When you’ve been doing pole for so long, you think that you just stop bruising, because your body is just used to being thrown at a metal object or doing the same thing over and over that you’re just desensitized from it. But then you take a class and do a different variation of a move, or you find a new grip point on your body and then the next day you’re finding new bruises in spots you didn’t know you could bruise. It’s always a fun game after a class that you’re sore from guessing where your bruises are going to be or from guessing which moves are gonna leave a sore spot on you tomorrow.
Looking back, I remember when I first started pole, my legs were covered in bruises because of the new grip points, shoving my shins into the pole to climb, and just desensitizing my thighs from the pole and sitting or doing superman. I remember it being so painful, but when you keep doing it over and over again, it starts to hurt less, and less and then one day you’re in a sit and it doesn’t hurt, or you get into superman and you realize you can hold for longer than a millisecond! That is a huge accomplishment in itself! And before you realize it, your thighs aren’t bruising as much either. Our bodies are weird but so cool like that.
I took a spins class recently and while it was a really fun class, it was also pretty challenging. Did a lot of forearm related moves and while I didn’t hate it, I forgot how much I don’t train my arms and grip points as much as my legs. I found a solid bruise close to my armpit, another one on my bicep, and another on the back of my forearm. But when I was in class, I knew that I was going to be sore and instead of being upset I was going to have bruises, I was excited! Excited to show them off at work the next day, excited to remember what I learned from class and also now I’m determined to try those moves again so I can desensitize those areas for the future.
I’m not sure when I started to enjoy bruises, but something switched in my pole journey where I look at them as a form of accomplishment, proving I worked hard and it gives me a sense of determination to do what I did again. Now that doesn’t mean when I don’t bruise I’m not as excited because every class is just as hard and I sweat so hard in every class because I know I’m working just as hard, it’s just that my body is a little more used to what I’m doing versus other moves. I just get excited when I receive a little pole kiss from class.