Divas blogs

Inverts are one of the most common nemesis tricks for pole dancers of all levels! Inverts are a complex movement involving extensive strength and coordination of many different muscle groups and have you trying to remember about 100 different cues at one time “tuck your hips, engage through your shoulders, pelvis to the pole”, and the list goes on and on.

It’s important to first know if you are struggling with your inverts that you do not need to over-train them. It is extremely easy to get in the habit of attempting the trick over and over again, but this causes your body to develop incorrect muscle memory and therefore makes the reconditioning of those movements more complicated. Take the time to work on your strengthening and conditioning drills specific to inverts to redevelop those movement patterns and make your invert attempts more of a success in the long run. The drills are just as important as the skills! 

But what do I do? Here is a list of some great inverts-specific exercises you can do, coming from a trained pole instructor which will help you over time increase the strength and technique of your inverts.

Ab Tucks

Standing next to the pole, with your inside arm hugged into the armpit and outside hand on top in a baseball grip. Keep your hips in front of the pole and try to pull the pole down out of the roof whilst tucking your knees up to your chest and lowering back down to straight legs again.

Repeat on other side.

Floor shoulder mounts

Laying on your back, take your head to one side of the pole so the pole sits flush with your shoulder. You should feel the pole line up with the top of your traps. Hands placed overhead on the pole, thumbs towards the floor with all fingers behind the pole in a cup grip. Keeping your elbows pulled into the center of your body, attempt to pull the pole down as you roll up onto your upper back with your legs in a frog-like position to get your hips up to the pole, slowly roll back down the floor.

Repeat on the other shoulder.

Deconstructed straddles

Following the same pattern of the movement as a basic straddle, you are going to deconstruct the stages into steps. 1. Hands in baseball grip, jumping up off the floor to hold with legs together in a pencil. 2. Opening the legs into a V. 3. Bringing the V legs upright hinging through the hips with feet aiming for the roof. 4. Rocking back through the top half of the body to be in an invert.

Reverse the order (4,3,2,1) to lower yourself back to the floor.

Repeat on other side.

Invert sliders

Laying on the floor with the inside arm hugging around the pole at the armpit, outside hand on top. Bring your outside leg to the front of the pole at the Achilles and inside leg to the back of the pole at the front of your ankle to mimic the positioning of an upside down flip. Keeping legs on the pole but not applying pressure, slide the ankles up and down the pole thrusting through the hips. Keep legs as straight as possible the entire time. Repeat on other side.

Oblique crunches (using the pole)

Standing on the side of the pole, hook your inside leg as high as you can up the pole. Keeping your outside leg straight place your hands across your chest onto your shoulders. Hinge sideways at your hips as you lower your head down towards the floor away from the pole and reverse to stand back up. (Hands may also be places on hips or arms straight above head besides ears as variations)

Repeat on other side.

Kneeling pull-ups

Begin by facing the pole in a kneeling position. Arms will reach above you as high as they can without hanging through the shoulders. Keep the elbows in close to the pole as you pull down to lift your knees off the floor. Tuck your hips under by squeezing that peach, and keep your toes on the floor. Legs should be a dead weight so avoid pushing out of the floor with your feet if possible.

Repeat with alternate hands on pole.

So now you can take these exercises and apply them into your training. Remember, consistency is KEY! Don’t strain and overtrain your body by practicing an invert over and over again, go crazy on the drills and strengthen the muscles needed to perform those movements and you will see the results a lot faster! Every woman’s body is different and no two people have the same journey, what you may find simple is what someone else is dying to tick off their bucket list! Enjoy the wild ride because it’s seriously worth the destination once you get there.

And last but not least, enter every training sesh with the mindset ‘In Thrust, We Trust!’ and work on getting those hips up boo!