Pole Frustrations - Pushing Through a Plateau
One of the biggest hurdles you may bump into during your pole dance journey is hitting a plateau. You may be training just as much, or possibly even more than normal but for some reason, you just aren’t progressing. We get it, it’s frustrating and can be disheartening to feel like your training isn’t getting you anywhere.
Hitting a plateau is a totally normal part of training any sport and pole is no exception! Don’t worry though - our lovely instructor Tania from Altitude Pole Nelson is here to share her top tips to get you past the plateau and back into training like a #boss
So Tania, tell us about when you’ve hit plateaus in the past
I have hit many a plateau throughout my pole and aerials journal, I have always found that they come right around the time you start feeling good about what you’re doing.
Just when you feel like you’re keeping up in classes, and nailing those moves you want, the dreaded plateau creeps in. Let’s be honest, it feels awful, and those mean thoughts pop in your head saying that you aren’t any good, that everyone else is so much better, that you’re a failure, and the worst one of all – you should quit.
None of this is even slightly true, but it can be hard to get past it. Never forget to be kind to yourself and remember all the amazing things you’ve already achieved. Do you think just anyone can hang on to a pole? No way!
What are your thoughts on including non-pole related exercise into your schedule?
I think it’s entirely up to you. Is cross-training a great and wonderful thing – yes! Is it necessary – no!
Only in the last couple of years of my pole journey have I started going to the gym to help with my pole training, and realistically it’s because I’m impatient. I want to build strength faster and do cooler things sooner. It’s one of those things that you should only do if it brings you happiness. For me, gyms and other sports never did that, so I didn’t go. Now the thought of making myself stronger for the things I love, such as pole and aerials, motivates me and makes the gym sessions a little happier.
How about supplementary classes like stretch or floorwork?
These are so great! If only I could turn back the clocks and commit myself to stretch classes earlier, I would be much happier now. Stretch classes will help your training just as much as the levelled classes will. Having a little extra flexibility can sometimes be the make or break of a move!
Other classes like floorwork or the dance classes are so much fun, and we need that! We can get so focused on improving that we lose the fun sometimes, and that’s not okay! Go enjoy rolling around on the floor, or shaking your butt!
Is there anything specific that might cause a pole dance plateau?
Nope! Not to my knowledge. Could be stress, could be an injury, or maybe you got out of bed on the wrong side or stepped on a crack on the pavement. Sometimes these things just happen for no good reason other than to test our patience. So remember, it’s not your fault!
What can we do to push through a plateau?
In my experience, the best thing to do is to have some fun and change your focus for a little while. Go back to the previous level and work on absolutely nailing all those moves. Try a different class and give something you’ve never tried a go! Whether it be a different apparatus, a stretch class, a dance class or anything else, just change it up a little and give yourself a break. You’re still working out, but you are giving yourself some wins and that can do so much for us.
Do you have any other words of wisdom that you’d like to share with us?
You will get through the plateaus, as much as you may feel you will be stuck forever that is not the case. We’ve all been there, done that, moved on and continued growing and you will too!
And never forget to take some time to just have fun! It’s amazing what you can get done when you’re relaxed and playing around
