A must read article to learn what you need to setup a Pole Dancing Workout Space with professional tips to install pole at home to get it right the first time.The very first thing you will need to learn pole dancing at home or to do a pole dancing workout at home is a dance pole. However, there are other things to consider when you are setting up your workout space at home.
When you go to the gym or do other fitness workouts for women at home you may need various equipment like dumbbells or weights of some kind, an exercise ball, a good pair of athletic shoes, and workout clothes in order to do your routine. Getting ready and preparing your space for a pole dancing workout is no different. There is more than a just a dance pole to consider.
So what else do you need besides a good quality dance pole for a home workout?
Here is a short list to get ready for your pole workout:
A Dance Pole
You need a good quality professional grade dance pole. There are cheaper pole dancing poles on the market, however, they are not all safe for pole dancing fitness. A spinning pole dancing pole is best because you will get a different workout in the different modes. A pole that is both static AND spinning is not required but I feel it is best. My beginners learning to pole dance have specifically said that they prefer a spinning dance pole because it’s easier to learn on.
A XPert X Pole is the most popular, but there are other poles that are pro quality for a cheaper price. You just need to know what to look for a good dance pole or it could be dangerous. Other things like individual ceiling heights and angles as well as flooring types in your home will affect which pole you buy. You can learn how to choose the right pole for your unique floor and ceiling height here =>
Dance Pole Grip Aid
Grip aids help you grip the pole better. Most beginners don’t have the strength in their hands to perform pole dancing moves so they will use a grip aid (or multiple) until their grip gets stronger. Your ability to grip depends on the cleanliness of your pole and the type of grip aid you will want to use depends on your skin type and the environment. Here is a great video that will help you choose a grip and learn to clean your dance pole >>
Adequate Space For a Dance Pole
The space you want to choose to set up your dance pole should be large enough for you to safely swing on the pole without hitting anything in your surroundings. A great way to test your space is by standing a broom or stick so it stands straight up and down on the floor. Extend BOTH your arms straight out to your sides while holding onto the broom and then walk in a circle around the broom. Your fingertips on your extended left hand should not touch anything. See graph to side:
Pole Dancing Clothes
As a beginner, you will not need to bare as much skin as more advanced dancers. Most fitness clothes will work for a pole dancing workout for women at home, however, they should be fitted not loose. Your top could be a tighter fitting racer back with a built in bra. Shorts for pole dancing do need to be tighter fitting and as short as you can stand to wear them.
Most of the women in my classes don’t like to wear booty shorts, especially in the beginning so they will opt for shorts that are about mid-thigh in length. Shorts that have a fitted elastic band around the legs is best to keep your butt cheeks from falling out. You won’t need shoes, bare feet are the best.
Pole Dancing Lessons
You can learn to pole dance in a local pole dancing class OR you can also learn a pole dancing workout at home online. Be sure to get lessons that are “fitness” oriented for the everyday woman. Many of the pole dancing moves taught are not suitable or safe for the everyday woman. It’s because they are not training to be a competitor or a contortionist. Dance technique (ballet inspired) is a must because that level of training will reshape your body. This method allows you to reveal those long toned muscles you crave.
Other accessories
That you may or may not need depending on your type of workout your choices are: Ankle Weights to increase the intensity of your extensions, A Medicine Ball or Dumbbells for a more intense ab workout, Yoga Blocks for flexibility training (especially if you want to work on your splits). I also highly recommend a mirror so you can watch your dance technique. You can get a huge one for cheap at Kirkland’s (that’s where I got mine).
Anything else you want to add to your home pole dancing workout can be added after you have started learning. Especially since you better understand your own fitness needs. We are all at different fitness levels with different body types. So the equipment needed for a workout can vary from woman to woman.
Do you need crash mats? For a beginner … not really. If you have sensitive knees that may give you trouble then you may want to consider. Crash mats provides extra floor padding. You could also wear knee pads as well.
Crash mats are expensive and most beginners don’t use the crash mats. The reason is mainly because they are not performing dangerous tricks or inverting. Learning the pole-dancing basics first is important. Crash mats are more for the intermediate and advanced levels. However, if you have the money in the beginning and you don’t mind spending the extra, it never hurts to have the extra padding for safety.
Lastly, adding fun stage lighting to your area to practice. Pole dancing routines with lights off is a great way to build confidence in your dancing as well. Lights can be a lot of fun and can be easily mounted to the wall or ceiling for a great dance hall effect!
For pole setup, You should have enough space to stretch your body and for your dance moves. Nowadays removable dance poles are also available.
Yes, very true! I hope you home dance floor sales are rockin! They look awesome! A Fantastic option for home polers : )
Hi Danna,
First off, thank you for taking the time to put all of this information in one place. It makes beginners pole dancing less intimidating. I downloaded your free guide and in the “Assessing your Dance Space” section, there is a link that recommends walking around with a broom stick with both arms spread out, and that is indicative of how much space you need. I am 5’10”, so that equals about 12 feet. Do you think I can get away with 9 or 10 feet, or is that to restrictive? Thank you very much!
Hi Jac, you are very welcome : ) Sometimes I worry that important articles are too hard for beginners to find and it’s re-assuring to know it’s helping people – that’s my main goal. It is possible the 9 or 10 feet would work. The more important thing to remember is how you plan to use the pole. For me, I need lots of space because when if invert and then do a pole move (like the extended butterfly for example) my toes will touch the wall if I don’t have enough space. It doesn’t feel good inside your soul when you are in the middle of a spinning pole move like that and then you suddenly find yourself full of fear that you might stub your toe on the wall or ceiling. This fear can cause you to curve or “sickle” the foot to protect your feet which builds in bad sub-conscious dancing habits that are counter-intuitive to achieving the beautiful dancers body lines that make your pole dance look as beautiful and graceful as it can be. That being said, if you are a very beginner and haven’t learned to invert yet – you can definitely work in a smaller space of 9 or 10 feet. Beginner pole moves are often very close to the pole. Space becomes a much bigger issue when you are more advanced.
Other tip is you leg length away from the pole is a bit more important than arms of torso length. It’s your legs that float away from the pole. Put a chair where you might want the pole, hold onto it and then lift you leg to the side. Be sure your toes are nowhere near hitting anything in the room.
The point I guess Im getting at is – know your body, know you own desires about what you want to achieve when pole dancing at home and then be sure your space works best to fit you. Smaller spacing works, but it only truly works if it works for you : )