Thinking of starting pole? Here's what you need to know...

Are you ready to book in for your first pole dancing lesson? That's awesome! You're about to enter a world where fun and fitness go hand in hand 🤸‍♀️

Before you get started, we're sure you have a bunch of questions about what to expect, so we've put together the hot goss you need to know ready for your first pole class ❤️️

So you've booked in to your first class (yayyy!!) but you have no idea what to wear? If you've been watching videos online you're probably wondering how the "underwear" all the pole dancers wear even stays in place! You don't need to worry about all that just yet - the exciting world of pole fashion comes later on in your journey.

For now, all you need to think about wearing is a pair of shorts and a comfortable top. You'll want shorts rather than pants or leggings so that you have some skin to grip to the pole. It's the perfect excuse to dig out those old CCC stubbies from the back of your closet! Any athletic shorts will do nicely 🦵️

A pole class at Altitude starts with a warmup. This is normally 1-2 songs worth of some simple movements to wake up your muscles ready for class, followed by some light stretching. If you are a little late for your warmup your instructor may dish you out some burpees so it pays to arrive 5-10 mins before class starts!
After your warmup you'll be doing some "pole conditioning", which is some on the pole drills and skills to help prepare your body for the next levels (think of it like how you have to crawl before you can walk).

Then comes the fun stuff - the majority of your class will be learning pole skills! This means tricks, poses and spins (oh my)! Towards the end of class you'll even get to put what you've learned into action - we turn the music up so you can dance your wee heart out! 🎵❤️️

At the end of class we'll do some cool down stretches to make sure your body is well looked after ready for your next lesson 🧘‍♀️

When you start pole, you will probably notice that certain moves and feel a bit, errr....spicy 🔥🤕 This is totally normal - you're putting your bodyweight into a metal pole, there will be some owchies along the way! You can expect bumps and bruises, especially when you're first starting before your body has had time to adapt to the pole.

Over time your skin will get used to the pole and moves will get less painful (this is one of the reasons why we do the conditioning drills and skills at the start of class!). Persistence is key. If you know your bodies limits and move at your own pace you'll find even the trickiest, most painful moves can become easy and even somewhat comfortable over time!

Ok so this may come as a surprise, but the poles can be really slippery! Between sweaty hands and metal there's going to be a few slip n' slide moments 💦

To help make the poles a little more grippy we have spray bottles with meths and some studio towels for you to wipe down your pole with. Use two or three spritzes of meths on your towel and give the pole a thorough wipe whenever you feel like the pole is getting a little too sweaty for your liking 🥵️

Something that you can do to help with your grip is to wait until after class to use any moisturizers or lotions, and practice strengthening your hand grip at home with a squeezy ball.

Our students all come from different backgrounds, whether it's in dance, gymnastics or competitive Netflix binge-watching 📺 Whether you have any fitness background or not, your journey will be unique to you ✌️

In your first class you will probably be surrounded by a mixture of people, from first-timers to those who are almost ready to progress up to the next level. We have a "compliment, don't compare" policy in class where we try not to compare how we're doing to others - your only competition is yourself! Plus if you showed up to your first class and could do everything, would there be much of a point in going? Pole should be a challenge! That's what makes it fun 🤸‍♀️

If you're ready to sign up, get in touch - we can't wait to see you there!!