Chances are at some point in your pole journey you’ll be faced with a plateau. Even though it happens to all of us, this can be an incredibly frustrating time were we feel like we have few successes. Luckily, there are a few things we can do to help our plateaus be short and sweet.
Monotony is a plateaus best friend. When our bodies adapt to a new level of fitness and we neglect to add new stressors or a sufficient stimulus, in time our bodies actually enter a detraining phase. We can avoid monotony if we make planned changes to training variables like frequency, intensity, duration, and volume. If you’re feeling unsuccessful in your regular pole class, take some time to try a new aerial or flow class. Not only will it be fun to learn a new skill, it’ll probably also help improve your pole skills in the long run.
If you’re not able to increase the amount of time or days spent at the studio, consider how much effort you put into each class. Not every class has to completely empty your tank, in fact that may lead to overtraining. However, consistently challenging yourself in each class will be more effective in getting you through a plateau.
Sometimes we’re just hung up on a particular move or trick. Talk to an instructor and see what conditioning you can do safely from the ground to assist you in the air. Bands attached to the pole is just one way you can help build strength to perform a new move, and reduce body weight so that you can increase volume and avoid overtraining.
The next time you’re facing a plateau, consider how you might make changes to your current training to encourage adaptation. And remember, your instructors are always here to help!