Doing Pole Sport & Strength Training at the Same Time?: 8 Tips to Get You Going
I was saying to a lovely lady the other day, "you can have more than one love when it comes to fitness." And nothing could be more true!
I like to do a lot of modalities of training. Outside of pole sport, I really like a traditional dance class. I also like Barre, I like Pilates, I like dance cardio, I like step aerobics, I like mobility/flexibility training, I like strength training, etc. I have interests in Olympic Weightlifting & Powerlifting as a hobbyist.
You can have more than one kind fitness love in your life. It doesn't make you a bad dancer. You're not betraying your studio by going to the gym and lifting heavy. You're just a well-rounded person that has fitness goals! Good for you!
When it comes to the realm of strength training and power-based training it is important to consider some of these tips that I've come by trying to do both loves for over a year. As I'm a rookie to the science of exercise training I will do my best to explain why I'm leaving these tips here, but know this is not an exhaustive list.
Please consult your physician or any professionals involved in your training before adding a new modality to your programming.
Okay now onto some tips that have helped me.
TIP 1: YOU SHOULD INCORPORATE MOBILITY & STRETCHING IF YOU STRENGTH TRAIN AS A POLE DANCER
A phrase that I like to use a lot to make this simple.
"If you strengthen the muscle, you should also lengthen the muscle."
Why do this? One, you'll feel better. Stretching AFTER strength training helps maintain and/or improve your range of motion, promotes healing of the muscle tissue, as well as helps lower your heart rate properly. I recommend if you're short on time to do 3 sets of 30 second hold on each of the main muscles you were targeting that day. And breathe through it. It should be uncomfortable but not painful.
When you micro-tear muscles during strength training (this is a good thing) that doesn't mean during the repair process that the muscle becomes more pliable. In fact, a lot of the time it shortens the muscle bit by bit. What this means is a dancer's flexibility may be lost temporarily and if one does long term habitual strength training - permanent loss in flexibility. So STRETCH after your session to promote muscle elasticity to maintain your current flexibility as well as increase it while you strengthen.
It will make you a healthier dancer and less prone to injury. More bulletproof. This is GOOD!
TIP 2: MONITOR YOUR TOTAL VOLUME IN KEY MOVEMENT PATTERNS FOR POLE TO PREVENT INJURY
Some of the most common injuries that happen in pole sport come from the shoulder joint complex, the wrist/forearms, and the ankles. Some injuries that I am aware of are hamstring tears, rotator cuff tears, and chronic pain/stiffness in the back. Due to the heavy volume on the shoulder complex in the pole, I normally recommend not training the back/shoulders more than once a week. I say that because you will be training the back while doing pole and too much of a good thing (training the back/shoulders) is now no longer a good thing when it comes to injury.
Because of this extra volume in the back and shoulders doing aerial, preventing muscular imbalances by doing more training on the lower half of the body as well as the chest and core can be a better use of your time. Again what exercises to do, how much to do, and how to do them is going to be completely unique to each person. So please consult a fitness professional who can look at your movement patterns to give you some direction.
So try things out. If you feel pain STOP. If you feel abnormal levels of discomfort and stiffness in your shoulders/back after 4 days of training it, preventing you from attending practice, then limit your volume of training by getting rid of exercises or training that area of the body less until you can safely manage normal levels of fatigue while also training for pole. It's better to progress slower in the upper body than go too hard and get hurt.
TIP 3: FOCUS ON MUSCLE GROUPS THAT WILL APPLY TO STABILITY & BALANCE IN THE AIR WHILE DANCING
One of the largest muscle groups in the body that when activated gives someone greater stability is the glutes (other than your core).
How many times have your heard your pole instructor say, "squeeze your butt." Too many. And I can even play back practice tapes and hear them yelling it from across the room while in the middle of a transition.
The gluteus medius in particular firing properly is key to a lot of stability in single leg activation as well as isometric contraction of the glutes while in the air. This is often a tight area of the body for people who work office jobs and it is recommended that you spend extra time working on this area.
There are other ones but this is the most common I've seen so I'll focus on this for now. A list of exercises off the top of my head that can really help with training the gluteus medius are the following:
a) Monster Band Walks | Lateral Band Walks
b) Side Lying Leg Raises (With Band)
c) Side Planks w/ Leg Lift
d) Lateral Lunges / Cossack Squats
e) Fire Hydrants (With Band)
f) Single Leg Balancing (I like Single Leg High Step Overs & Backwards Step Overs)
g) Crossover Step-Ups (And Reverse)
h) Clam Shells (With Band)
i) Cable Kickbacks w/ Abduction
TIP 4: YOUR STYLE OF DANCE WOULD DICTATE WHAT YOU PRIORITIZE IN YOUR TRAINING
Think about how you like to pole dance. This will guide you towards how you should train outside the gym. Again not an exhaustive list but to give you some direction:
Like strong dynamic movements? --- Strength & Power Training will help.
Like high energy/stamina movements? --- HIIT & Cardiovascular Training & Muscular Endurance
Like lyrical flow? --- Pilates/Yoga & Mobility & Barre Training
Like Heels? --- Mobility & Calisthenics & Strength Training
TIP 5: ADD STRENGTH 1 SESSION AT A TIME TO FIND THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FATIGUE
For most people it is recommended to do strength training 2-3 days a week for at least 30 minutes (but professionally I think you get more out of an hour) with experienced lifters to train 4-5 days a week in a split fashion. Well pole sport athletes are not most people, and since pole sport is a form of bodyweight strength training, consider every 2 classes in the studio to be the equivalent of 1 strength training session in terms of volume.
Start slow and just add one strength training session at a time until you reach your body's recommended amount of volume. You can tell by how well your body is recovering from your training and your progression. If you have questions about this feel free consult your friendly neighborhood exercise recovery specialist like myself.
TIP 6: DE-LOAD 1-2 WEEKS BEFORE A PERFORMANCE
Make sure you give your body adequate rest before a performance. So stick with stretching and mobility drills to keep your body limber and strong but don't get sore. You want to get un-sore!
Like one of my personal trainers used to say, "You're not going to gain enough muscle in those two weeks before your performance to make a difference in your score, so just focus on making sure you can do them well and with ease."
Couldn't agree more.
Ways I like to de-load outside of flexibility and mobility is meditation, going for walks out in nature, playing on the playground with my kid, going swimming (not lap swimming), aerobic training that is low/moderate impact, and lounge on the couch (yes I am a trainer and I'm saying rest by lounging ha!)
TIP 7: KEEPING YOUR TRAINING POLE FOCUSED HELPS YOU MANAGE PROGRESSION
It's easy to get distracted by your to-do list and all the things you need to work on to improve. So think of strength training like the seasons of the year. In the fall focus on improving hip mobility, winter work on improving stability in the shoulders, spring focus on power in the quads, etc.
This tends to help me stay focused on one technique, one theme for my training, etc. because you can easily feel demotivated by having too much to work on. And it can greatly affect your self-esteem and confidence as a dancer.
Avoid this mentality by sticking with a smaller goal that is specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound to keep you on track.
A personal trainer is a great person to help you get to the root of your goal and give you ideas on how to make it more realistic with timelines that will keep you SANE and reduce the risk of injury. All good things!
My trainer does a great job at keeping everything a conversation and helping me narrow my focus on the most important priorities for me to not get hurt. Then when I have time I can dabble in other things.
TIP 8: THERE ARE MANY TRAINING MODALITIES FOR STRENGTH, FIND WHAT YOU LIKE AND DO WHAT YOU LIKE
In my neck of the woods there is always a lot of chatter about...
"The best exercise for the glutes is ..."
"This exercise is less efficient because..."
"I don't like (exercise) because..."
Here's the real truth. IT ALL DEPENDS. Training should be specific to you and your goals as well as something you like to do.
Because if you don't like it, you're not going to stay motivated or be consistent. Besides, there are viable variations for absolutely everything. For most people you don't need to nitpick yourself to death on finding the best exercises unless you're competitive in a sport where the fine details do matter to an extent. But if your goal is just an increased baseline of strength - like they say, "there are a million ways to skin a cat."
Just off the top of my head, there are machines, barbells, dumbbells, cables, resistance bands, kettlebells, Pilates balls, stability balls, medicine balls, hammer strikes, tires, rope climbing, suspension systems, and your own body to work on strength. AND MUCH MORE.
So play around with all kinds of equipment. Find the exercises you like and stick with them. After a while, change it up if you get bored. If the exercises get too easy, talk to a trainer and let them show you how to make it more challenging for your body.
The gym is your playground. Have fun with it. Don't be uptight about it. Be open minded. Have a good time.
So there ya go friends. Hopefully this gives you a little bit of direction on where to start, and if you're still lost, speaking with a personal trainer, a physical therapist, or your dance instructor is a good place to start!
