant panes of glass – you must keep your whole body, especially your back very straight.  Only bend so far that your hand reaches your knee each side.  NO FURTHER DOWN.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, chest out, loose knees, don’t twist the hips, don’t bend lower than the knee.

2) THORACIC TWISTS – 8 twists right, 8 twists left.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, bring both arms in front of you, placing one forearm on top of the other.  Keeping your hips forward and ONLY twisting you upper body, twist right, then centre, then left and centre again.  Keep your back straight.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, chest out, loose knees, hips forward, don’t twist the hips.


3) GASTROCNEMIUS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your right leg behind your left, keeping it very straight, both heels on the floor.  Bend your front leg, making sure your knee DOES NOT overhang your toes.  Lean forward on the bent leg, resting your body weight on it.  Push your bum out and hold the position, then swap legs.  You should feel a tightness along the lower of your back leg.
Posture:  Keep the back leg straight, heels down, front knee must NOT overhang your toes, rest body weight on bent front knee, push bum out, head up, back straight, tummy sucked in, back straight.

4) SOLEUS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, and both your legs straight.  Now lift one leg up so you are resting your weight on the ball of your foot (near the toes).  Bending both knees, drop your torso down.  Imagine you are now sat on an invisible chair.  Rest your hands on your hips, keeping your back straight and not arched and hold that position, then swap legs.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, head up, back straight, shoulders back, tummy sucked in, rest weight on the ball of the foot, bend both knees, torso dropped down, and imagine the invisible chair.

5) HIP FLEXORS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your right leg as far back behind your left as you can.  Lift your foot up onto the toes (ball of the foot), and bend the back knee towards the floor.  Bend the knee of your front leg and rest your body weight on that knee.  Gently lower your torso, thrusting your hip upwards.  Keep your back straight and hold the position.  Then swap legs.
Posture:  Bend both knees, lower torso to floor, lean body weight on front leg, thrust hips up, keep your back straight, head up, shoulders back, tummy sucked in.

6) ADDUCTORS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Stand with your legs wide split apart – obviously much wider than hips width.  Bend the left knee, leaning your bodyweight over to the left and stretching out your right leg.  Rest your hands on the bent knee.  Make sure that bent knee does not overhang your toes and push your bum out.  Lower your torso to the floor, keeping your right leg straight.  Hold the position then swap legs.
Posture:  Wide leg stance, bend left knee, do not over hand the toes with the bent knee, lean bodyweight over to the left.

7) QUADRICEPS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  Standing with your feet hips width apart, lift your right foot behind you, bending at the knee.  Hold on to the bridge of your foot and pull your leg upwards and back.  Keep your knees together and push your hips forward.  Hold the position and then swap legs.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, pull upper body up, back straight, head up, HIPS FORWARD, keep knees together, shoulders back, tummy tucked in.


8) HAMSTRINGS – Hold for 10 seconds per leg, once.
Description:  With your feet hips width apart, stretch your right leg out in front of you and lift your toes up.  Bend your left knee and bring your torso down.  Pushing your bum out, rest your hands on your bent knee and lean your bodyweight forwards slightly.  Hold the position and then swap legs.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, stretch right leg forwards, toes up, don’t allow bent knee to overhang toes, torso down, bum out, lean forwards gently, head up, back straight, tummy sucked in, shoulders back, hips forward.


9)  TRAPEZIUS – Hold for 10 seconds, once.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, tilting your head down slightly.  Now bring both arms out in front of you, placing one hand on top of the other.  Bend your elbows slightly and bring your shoulders forwards.  Imagine you are holding a giant beach ball.  Hold the position.
Posture:  Head forwards slightly, arms in front; bend the elbows, shoulders forward, one hand on top of the other, back straight, loose knees, tummy sucked in.


10)  DELTOIDS – Hold for 10 seconds per arm, once.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart, sweep your right arm across the chest, keeping it as straight as possible.  Hold it back in the crook of your left arm; do not hold it IN the elbow joint, either just in front of the elbows, or just after the elbows is fine.  Hold the position, and then swap arms.
Posture:  Sweep right arm across chest, keep arm straight, pull it back, don’t hold at the elbow joints, back straight, head up, tummy sucked in, hips forward, loose knees.


11) PECTORALS – Hold for 10 seconds, once.
Description:  Standing with your feet hips width apart, scoop your hands behind your back and interlock your fingers.  Pull your arms closer together, bringing your shoulder blades closer together also, imagine trying to get the two shoulder blades to touch.  Hold the position.
Posture:  Hands behind back, interlock fingers, pull arms closer together, pulls shoulder blades together, head up, back straight, chest out, shoulders back, tummy sucked in, hips forward, loose knees.


12) TRICEPS – Hold for 10 seconds per arm, once.
Description:  Standing with your feet hips width apart, reach your right arm over your head, bending it at the elbow.  Now use the back of your left hand to hold your right arm further back by placing it just below the right elbow.  Avoid holding the elbow joint.  Pull your arm further back and hold the position, then swap arms.
Posture:  Reach right arm over head, use back of left hand to push your arm further back, don’t hold the elbow joint, back straight, head up, shoulders back, hips forward, tummy sucked in, hips forward, loose knees.


13) NECK BENDS – Hold for 10 seconds per exercise, per side.
Description:  Stand with your feet hips width apart.  With your right hand, straighten your arm downwards, and flex your hand – this will drop your shoulder.  Tilt your head to the left and using your left hand, reach it around your head and apply a gentle amount of pressure to stretch the neck.  Hold for hold for 10 seconds.
THEN, whilst in the same position, tilt your head down to look at your left foot and hold for 10 seconds.  Repeat on the other side.
Posture:  Feet hips width apart, straighten arm down, flex hand, tilt head to one side, gently add pressure, look down at foot, back straight, hips forward, loose knees, tummy sucked in.


14) WRIST BENDS -  Hold for 5 seconds per hand, per exercise.
Description:  Bring one hand out in front of you, palm facing away front you, fingers down.  Use your other hand to pull the palm down gently, so you can feel a stretch through your wrist and forearm. Hold for 5 seconds, then turn your hand over, twisting your whole arm as you do so, so that your palm will be facing you.  Again use the other hand to push the palm down.  Hold for 5 seconds and then swap hands.  There is no need to be too concerned about your posture as these can be added in to your warm up, or be done whilst stretching legs.


15) WRIST SCRUNCHES – 10 scrunches, once.
Description:  Hold both hands out in front of you, fingers spread and palms facing away from you.  Now close your fingers and thumbs together to make a fist, then open them out again.  Do this relatively fast, ten times.  There is no need to be too concerned about your posture as these can be added in to your warm up, or be done whilst stretching legs.




16) WRIST CIRCLES – 10 circles per direction, once.
Description:  Hold both your hands out in front of you, but bending at the elbows.  Making a fist with your hands, rotate your wrists 10 times around to the left, then 10 times around to your right.  There is no need to be too concerned about your posture as these can be added in to your warm up, or be done whilst stretching legs.






Photos by Andrew Dobell

DOOM AND GLOOM - No more pole for me, as I am now officially on maternity leave.  But look how beautiful this little thing is that I will have at the end eh?

What does this mean to you?

Well, the bad news is, Chester and Frodsham venues are temporarily not in use, so no new courses or teaser sessions, or drop-in’s I’m afraid.  BUT the good news is – Queensferry is still open for drop-in’s until the end of June ish!

Drop-In’s at Queensferry will run every Sunday from 5-6pm until the 30th of May……THEN from the 6th of June until the 27th of June they will be 4:15 ish til….whenever we feel like quitting!

When am I coming back?

Erm… I am aiming for end of September time.  I am hoping for a painless, world’s easiest birth of course so all going well I will be back by then. 

What can you do in the meantime?

Well – good news…I am such a pole nerd that I have (and will still be) putting together lots of pole dance related articles for you – all interesting stuff!  You will find them in the POLE DANCE MAG section.  Also, keep an eye out for new POLE DANCE DVD REVIEWS, and of course the best bit – kep an eye out for new interviews with world class, world famous pole dancers in the INTERVIEWS & VIDEOS section – be inspired!

Other stuff I have for you – if you have joined the ‘Student’s Only Face Book Group’ you will find me uploading a ‘How To’ guide, with images and detailled descriptions as to how to get each move nailed.  Before I explain any further – First I must issue some warnings…

FOR CHRIST’S SAKE – DON’T attempt anything psychotic on your own, at least come to class for that sort of nonsense where we have insurance if you snap your neck hhhmmmmkay?
If you snap your nack at home, work will not pay you to be off sick probably and there will be no other insurance policy to cover your income if you stuff yourself up.

BE A GOOD JUDGE – you know what level you’re at and what level you’re working towards, use this as a rough guide as to which moves you choose to attempt.

THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR TUITION – These pics and descripts are designed to aid your pole practise , not for you to learn new moves from, tuition from me in class is the only way you will know how YOU are doing, if YOU are getting into this move correctly or not etc… In the pics it’s all thumbs up, cheesy Cheshire grins and looks like a piece of cake, in reality you all know it’s a lot harder then that so don’t fool yourself into thinking that you will be able to learn properly from them – but it will help your practise and become stronger and better on the pole.

DON’T GET SLACK – Please always try to warm up and cool down before/after pole. It is essential for injury prevention and improving your flexibility if you do it right. I’ll briefly explain:

WARMING UP: Jog on the spot, skip, trampoline, do aerobics, cycle, swim – whatever exercise you can for 7 mins beforehand – then move on to the stretching. This is important as if you just go ahead and stretch first, you could just tear something right away – doing this pumps the blood around the body and the synovial fluids to the joints etc…ready for action!

STRETCHES: I have put the pre pole stretches up on here with an explanation how to get into it properly. This bit is important as it elongates your muscles so that you can’t (well, you can but it reduces the chances) tear your muscles.

POLE: Yes…. pole like a MO FO!

COOLING DOWN: These are important to increase your flexibility levels (bonus) and loosen your muscles at the end of exercise so you don’t cease up and go horrendously stiff!

OKAY – Warnings done with – HAPPY POLLING! and stay tuned for more moves, I will post as often as I can!

AMY & MILLIE BUMP!

What is ‘Cooling-Down’?

The purpose of warming-up is to prepare the body for rigorous activity, whereas cooling-down is to assist in recovery and to bring the body back to a pre-workout state. 

When exercise is suddenly stopped, blood and waste products like lactic acid, stay in the muscles which can cause swelling and pain.  Post exercise muscle soreness is one of the areas where cooling-down after exercise is most useful. 

Cooling-down with some basic maintenance exercises, after your main bulk of exercise helps in returning the blood to the heart in adequate quantities to relieve the muscles off lactic acid.  The circulating blood also carries with it the oxygen and nutrients required by the muscles, tendons and ligaments for repair and growth. 

When combined with further stretches which are held for longer than the basic warm up stretches, cooling-down can help you increase your flexibility all over.





Why do I need to Cool-Down?

There are many dance classes which, although they will warm you up thoroughly before you start dancing, might not be so enthusiastic about your cool-down once the class is over.

There is a debate among dancers, athletes, doctors and physiotherapists as to whether it has any proven physical benefit - It is argued that a cool-down doesn’t work particularly well.  And doesn’t prevent soreness and cramp.

It is argued by others (some teachers and most dancers) that if you don’t cool-down by a series of gentle stretches at the end of your class, next day (and probably the day after that) will be agony.  You’ll have to make up your own mind about this and listen to your own body.

WE believe that…

*Nobody HAS TO do it – class is only an hour long and you’d only get about 20 mins of pole in if you ALWAYS completed a full warm-up, strength training & maintenance exercises, cool-down stretches, flexibility training AND splits training!  BUT if you are training at home, it WILL make you better, stronger, flexible, faster!
*Spending the extra time doing first some basic strength training exercises as the first part of your cool down WILL improve your core strength, or at least maintain it.
*Adding a few more stretches AND holding them for longer in at the end will improve your flexibility levels and posture
*Regular, gentle stretching can help you achieve the splits
*If it’s practiced by Felix Cane, it’s good enough for us!





Ok, so what should I do to Cool-Down?

An effective process for cooling-down needs to include three major parts, they work jointly to repair and replenish the body after pole dance exercise. Dizziness, nausea and a ‘worn out’ feeling are usual symptoms of an inappropriate cool-down process. For an effective cool-down, carry out a low intensity exercise (basic strength training) for a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes and follow this with a stretching routine.

The Three Elements…

Click on the capitalised sentances to see our set of exercises you can easily follow…

1) BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING FOR POLE DANCE EXERCISES, or more specialised pole conditioning exercises.

2) For the cool down stretches, you could just repeat the BASIC WARM-UP STRETCHES as a quick cool-down if you’re in a hurry, or to improve flexibility – opt for the FLEXIBILITY TRAINING FOR POLE DANCING EXERCISE, and if you’re especially keen to get the splits, follow that with some SPLITS TRAINING EXERCISES.

3) Re-Fuel!  The last part is the re-fuel, just as proper nutrition is needed before exercise to provide the fuel needed for activity, the body requires nourishment for the after pole dance exercise process of building muscles so water, minerals and carbohydrates are all needed.

NOTE:  There are a few more exercises on the next page, please CLICK HERE to see the rest.

1) PRESS UPS, BASIC – Raise twice, lower twice for 2 sets of  8 reps.
Description:  Kneel on all fours – knees together, back straight, hands shoulder width apart, head up.  Bring your chest down half way, then down full, then up half way, then up fully, locking your arms straight when up fully, and gently bending them when in motion.
Posture:  Knees together, back straight, head up, hands shoulder width apart, elbows bent, tummy sucked in, up for 2, down for 2.





2) PRESS UPS, INCREASED DIFFICULTY – Raise twice, lower twice, for 2 sets of 8 reps.
Description:  Stay in the above position, only cross one foot over the other and lift both feet up slightly.  Repeat process of raise twice, lower twice for 8 reps.  Hold posture.






3) PRESS UPS, MAXIMUM DIFFICULTY – Raise twice, lower twice, for 2 sets of 8 reps.
Description:  Keep upper body in above position, only extend BOTH legs straight behind you and curl your toes so your weight is resting on the ball of your feet.  Repeat process of raise twice, lower twice, for 8 reps.  Hold posture.






4) ADDUCTORS, BASIC – Raise twice, lower twice, for 2 sets of 8 reps per leg.
Description:  Lie on your side, propping your head up with your right arm.  Extend your right leg straight, flexing your foot.  Cross your left leg over your right knee, resting the left foot flat on the floor.  Raise the right leg up twice, then down twice.  Repeat for two sets of 8, then swap sides and repeat again for two sets of 8 reps.
Posture:  Lie on your side, rest head on hand, back straight, hips forward, tummy sucked in, extended right leg, flexed foot, bent left knee, foot flat on floor.




5) ADDUCTORS, INCREASED DIFFICULTY – Raise twice, lower twice, for 2 sets of 8 reps per leg.
Description:  Stay in the above position, only instead of crossing the left leg over the top of the right leg, place it BEHIND the right leg in the same was as before.  Hold posture.






6) SITUPS, BASIC – Raise twice, lower twice, for 2 sets of 8 reps.
Description:  Lie on the flat of your back, with your knees bent at a 90 degree angle and feet flat on the floor.  Place your hands on your thighs.  Keeping your head up and your tummy sucked in, lift your torso up half way, then up fully, then lower half way, then lower fully.  Repeat for two sets of eight reps.
Posture:  Lie flat on back, knees bent, back straight, tummy sucked in, head up, feet flat.




7) SITUPS, INCREASED DIFFICULTY 1 – Raise twice, lower twice for 2 sets of 8 reps.
Description: Stay in previous position, only this time cross your hands over your chest. Hold posture.








8) SITUPS, INCREASED DIFFICULTY 2 – Raise twice, lower twice for 2 sets of 8 reps.
Description:  From the previous position, place your hands behind your head, but not HOLDING your head.  Hold posture.






9) SITUPS, MAXIMUM DIFFICULTY – Raise twice, lower twice, for 2 sets of 8 reps.
Description:  From the previous position, raise both hands above your head, arms stretched fully.  Hold posture.



Photos by Andrew Dobell


NOTE:  There are a few more exercises on the next page, please CLICK HERE to see the rest.