Cross Training for Pole Sport: My Heart off the Pole
The first thing people normally ask me when they hear I do pole sport is, “What is pole sport?”
Fair Question.
Basically I do climbs, poses, flips, inversions, and really cool gymnastic tricks using BOTH spinning and a static 45mm chrome pole. And I dance not only on the pole, but on the stage surrounding the pole. Think of it like calisthenics, gymnastics, and dance combined. But my fitness journey didn’t start with pole and it’s important I bring this up because it gives context to some of my cross training modalities.
THE BEGINNING OF MY FITNESS JOURNEY
I remember the moment when I embarked on my fitness journey. It was late June 2019. I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror at 24 years of age and I can’t explain how, but suddenly something inside me just snapped.
For years I had struggled with undereating & binge cycling. My workouts consisted of running, running, walking, running, and more running. I hated "working out". Weights scared me if they were over 5lbs, and I was convinced that looking like an athlete was never in the cards for me because "I didn't do sports in high school."
I remember looking myself in the eye and saying, “If you want to be an athlete someday, be like one.” I signed up for the gym and a women’s weightlifting group and did my first barbell back squat the next day.
I was so sore I could barely walk for 3 days but I kept showing up. That was my ONLY goal - to show up. I found the love for the barbell I didn’t think I would ever have. Now I look at my current training program and it doesn't surprise me that conditioning for power based movements and barbell focused weightlifting and/or powerlifting became a part of my weekly programming.
Was it easy? Absolutely not. But I learned confidence in the weight room. Which I think is the hardest skill for a woman to learn in the gym. Which is why today I am very passionate about strength training as a woman even though I'm still fine tuning my technique and getting better at my lifts. And if someday I ever become a trainer, working every woman or man I train up to the barbell will be a core foundation of my progressive overloading program for those with those goals. So yes I'm going to be "THAT" female trainer - and I'm not sorry.
MY FIRST PLATEAU
After two years of training, having a baby, and postpartum recovery I hit my first plateau and needed to get a trainer to get me out of my rut. His name was Stephen. Stephen taught me how to enjoy training hard, and that it could be fun at the same time. It wasn't that I wasn't training - just not hard enough. He gave me a strict nutritional plan and a cardio training timeline. I hung onto every word and did everything exactly as he said to (I know I’m a great client) lol. I completely surpassed my goal and I was on the road to next level fitness.
Now he’s my long term boyfriend and the best cheerleader for me in all things fitness - just not my trainer anymore (for obvious reasons). THEN I FOUND POLE.
MY POLE SPORT BEGINNINGS
I learned about pole sport from a mutual friend. She was showing me videos and I wanted to give it a shot. Instantly I fell in love with the sport and I pursue it passionately. It checks all the boxes for me and I knew from the beginning I wanted to be competitive so I joined the competition team just 7 months later.
I realized as soon as I watched some of the competition tapes that I had a great foundation of strength from all the training I did before, but now I have to take it up a notch. So I got a sports trainer. His name was Zach. He kicked my literal butt every single week and he got me into athletic style training - which was harder than anything I’ve done before. However I got the most results I ever got in my fitness journey as far as lean mass. I hit my first pull-up, I got strong enough to power clean safely, and my body composition completely transformed. To the point where my own boyfriend made comments about how big I was getting - that felt great. My pole performance skyrocketed. Everything was great. And then I hit THE WALL.
THE WALL
My dream since I started this sport was to make the national team. Or at least be able to do some of the key moves that qualify a female for the national team. I am currently on my way to those moves which is to be expected for my level and we are on track for the traditional amount of time of 5-6 more years.
For a lot of us though, genetic disadvantages don’t stop us from dancing. In fact I see women of every shape, size, age, and background do incredible things in pole. This can be empowering and fulfilling for many dancers who might have struggled with their body image in the past. However, there is always a point where a dancer hits their wall - what I call the-
-“something that is preventing them from hitting (insert move) because they need to do (insert thing)”.
The higher the level you get, the more you feel the wall - and this tests a dancer’s resilience to the demands of the sport and forces them to decide if they want to enjoy this experience or have it break them.
I am very familiar with my wall - the wall contains a lot of things I can work on, and a lot of things I can’t change.
HITTING MY WALL
My wall came when one day I felt tingling sensations going down my entire back after a simple shoulder press. I knew something was horribly wrong and I was right. My mid-back had locked up completely - and I needed to rehab it or I could seriously injure myself. The lock up was causing improper rotation of my shoulder and causing it to impinge. Not only that but I did not know how to activate my pelvic floor correctly since giving birth so I needed to re-train that to help the situation. If not corrected I would have torn my shoulder trying to do the sport I love. So I found my WALL, and I had to get to work.
So I spent over the course of the last few months trying to figure out how to train so that I don’t have recurring symptoms. My spine is still a work in progress but I was able to snap, crackle, pop my way to be tightness free and strengthen the newly mobile muscles so they stay open and strong.
So not only was my back lacking serious mobility, but my own biology makes things interesting. Mobile-ish Hips but getting better every week - Great. Short Hamstrings that hate flexion - Not Great. A lot of muscle - Great! Long Limbs that hate extending - Not Great. High Endurance/Stamina - Great. Microbends - Not Great. Being tall makes things challenging, flexibility training is challenging, strength training is challenging, —but holy cow when I nail a move and I fully extend - nothing is more satisfying. They are long, powerful, and frankly I amaze myself sometimes. IF ONLY I CAN GET THOSE LINES IN EVERY MOVE IMAGINABLE and have ZERO MICROBENDS and PERFECT CONTROL 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME. Ha!
At times I can get overwhelmed because I have to work on SO MANY THINGS. But what I’ve come to realize is that training comes with seasons. You hit the higher priority stuff first, so that you can have a great base to work from. Fixing my back has been my top priority and so far I’ve made amazing progress all around with what I would consider the minimum regression possible.
With my increased range my full ROM chin up has regressed a lot. But I know the more I work at it the faster it will be to get back to where I was and not only that but I will be even stronger. So yes it can be frustrating when you see regressions as an athlete. But I keep remembering that I can do either a 95 lb. full depth squat and get a great stimulus, or a significantly higher half squat and not target what I was hoping to in the movement as well. For me at this time in my life it is the 95lb full depth squat.
I was able to do this with the help of my physical therapist Tia at MVMT Performance and Rehab as well as a new trainer named Spencer. Spencer likes to work end range strength, mobility, and corrective exercise. At first I was hesitant because his background in running brings back challenging emotions for me as an athlete so I wasn't sure I could handle it. However, after a month of working with him I realized that what he likes to program was supplementing my physical therapy programming and I felt like this trainer was meant to be paired with me at this time of my life as an athlete.
To be compatible with a trainer who understands the season I’m in and can get me to narrow my focus on what’s most important for me right now has been tremendously helpful. Fitness is kind of funny because the needs of the body are constantly adapting based on the stress we put it under. Mobility and Ability at end range has been the most important thing for me right now. So yeah I'm not on the barbell "throwing" hella weight around but instead going lighter and deeper into my range, moving slower and making sure I am in control of every phase of the movement. Is it sexy? Not really - but I've seen more benefits from this than going for a deadlift PR so for now this is what I'm going to do.
So every week I can see myself moving with mobility that gives me more flexibility in the shapes I can make as a dancer. Most dancers will understand when I say this that nothing is more frustrating than trying to hit a shape you want but can't get into, or move between two shapes without fluidity. To see that area of my training improve hits right in the core of every dancer and it gives me some excitement for what I can present next competitive season.
SO WHAT’S THE POINT OF WRITING THIS?
So yes, I’m training for a sport that I LOVE. So yes my body adapts and a happy benefit of pole is an absolutely insane core and a shredded back (because we use every muscle in the back that exists I promise). But here’s the raw truth.
The truth is everyone sees a happy, giddy, positive young woman until the moment I leave the studio and get in my car. I am exhausted, anxious about getting humiliated again in competition, trying to fit in, lonely, and just trying to be the best all-around athlete possible. People think I have it all together - that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I work hard so that I have no excuses as to why I can't do something. I used to tell myself why I can't all the time, now I ask myself, "why not try?"
I know it is easy to look at me and think “Well you have nothing to complain about.” Yeah I know. Did I put in a lot of work to feel somewhat comfortable in my body? Yes. Am I happy with my body? Sometimes. And the more fitness you gain, the faster it is to see yourself lose it because body dysmorphia hits you like bricks.
There is never enough time to do what I would like to do with my day. Never enough conditioning in place to do what I’m looking at doing.
This is what it is like to be an athlete and do pole sport. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels this way and I certainly won’t be the last.
HOW TO CROSS-TRAIN FOR POLE
The best way to start cross-training for pole is to establish a specific, measurable, and attainable goal within a reasonable timeline. So find the specific thing you would like to tackle and work on that. For me it is my back ability from the top down. So I am focusing on mobility from the neck all the way down to the ankles/feet. But what I would recommend would be dependent on what you're trying to accomplish. However there are some common ones so I will offer some suggestions below.
Goal: Build more Stamina. Then I would suggest cross-training with dance cardio and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This helps with not only endurance but training high intensity endurance is critical for being able to be consistent in your power/explosiveness consistently over a four minute routine.
Goal: Be more flexible. Then I would suggest getting a membership at the gym and combine mobility training, loaded stretching, end range strengthening, and a weekly yoga practice. At my studio we have a bendy class. If that is offered take that class as much as you can. Make sure you work mobility before you train, and stretch for 10-15 minutes after you train. Studies show that 10 sets of 30sec hold stretches per week bring the best results for long lasting flexibility gains in the area you're targeting. Just be sure to not overstretch or push it too hard. Be patient and have it just be a habitual long term plan.
Goal: Build more strength. Pole sport athletes need a strong core, pelvic floor, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, and back. Out of all the areas this is what matters probably the most. Focus your training in the gym on movements that simulate similar movements that also work on stability of the shoulders and knees. I could offer a plethora of exercises but wood choppers high and low and low to high are some of the best for working your entire back, core, and shoulder stability. I also personally love a great single leg RDL, assisted chin ups in pronated, supinated, and neutral grips, reverse squats on the cable machine, landmine squat to press, and hamstring curls lying on your stomach with the cable machine. If you haven't done those yet give those a go. Just don't forget to do the big three barbell exercises or a variation thereof. Deadlift, Squat, and Bench. Some of the most critical gains I have made as a dancer was after developing a strong bench. Only caveat is to be mindful of overuse injuries training your back and shoulders, Feel it out and don't work those muscles if they are overly fatigued. :)
Goal: Eliminate Microbends. Then I highly recommend taking a ballet class or do actual ballet barre exercises on the barre with a ballet instructor. This was HUGE for me in knowing how to activate multiple muscle groups at the same time to build stability and understand the mechanics of keeping my legs straight in the air.
Goal: Improve your Floor Work/Dancing. Then take different dance classes covering different styles and modalities. Take advantage of all the workshop offerings at your studio and do a weekly practice of floor work. Make it a weekly habit to learn styles of dance like jazz, hip hop, ballet, whacking, breakdance, burlesque, etc. Whatever floats your boat. It is when we are exposed to many different modalities is where we become comfortable flowing freely on the ground and in the air.
Goal: Hit Power Moves on the Pole. If flag, iron X, handsprings, handstands, fonji, flips, etc. is your highest priority, then I highly recommend developing a Calisthenics practice at the gym. Please do proper research as I am only in the earliest phase of my calisthenics training and do not have as much experience in this area. I highly recommend it for any experienced pole dancer that needs to get through a plateau they may have with a strong strength baseline already in place. Meaning you can do 10 pull ups, 10 push ups, etc. without fatigue, etc.
MY TRAINING REGIMEN
For those who are curious I'm going to relay my training regimen. This isn't always 100 percent accurate because the demands of life can throw you curveballs but this regimen is relatively consistent week to week so I'll post it below. Keep in mind I've been training for awhile so my body has been adapting and this volume is being monitored by professionals so do not attempt this amount of volume without careful consideration.
My cycle of training is a 6 week cycle. For the first five weeks I do the following.
Monday: Day 1 of Training
Typically this day I work on physical therapy exercises and mobility for 1 hour before meeting with my trainer to do our session and get "homework for the week." Then I do dance cardio for 45 minutes after I'm done with work and then some days if I'm feeling good I hit the studio for an hour.
Tuesday: Day 2 of Training
Traditionally I reserve two hours every morning to work my mobility, do my physical therapy exercises, and strength training in the gym. Then if I'm feeling good I'll do some high intensity cardio for 30 minutes or if I'm sore I'll just go for a walk. I also typically see my physical therapist on this day.
Wednesday: Day 3 of Training
Usually this is a repeat of Tuesday except if I couldn't do pole training on Monday, I would typically add an hour or two of pole training this day.
Thursday: Day 4 of Training
Usually I'm starting my day with functional cardio for 30 minutes, then I do 45 minutes of Barre. Then I spend 1-2 hours in the studio after work. Consider this my "Dance Training Day".
Friday: Day 5 of Training
Usually I work on mobility for an hour or make up any exercises I miss and then I do some muscular endurance training as an active recovery drill for 45 minutes. Then the afternoon I reserve for whatever I feel like doing that day. Consider it a freestyle. Basically I listen to my body and determine what I need to do based on my fatigue level.
Saturday: Day 6 Active Recovery Day
This day I like to do cardio for 30 minutes, then spend some time in the studio practicing skills or doing some pole conditioning or a different apparatus. This is not a day where I push myself hard, and I'm more vigilant about safety and making sure I can recover adequately for Monday. On occasion if I am recovered (usually I'm not) I hit up the gym and work on handstands or loaded stretching.
Sunday: Day 7 Freestyle/Recovery Day
It depends on the amount of cumulative fatigue I have what I end up doing. If I need more rest this day is a HARD rest. Meaning I do nothing other than walking or stretching. Otherwise this is typically a day where I may do some form of light cardio or do some physical therapy exercises to rest up. I used to practice in the studio but now I only reserve it for show season which is 6 weeks out of the year otherwise it fatigues me too much.
EVERY SIX WEEKS I DO A DELOAD WEEK.
This deload week I do not train hard. I go for half the weight, less reps, less sets. And prioritize more time for stretching, mobility, and hard recovery. I do only enough to get warm and promote healing, but not to the point of fatigue. This week I usually walk a lot on the treadmill/outside. In the studio I limit how much time I am upside down and I don't do things that cause fatigue. This is also the week I like to hit up a Yoga class and measure my mobility improvements since working on it. It's a nice motivator so that I can conquer my next training cycle.
I used to do more than this, but that wasn't working and I got too fatigued so now I have been sticking with this and it's been my sweet spot as balancing hard training, conditioning for sport, and my mobility drills without tearing my body up too much. This took 4 YEARS TO FIND THE SWEET SPOT FOR ME. And it will most likely change again as I age. For now this is working for me and getting me results so I'm going to stick with it.
I hope whomever reads this finds this helpful and get a little glimpse into my life and my training.
That's all I have for you for now. If you have any questions please reach out to your instructor, doctor, physical therapist, or personal trainer depending on the kind of question.
Happy Training!
