Pole and aerial are sports in their infancy, but have movement patterns related to mature sports such as gymnastics and dance. Yet the injuries and imbalances of pole and aerial are still collectively undocumented. Around the studio most of us know from observation that there are common injuries and imbalances amongst polers and aerialists. One of the principal issues is overdeveloped muscle groups versus underdeveloped muscle groups. This usually appears from improper techni

Strength is obviously a key component in making a break through in pole, however teaching the body the mechanics and how to engage muscles in a proper order also contribute to moving off a plateau. The point of the selected moves in this article are for total body engagement and working on feeling connected to the entire body, or employing complete muscle groups during pole. The goal is to not only connect to the dominant muscles, such as the upper back, but to start uniting

There are now three posts about the Thrower's Ten on this blog, but I promised I would write a post on the actual Thrower's Ten PT moves that I use for injury prevention in aerial arts and pole. The Thrower's Ten is a series of physical therapy rehab moves that strengthen and stretch the shoulder girdle. The moves were developed to rehab athletes coming from throwing sports like baseball or racquet sports like tennis. For pole and aerial arts we can use this series to help st

This post is a follow-up to a post for the PoleCon Blog, which is a short tutorial on the Butterfly. The focus was on the Tuck position and getting the correct arm positions, shoulder engagement and core engagement. Learning the Butterfly with progression is critical, start with the tuck, then the Butterfly and finally the Extended Butterfly. After mastering the tuck position, then and only then is it time to try Butterfly. I put together a short video on how all the componen

The shoulder mount is a one of the moves I like to classify as a plateau move. It's possible to work the shoulder mount for many months before achieving the move, and even then it might still be a struggle. Many polers have the strength to do the shoulder mount, but strength is not enough to make this movement happen. The shoulder mount is a gymnastic move, the body is inverting in a back flip using the pole. As discussed in Part One of the post series, the proper form of th

The shoulder mount is one of the coolest moves in the pole universe. It’s gymnastic, magical and definitely on every polers tic list for goal moves. It can also be a move that torments, makes people cry and eludes on the journey with pole. Important factors in the Shoulder Mount 1. Strength and Engagement 2. Mechanics. We will get to this piece of the equation in How to Get the Shoulder Mount PART 2 3. Controlled Momentum. We will get to this in another blog post. The Set-up

We all know pull-ups are difficult. The move requires hauling your entire body upward. It’s a complex movement, requiring several muscle groups to fire in a controlled pattern, while adding movement from the major joints. In aerial arts and pole we add the bonus of trying to do this with pointed toes and pretty form. Pull-up Breakdown The major muscle groups that fire are the lats and pecs and it is easy to rely on these two groups. And yes, smaller shoulder muscles will be a

We wanted to take a few posts and explore the Thrower’s Ten, a series of PT strengthening and stretching exercises that focus on the shoulder girdle. For aerialists, strength and balance in the shoulder is crucial not only for performing movement but for long-term health of the shoulder. The rotator cuff and shoulder musculature, in general, are an area that has a high risk of injury when performing aerial arts and pole. What is the Thrower’s Ten? The Thrower’s Ten in a 10-pa

As discussed last week, the mechanics of the aerial inversion an aerial mount can send new students into a a depressed funk becuase the movement is difficult and unforgiving for many new students. Understanding how to move the body is important but having the strength to perform the movement is equally important. When performing a basic aerial tuck inversion, the lattismus dorsi, shoulder girdle ( teres major, infraspinatus and teres minor), arms included the long heads of t

As discussed last week, it not helpful to jump cold into the splits and imagine you are helping yourself get the splits. If you are taking the time to stretch make it worth your while, make your body happy by stretching properly. The most effective time to stretch your splits is when you are warmed up and have stretched the involved muscle groups. Stretching before a workout does not help flexibility. Most Effective Plan for Stretching the Center Splits 1. Stretch when you ar