I. Who are you working with?
To demonstrate completion, I recorded a timelapse of each session. I did not take specific video or pictures of before and after. The link above is all three time lapses grouped into one video.
For my second case study, I am working with my partner, Alex. He is always fiddling on my pole, and I asked him if he would be a willing participant in coaching – he agreed! He has a background in adult gymnastics, calisthenics, and dance.
II. What their goals?
Alex’s primary goal was to invert with control. His secondary goal was to develop shoulder strength and mobility. He has had surgery to repair a torn shoulder cuff around 8 years ago, and he still feels as though his mobility is limited. He has done some FRC work with me, and specifically asked for more direct instruction as it would apply to pole.
III. What are your goals?
I know Alex has the strength, so my goal was to push the connection between FRC principles and gymnastics with pole inverting.
IV. What is your hypothesis/strategy?
I hypothesize that it will be easy for Alex to invert, but he might struggle with control on the negative and managing his shoulder mobility. It is my intention to pull him back early, as he tends to get excited and push too far, creating pain.
V. Documentation of Implementation of strategy:
Session one:
· Wall shoulder raises with a light band – he moved up and down and then circled his elbows to wake up his delts, lats, and rhomboids
· Dead hangs on the horizontal pole with scap shrugs and circles
o Alex was unable to isolate his scapula for shrugs and circles. It took us a number of times to make sense of this movement
· Ring rows, ring planks, and ring leg lifts to warm up and engage the core, as well as encourage control in leg movements
· Basic spins for grip strength and body awareness around the pole
· Invert core prep – hold chicken wing position with leg lifts, echoing what was done on the rings but on the pole
· Again, sorry for the camera angle: grounded invert prep. Starting on back with hips thrusted, one foot on the pole with knee driving toward head
· Leg lifted iso holds in elevated reverse tabletop position
· Basic inverts from elevated reverse tabletop
· Basic invert!
Session two:
· Scap shrugs and pull up hold
· Inlocates and dislocates with a dowel
· Wide leg squats and twists to warm up legs for compression
· Pole squats to practice crucifix – discussion about knee pain because Alex has also had multiple knee surgeries from soccer and snowboarding injuries. Did some knee CARs
· Invert prep with knee lifts
· Grounded invert prep with leg lifts
· Elevated reverse tabletop with knee lifts
· Grounded outside leg hang
· Side body stretches for cool down
Session three:
· Shoulder CARs – I realized the camera was not recording when we moved to the rings. We completed individual arm, lightly weighted shoulder CARs, as well as swimmers on a block
· Final scap shrugs on the rings
· Rows and planks on rings
· Pole ups with good shoulder form – no lifting traps to elevate
· Hip tilts to isolate pelvis. Turns out, Alex likes to use his low back as a shoulder, popping his ribs. He struggles to isolate his pelvis.
· Shoulder mount prep for a challenge
· Inverted tabletop prep with leg lifts
· Inverted tabletop shoulder mount prep with leg lifts
· Outside leg hang – attempt at hanging without hands, did not enjoy this
VI. Results of strategy:
I have worked with many students who have the raw power to invert – they have a solid fitness background and are used to inverts like handstands. Often, this creates a kind of cockiness that can be hard to breakdown. I want to bring a challenge, but still progress body awareness and pole skills appropriately.
Alex has the strength to throw his body around, but he needs to develop the foundational mobility to access his ranges of motion safely. For example, to create the torque he needs in a leg hang, we need to work to develop that internal/external rotation strength.
Alex was able to invert and even hold a leg hang, but was unwilling to let go. This told me that he is using mostly his upper strength, which will continue to tap his shoulders.
We were able to access new ranges of scap motion throughout the sessions – in the first, he was unable to make a circle with his scapula while hanging. In the last session, he could do this in any way I asked.
VII. Concluding findings:
In this case study, I was able to teach someone how to invert for the first time with these methods. I incorporated simple strength moves that we often don’t have the opportunity to at the studio in a traditional pole class, and then graduate Amanda to the pole when she was properly warmed.
The sessions felt much more like personal training sessions than pole classes, which were really helpful for our goals. When teaching at a studio or in a class format, I will have to adjust to accommodate studio expectations of classes.
These sessions got me excited to offer workshops on inverts, where I can set up expectations to develop strength and body awareness first, and then move to the invert.
Again, unfortunately, I did not take before and after pictures. If you need them, I can take them now and add them.
VIII. Reflection Questions:
Working with a partner presents a unique challenge of attention and authority. As a personal lesson, it was helpful to impress upon Alex that this was for a certification – he helped to keep me on track when I wanted to laugh and drink all the coffee in our morning sessions.
I am invested in my partner’s health and my investment reflected that. We would up talking a lot about opportunities for him to work more FRC into his trainings. I recommended Marisa Michelle, as she has a solid online program. Alex started working with her after our sessions.
I will apply what I learned about pre-existing strength in future classes. While a basic invert might be strong, it is important to assess shoulder strength and range of motion before advancing to shoulder mounts. I would like to try regressing my upper level students to a really difficult and slow basic invert, and then take that focus when we start to build shoulder mount skills.
I. Who are you working with?
To demonstrate completion, I recorded a timelapse of each session. I did not take specific video or pictures of before and after. The link above is all three time lapses grouped into one video.
I am working with Amanda in the first case study. She used to work with me at GenFit, where we worked on ring strength and inverting, mobility in her shoulders and hips, and general fitness. Her interest in Invert Ready is especially notable because she has never taken a formal pole class before. She has spent a lot of time with me playing on the pole in my apartment – but this is her first formal instruction!
II. What their goals?
Amanda’s goal was to build upper body strength and feel stable holding herself on a pole. She regularly inverts on rings and fabrics, but she does not hold it long.
III. What are your goals?
My goal is to translate ring skills to pole, taking some of the fear of pole away. I know Amanda’s body well, and I would also like to develop self-awareness of her scapula and spine.
IV. What is your hypothesis/strategy?
I plan to do three different coaching sessions, gradually progressing to more and more pole in each. I will use rings, a horizontal pole, and a dowel to warm up and develop basic skills. Then, I will translate the basics to pole work.
V. Documentation of Implementation of strategy:
Session one:
· Scapular CARs
· Spinal waves and undulations in all directions
· Pelvic isolations
· Hanging scap shrugs and static holds
· Chin up hold, with attempts at slow negatives (x3) -> move to the pole for the same thing
· Dead hangs in both pull up and chin up positions
· Basic climb leg positioning and pole squats
· Some spins – for fun and to play with grip and upper body strength
· Climbs – again, for fun and to develop the basic skill of using her money spot (the place right above her knee) for climbing
· Inverted table top leg ups on the pole to begin core engagement and inversion placement
Session two:
· Scap shrugs both standing and hanging, including circles and dead hangs
· Chin up holds and negatives
· Ring plank with more scap work, paired with ring rows and scap circles
· Inverted table top leg ups on the pole to begin core engagement and inversion placement
· From the floor (sorry the camera was not in a good place for this) invert prep – getting the foot to the pole and lifting the other leg
· Outside leg hang from the floor – in a hip thrust position, inside foot on pole, outside leg hang
Session three:
· Dowel work – inlocates and dislocates, as well as rows and lat pulls
· Pole squats and attempts at climbing
· Basic spins – fireman and back hook for fun
· Core work and a discussion about lower back pain
o In this session, Amanda had pain around her left QL. I did the release Ken taught at Anthropoleogy! She was delighted and told me to teach her husband how to do it.
· Inverts from an elevated inverted table top – she wanted to try this, and it didn’t go too well
· Back to floor inverts!
· Then an invert success from inverted table top on both sides
VI. Results of strategy:
I didn’t take before and after photos, as I didn’t realize I needed these in addition to the videos. If you need me to get current photos, I can take them before the end of the month and provide them.
The strategy was effective for developing awareness about the shoulders and how to build strength over time. She was able to do a longer chin up hold in our third session.
She felt confident about attempting an invert, but was concerned about her low back – as I was too.
VII. Concluding findings:
In this case study, I was able to teach someone how to invert for the first time with these methods. I incorporated simple strength moves that we often don’t have the opportunity to at the studio in a traditional pole class, and then graduate Amanda to the pole when she was properly warmed.
The sessions felt much more like personal training sessions than pole classes, which were really helpful for our goals. When teaching at a studio or in a class format, I will have to adjust to accommodate studio expectations of classes.
These sessions got me excited to offer workshops on inverts, where I can set up expectations to develop strength and body awareness first, and then move to the invert.
VIII. Reflection Questions:
Working with Amanda has always been fun, and her eagerness to learn makes it easy to step into a teaching mindset and invest in her progress. I really enjoyed taking what I have known of her movement patterns and establishing a pole protocol for her.
I was able to use all of the toys that I play with regularly to plan her sessions. I did not expect for them to be so short. I had planned for around 60-90 minutes for each one, but Amanda was both physically pooped and had grip strength challenges. I adjusted for her last session, where we had to peel it back due to pain.
My investment in this training helped me to see how beginning with an end in mind and using more than a pole can aid in the development of the invert. I am excited to keep applying it and using these methods in classes where I can!