Pilates for Pole Dancers

Susan McAlpine22/04/2019

Course: 2018 , Cape Town

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Summary

In this essay I hope to illustrate how a tailor made pilates programme can benefit a pole

dancer, as an amateur or professional. As a pole dancer myself I have seen and felt the

advantage which a regular pilates practice has afforded me. My research is based on my

own experience as well as my experience of teaching five other women who regularly

pole dance.

Apart from the natural benefits which occur, I will also focus on specific concerns which a

pole dancer may need to focus on, as well as how one can use pilates to help them

achieve their goals in pole dancing and develop the skills needed for flowing stable pole

technique. Lastly I will touch on common injuries amongst pole dancers and how we

might address them, or help prevent them through regular pilates.

The programme I present here is a 3 month pilates programme, of 2 sessions per week,

for someone new to pilates but who regularly pole dances.

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Table of contents:

• Page 4 - Introduction to Pilates for Pole

• Page 7 - Anatomy

• Page 9 - Goals

• Page 13 - Case Study

• Page 20 - Conclusion

• Page 21 - References

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Pole dancing has recently become a much more main stream sport than in previous

years, and we see men and women of all ages and fitness levels choosing to try pole

dancing. In Cape Town alone there are at least 6 Pole Dancing studios, I have attended

classes at 3 different studios and have also competed as an amateur dancer in the Pole

Factor Competition in 2018. What used to be considered a taboo hobby only meant for

strip clubs etc. has become very popular and offers people a great way to not only get fit

and strong, but express themselves in a fun way and feel accepted by like minded

people. It is however, also a dangerous sport which should not be treated too lightly as

injuries are a frequent occurrence. Elite dancers coming from contemporary and classical

ballet have been using pilates for many years, Joseph Pilates himself designed many of

the exercises for dancers, therefor it makes sense that pole dancers should also see and

feel the benefits. Many dance schools and professional dancers recognise the value of

Pilates as a training method for developing core strength, technique and connection with

their bodies. (http://www.pilatesfitcambridge.co.uk/blog/pilates-exercises-for-dancers/)

I will call this pilates guide for Pole Dancers ‘B A C E’

B - Balance being the need for flexibility coupled with the need for strength

A - Awareness of necessary muscle recruitment to achieve goals, as well as body

awareness in order to have flow in between tricks

C - Control being a core principle of pilates which will translate into control on the pole,

which will naturally translate to a more beautiful dance technique

E - Efficient muscle recruitment to ensure that the dancer can maintain stamina

throughout a routine. During our pilates session we ‘…focus the work where it is needed,

exerting the required amount of energy, no more and no less.’ (Isacowitz, 2006, p.10)

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Image 1 - Spatchcock (good example of required leg flexibility) Demonstrated by Leda Wright

@sirenpolewear

Most people who pole dance regularly can be assumed to be relatively fit and strong with

minimal serious injuries (as this would prevent them from a strenuous sporting activity).

With this in mind there are two primary goals most dancers will be looking for: Strength

and flexibility to achieve the tricks they want to on the pole.

Strength is key in pole dancers, as they are required to lift and move their body weight

around and away from the pole safely and with fluidity. Flexibility often depends on the

individual, if they have been dancing for a long time and/or are hyper mobile they might

have the necessary flexibility to easily pull themselves into a shape eg Jade Split (refer to

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image 1) but lack the strength to do so safely. However in other cases, such as myself,

flexibility is a barrier to achieving the desired shape which may result in the dancer trying

to force a position on the pole which will also cause injury. In my case, due to lack of

flexibility in my back, I pulled myself into a shape which involves the body wrapping

around the pole in an inverted position and broke a rib. Fractured ribs and strained

intercostals are a very common injury in pole dancing.

Once you have established any weaknesses of strength and accessed how important

flexibility is to the individual you can determine how much to focus on release of tight

muscles vs control of loose joints should be focused on during your sessions. The same

exercises can be used but different cuing to establish slightly different focus.

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Muscles which are most used in Pole Dancing

Forearms (Grip strength and endurance is very important)

[Figure 1. Image from Chris Jarmey and John Sharkey, 3rd Edition, The Concise Book of Muscles (Lotus

Publishing, UK. North Atlantic Books, California) 184]

Biceps and Triceps

[Figure 2.1 and 2.2 Images from Chris Jarmey and John Sharkey, 3rd Edition, The Concise Book of Muscles

(Lotus Publishing, UK. North Atlantic Books, California) 178 and 181]

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• Pectoralis major and minor (In order pull and push your torso around the pole)

• Latissimus dorsi (To stabilise and lift into inverts and aid in maintaining back extension

whilst gripping)

• Trapezuis (also for shoulder stability and lifting into inverts)

[Figure 3. Image from Chris Jarmey and John Sharkey, 3rd Edition, The Concise Book of Muscles (Lotus

Publishing, UK. North Atlantic Books, California) 160]

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Goals

Maximise back extension to safely wrap around the pole. Aesthetically pole dancing

requires the performer to be in an anterior tilt to the pelvis to create the correct line.

Strong gluteals can also helps achieve this aesthetic and help in hip extension.

Image 2 - Extension of hips, back and shoulders are required to hold this shape, as well as strong

hamstrings in order to maintain the leg hook grip on the pole. @sirenpolewear

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Leg and shoulder flexibility are of utmost importance as most tricks require full shoulder

extension and rotation (particularly in floor work) as well as leg splits. The image below

shows the muscles of the legs to be stretched regularly to help in splits and extension.

[Figure 4. and 5. Images from Chris Jarmey and John Sharkey, 3rd Edition, The Concise Book of Muscles,

231 and 219]

Pay special attention to the use of gluteals to help maintain hip extension

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Core strength to lift into inversions and hold your body away from the pole.

[Figure 6. Image from Chris Jarmey and John Sharkey, 3rd Edition, The Concise Book of Muscles, 149]

Scapulae stability is needed to ensure that the dancer is able to use upper body to lift

without ‘hanging’ into the shoulders, as rotator cuff injuries are very common in pole

dancing. Muscle strength in full ROM will help to develop flexibility while maintaining good

stability around the joint. Eg. Pencil spin or Handspring

[Figure 7. Image from Chris Jarmey and John Sharkey, 3rd Edition, The Concise Book of Muscles, 170]

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Image 3 - Handspring position in extension, here Leda demonstrates the incredible arm and shoulder

strength required in order to hold your body away from the pole whilst using core muscles to hold an

extension. @sirenpolewear

Ankle stability to help avoid ankle injuries which commonly occur in exotic routines where

the dancer is required to wear 7 or 8 inch heels.

Image 4 - Taken from the Internet. Pleaser 8 inch heels are often

worn for exotic routines

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Case Study - 3 Month Pilates Programme.

Susan McAlpine, 31 years Amateur Pole Dancer

Week 1 - Introduction and assessment period

The first week is used as an opportunity to assess the individual and establish their goals.

Client specific focus - Increase flexibility to ensure safe execution of tricks on the pole.

• Warm up - Basic mat (with focus on proper TA activation)

• Footwork - Reformer (Ensure proper alignment in the heel to help stability for the 8 inch

heels used by most dancers)

• Abdominals - Step Barrel Chest lifts (focus on pelvic lumbar stability)

• Hipwork - Step Barrel (lumbar pelvic stability and range)

• Spinal articulation - Pelvic curl (use of props to ensure proper alignment, e.g. yoga

block)

• Stretch - this is an opportunity to check on the clients range and ask if there are any

areas they’d like to work on

• FBI - Scooter (Focus on the movement of the lumbar and it’s effect on the pelvis )

• Arms - Shoulder push and Shoulder push single arm (keep light springs to ensure the

focus is on proper scapula stabilisation)

• Legs - Side split (another good opportunity to assess range in middle split without

compensation in the lower back/pelvis)

• Lateral flexion/rotation - Mermaid (encourage range of motion and stability of shoulder

throughout)

• Back extension - Breastroke prep with extension (target upper back extensors during

the first sessions, not too much range yet but focus on building strength)

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Week 2 - Basics 2.0

Use the second week to reinforce the core principles set into place during week 1, by

repeating some exercises and establishing correct technique and muscle focus.

• Footwork - Reformer (create a sense of flow by speeding up the footwork series but still

maintaining good form and posture throughout)

• Abdominals - Shortbox series (establish a strong understanding of lateral flexion vs

rotation) Here we can also start to find co-contraction between abs and back muscles.

Excluding Roundabout

• Hipwork - Reformer series with focus on range within stability

• Spinal articulation - Bottom Lift on Reformer (here we can also establish how strong the

hamstrings and glutes are, which will help in determining future leg exercises)

• Stretch - It would be useful to alternate between leg stretches and shoulder stretches

each week, as both of these areas will need to be flexible.

• FBI - Round Back and Flat Back on the Reformer

• Arms - Shrugs and Tricep Press Sitting on Wunda Chair

• Legs - Leg Press Standing (to help assess balance control and ascertain any

imbalances between the legs

• Lateral flexion/rotation - Side Stretch on Wunda Chair

• Back extension - Swan Basic on Wunda Chair (keep careful eye on scapulae stability

and fluid back extension in upper and lower back)

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Week 3 - Side situation

Having now established a good understanding of pilates principles and built up some

strength I would like to focus more on lateral flexion and rotation. The ability to safely

wrap my body around the pole without straining obliques/ intercostals or the QL’s is a key

element which I will address during this week.

By adding more Twisting and Lateral Flexion to the previous exercises -

• Corkscrew after Spine Twist on the Step Barrel

• Add Roundabout to the Shortbox series

• Add Side Kneeling Arm on the Wunda Chair (in addition to Shrugs and Tricep Press Sit)

• And devote more time to the Lateral Flexion/Rotation block - doing one basic exercise

which they already know and are familiar with as well as adding Side Over Prep on the

Ladder Barrel

• If the client is strong enough I would also introduce Upstretch in the Full Body

Integration Block.

Week 4 - More Anterior

As mentioned previously, Pole Dancers are often required to create as much arch in their

back as possible and an anterior tilt to the pelvis provides the correct aesthetic (especially

in Exotic routines).

During this week I focus on this by introducing exercises that require more anterior tilt and

working on Back Extension. This would include:

• Abdominals on the Step Barrel

• Hipwork on the Step Barrel

• Spinal Articulation - Roll over on the Step barrel and Semi Circle on the Reformer

• FBI - Sitting Forward and Side Reach

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• In the Arms block we can bring focus to good scapulae stability and control in the

Cadillace PTB group (Shoulder Adduction double and single arm as, and Sitting Side

Prep)

• If the client is strong enough I would also introduce Downstretch in the Full Body

Integration Block.

• Back extension - Back extension single arm

Week 5 - Extra Leg Room

As we enter the 2nd month of the programme the client will have a good understanding of

the principles of awareness and control, so we can start to challenge strength a little bit

more. Specifically legs for this week, as mentioned in the ‘Goals’ section previously, Pole

dancers need strong gluteals and well as hamstrings in order to grip, if the dancer is

advanced enough to perform choreography on the pole without touching the floor he/she

will also need strength in their adductors and calves in order to give the arms some help

during combinations (dancers who rely too heavily on their upper body strength will

fatigue more quickly). Focus should be on strengthening the muscles in long lever

positions to encourage a stretch at the same time.

Add more resistance to the legs by including:

• Footwork on the Cadillac (helps stretch hamstrings while they work)

• Abdominals include - Breathing and Bottom lift with Roll Up Bar

• Hipwork - Double leg and Single leg Supine Series

• Spinal Articulation - Tower Prep and Tower

• Stretch - Kneeling lunge on the Reformer, and Ladder Barrel leg stretches

• FBI - Thigh Stretch with RUB and Upstretch 2

• Legwork - Leg weights lying side series and Hamstring Curl on Reformer

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Week 6 - Finding your Flow

This week we focus on creating more rhythm and fluidity in the movements

• Matwork can be added into the abdominals and FBI blocks, with a focus on controlled

dynamic movement.

• Hipwork - Step Barrel series

• Arms - Triceps Prone Wunda Chair

• Legwork - Jumpboard series (to incorporate dynamic movement and cardio)

Week 7 - Back to Basics

Having already introduced the idea of flow and dynamic control in the previous week we

return to exercises from Week 1, to assess progress. With the addition of:

• Abdominals - Teaser Prep Reformer

• Hipwork - Extended Frog and Extended Frog reverse

• Arms - Ped-O-Pul series

• Back extension - Breastroke

Week 8 - Stronger

Here we add more resistance and strength challenge in the abdominals, legs and arms in

order for the client to achieve stronger power tricks on the pole

• Abdominals - Teaser or Teaser Prep on the reformer

• Arms - Reformer Side Kneeling series

• Legwork - Backward stepdown

• FBI - Balance Control Back Prep

• Lateral Flexion/Rotation - Side lift on the Cadillac

• Back extension - Prone 1 and Prone 2 on the Cadillac

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Week 9 - Back extension focus

Strong back muscles and controlled extension are the focus as we enter the 3rd month of

the programme - Pole dancers are required to create as much arch in their as possible

and often tend to over use their lower back to achieve this. Here I’d like to help promote

upper back flexibility and strength in order to help create the desired shapes around the

pole as well as take some of the load off the lower back.

• Footwork - Wunda Chair

• Abdominals - Teaser on Cadillac

• Arms - Rowing series

• FBI - Control Balance Front

• Lateral Flexion/Extension - Corkscrew advanced

• Back Extension - Swan on the Floor and Back Extension on the Avalon

Week 10 - Next level

By this time we are ready to add some more advanced exercises to the repertoire, for

example:

• Abdominals - Teaser on the Reformer

• Spinal articulation - Jack Knife

• Stretches - Full Lunge

• Arms - Sitting series at the F2 Armchair

• FBI - Control Balance Back and Tendon Stretch Wunda Chair

• Lateral Flexion/Rotation - Side over on the Ladder Barrel

• Back extension - Swan on the Ladder Barrel

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Week 11 - Rotation Rotation Rotation

Having reached a point where we are comfortable with more advanced exercises in the

pilates repertoire we can place more focus on maximising rotation through controlled use

of obliques and core muscles.

• Intermediate mat warm up with lots of emphasis on Criss Cross and Spine Twist

• Stretch - Pole series

• FBI - Side Reach and Saw on Cadillac

• Arms - Sitting Side with PTB

• Side Bend and Twist on mat

• Add the Butterfly standing to Lateral Flexion/Rotation, as well as Mermaid

• High Swan on the F2 Armchair

Week 12 - Culmination and accumulation

The last week of the programme should focus on areas which the client may have

struggled with during the programme, in my case back extension and legwork. Use this

as an opportunity to point out progress to the client and go through some exercises

which they have clearly enjoyed and found challenging. You want to ensure that the client

can feel their own progress and are aware of the benefits, this way encouraging a lifestyle

that incorporates Pilates. Dancers are always looking to improve and by making Pilates

part of their regular practise , we as instructors can help them reach their goals and stay

strong and injury free.

It is also important to note that when a dancer injures themselves in one area of their

body, we can encourage them to maintain the strength and flexibility while they heal by

continuing to do pilates (provided they have been given medical clearance to exercise).

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In conclusion, I have found regular pilates practice to be very beneficial to a pole dancer,

not only in order to build and maintain strength, but also as a gateway to achieving goals

in pole dancing and adding a body awareness which creates fluidity and control in tricks.

Whether the individual is already flexible or not, pilates places emphasis on movement in

all planes of the body which will directly translate to movement around the pole.

A strong core and good range of motion throughout the shoulder and hip joints will give

the pole dancer an advantage that is unique to pilates.

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References

• Jarmey, C. And Sharkey, J. (2015), The Concise Book of Muscles. 3rd edn. Chichester,

U.K: Lotus Publishing. Berkeley, California: North Atlantic Books

• Isacowitz, R. (2006) Pilates . 2nd edn. USA: Human Kinetics

• Isacowitz, R and Clippinger, K. (2011), Pilates Anatomy. Champaign, USA: Human

Kinetics

• The Pilates Fit Team (2017), Pilates Exercises for Dancers, Available at:

http://www.pilatesfitcambridge.co.uk/blog/pilates-exercises-for-dancers/ (Accessed

04/03/2019)

• Rebecca Martin. Why Do Elite Dancers Like Pilates?, Available at:

https://dancemagazine.com.au/2015/07/why-do-elite-dancers-like-pilates/ (Accessed

27/02/2019)

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