Christ all bloody mighty here we go again. It’s that time of year when my pole dancing motivation ups and disappears like a fart in the wind. Seriously every year come Autumn this happens yet somehow I never see it coming.
Don’t get me wrong I love Autumn and Winter, they’re straight up my favourite seasons, however I think the precise reasons why they’re my favourite seasons is why my pole mojo simultaneously fucks off with their arrival. For me, Autumn and Winter are meant for getting all cosy indoors, cooking up feasts, going on big ass walks in the forest and generally doing anything but pole dancing. But I know deep down in my gut that if I sacked off all pole training from September to March I would be in a foul fucking mood for six months, and would be absolutely gutted to see how much I had regressed come spring. So, I took to social media to ask my fellow pole dancers just how they create a cracking training schedule that they’re motivated to stick to. If you’re struggling to get going with your training at the moment, check out the top tips below!
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.
Keep it varied…
“I’ve been supplementing my pole workouts with other forms of exercise too. I do stretch classes, go bouldering and lift weights at the bouldering gym. I’m also seeing a PT (who is also a pole instructor) a couple of times a month. Seeing my strength and flexibility grow really motivates me, Pole makes me better at other exercise and vice versa.”
“Go to group classes and not just pole, train things that exercise other muscles.”
“My off the pole routine includes shoulder exercises as I walk the 25 minutes from my car to my office and weight bearing exercises I do at work or while walking the dog, plus a daily 12k step target – it has really helped. I am now motivated to keep going as I got my shoulder mount back and nearly got my twisted ballerina!”
“I like to train on Saturdays and Sundays because those are my days off work. During the weekdays, I do some stretching and strength exercises with home weights and bodyweight.”
“We go to the gym and train with our PT, Satan.”
…and keep it real (like Ian Beale)
“Try following more people who are on your level and are learning the same moves or practicing the same tricks as you. If you only watch super advanced people it’s easy to get in the fuck all mentality.”
“I think for me it’s just showing up and not ‘expecting too much’ from myself. Either to my own pole or a class. I show up every day or every other day to my own pole and either do some flow moves or try out a few tricks I’m working on. It’s hard to get motivated a lot of the time, but once I warm up and get moving, I’m really happy and at the end of each session I’m really glad I did it.”
“Keep it realistic and have fun! I use a pole planner which makes planning more fun.”
“Train stuff you actually like (but also a bit you don’t like, like the bad side). If you only train stuff you really hate then you won’t get there! I mostly teach myself, so for me it also really helps to look both for what I actually want to learn and what looks fun.”
“I feel strongly against the “laziness paradigm” I don’t believe in being lazy. I believe that whenever you do not feel like doing something then you shouldn’t. Take a break, it’s okay. If pole still makes you happy, the motivation will come back when you’re well rested.”
“Make it realistic and mix up what you’re going to train so you don’t get bored or injured.”
“It’s weird, and probably a little narcissistic, but watching at my own videos, seeing how far I’ve come, as well as the praise I get from the curvy pole community, and how many people have told me I’ve inspired them really does the magic and makes me want to do more!”
Set a routine that fits in well with your life
“If you get into a routine of what days you train and when, it’s easier to continue when motivation lacks, as you almost just do it anyway out of habit. Make it work around what you already do. Fitting training in around life is so important I think, otherwise you end up getting overwhelmed.”
“I treat my morning routine workouts as my daily routine. And the same if I work out at night as well. As soon as I put music on I literally go in to a trance like state and go for it. Pole for me is my time to chill and enjoy and get away for home/work life – it’s me time.”
“For me personally it is putting in three days of two hour training slots per day, be that flexibility or pole. That way it’s not too overwhelming and I can add in floorwork one day, do other stuff another day, and jiggle around my schedule last minute if I need to.”
I book classes a week or so in advance and then that’s my structure for the week. I’m quite driven though so that may be a negative than a positive!”
“I need my pole training to be as soon as I’ve finished work. So I don’t talk myself out of it!”
“Book and pay for classes in advance. Nothing more motivating than knowing you already pre-paid for a class!”
Treat pole as a reward for yourself
“I treat pole and hoop as my destress from work/life. That hour or so that I’m on the pole or hoop I totally forget about anything else due to the concentration needed therefore it’s a need and I feel worse if I don’t do it! It’s become such an integral part of my life that it’s now just part of my daily routine.”
“I tend not to see it as a workout but something that makes me happy and I can do when I want. I feel like the moments when I lost motivation were those when I started thinking about “I have to …” [i.e I have to achieve that move within said number of months].”
“This might sound super silly, but posting on Instagram helps to motivate me. Sometimes I just do something at home for the sake of keeping my Instagram page up to date with new content.”
“I mean having kids helps as any excuse to get away from them is welcome!”
Train with your friends
“Online training sessions with friends helps me.”
“I spent an hour in video chat with another poler at home today because I just don’t train enough.”
“I’m at the moment training two – three times a week online with people. So that helps with actually doing it.”
“I tell a friend who is going to class to “save me a pole” so I’m held accountable to go!”
Train with a goal in mind
“Have a goal e.g. show, competition, move.”
“I’ve always been better when I’ve got something to aim for like a comp or show. If that’s not possible I just make sure I book in either way in advance and get it in the calendar, or past the refund date so I’m less likely to bail!”
“I just hop on the Instagram Pole Challenges and get motivated by learning new moves that way.”
Do you have any fool proof methods for creating a pole training schedule that motivated enough to stick to? If so please do us all a favour and drop them in the comments below!
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.
Chrome Chronicles 