Splits training with Felix Cane!

Last week, two of my favourite training buddies and I decided to embark on a mad fucker of a mission to attempt to cram in as many online exercise classes (be they stretch, pole or dance related in some way) as possible into the week. It was bloody knackering and I definitely had to sit the odd class or two out (yes a blog will be written about the whole experience at some point!) but Christ alive what a week it was! As much as I was nervous for the entire week, for fear that my legs may very well disintegrate and drop off by Friday, there was one class that I had extra-large, Mothra sized butterflies about attending , front splits stretching with none other than Felix mother fucking Cane!

If you have read a fair few Chrome Chronicles blogs, you will know how much of a shameless Felix Cane fan girl I am. I bloody love her. She really needs no explanation, but for those of you who have just begun your exciting journey into the world of pole dance, Felix is one of the original pole dance OGs. She won the prestigious Miss Pole Dance Australia competition back in 2006 (and has won a shitload of competitions since), is a guru of all things flexibility related and (I believe) is the inventor of the infamous move the Spatchcock to name a few. If you find yourself with a nice chunk of free time, head over to Felix’s Instagram and treat yourself to an afternoon of gawping at her incredible dancing prowess.

I mean just look at this goddess among mere mortals!

Now, as someone who as stalked Felix’s Instagram countless times and is a self-confessed Felix fangirl, I was shitting my pantaloons about taking her front splits class. I’m not going to bullshit you all, so I must confess that I was somewhat intimidated to be taking an online class with Felix. As I’ve explained many times, I have very limited dance (did a piddly bit of ballet as a kid and struggled at it) or stretching (did an even piddlier bit of Yoga a handful of times) background prior to starting pole. As it currently stands, my splits are getting there, but I am in no way ready to call myself an official Bendy Wendy yet- and am pretty fucking far from the level of mighty Felix! Naturally as someone who is prone to bouts of anxiety, unhelpful worrying questions were popping up in my mind left right and centre prior to the class taking place. Was I going to fail? Was the class going to be all mega flexy legs and over splits ahoy? Fuck would I even get up in time?! The class was taking pace at 3pm Perth (Australia) time, which equated to 8am UK time. I sure as hell am not a morning person, so being up and stretching at 8am for me wouldn’t feel pretty, especially during my week off. Oh shit, what was I letting myself in for?

Disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through and make a purchase.

An absolutely bloody brilliant stretch class that’s what.

Felix was an Australian Mary Poppins from start to finish. Everything about her demeanour was gentle and reassuring, calmly telling us not to force ourselves into stretches beyond our maximum points and counting us calmly through the stretches. There was not a hint of forceful behaviour or a condescending attitude from her, which you can sometimes detect from more “famous” pole dancers (no names mentioned!). The class warm up was also perfectly reasonable and effective, getting us all nicely mobilised and ready to stretch, there was none of that death by warm up madness going on here thankfully!

Felix was fantastic and applying her extensive flexibility knowledge to people across all stages of their flexibility journey throughout the class. For those of us who are focused on getting lower in our splits and reaching the elusive touchdown, the class was brilliant. Whether you’re just starting out on your flexibility journey or branching out into oversplit territory, you would benefit from this class. Specifically because of how well Felix broke down the techniques of correct and efficient stretching methods and explained them in a helpful and understanding way, especially the importance of focusing on your true split (hips square to the front) as opposed to your stage split (hips opened out to the side) when stretching. I was also introduced to the new technique (it was new to me anyway) of using a chair and straightening both your legs when sliding into a split, which was good to try out and get to grips with.

Overall, this class was 10/10 worth hauling myself out of bed for on my day off! Yes, stretching of course involves a level of discomfort (it is stretching after all) but Felix’s kind and encouraging attitude made the whole class great fun. She has a wealth of knowledge on all things flexy related and is very down to earth and relatable too – even Felix Cane gets nervous when it comes to training her bad side! The class was hugely beneficial, very reasonably priced and well worth attending, I didn’t think I could love Felix anymore but now I do!

For more info about the classes that Felix has on offer, please click here.

Disclosure: The link above is an affiliate link, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through and make a purchase.