Transcript
How to do a basic invert. Today I’m going to talk to you about how to do just a basic bicep grip inverted straddle. In another video I am talking how to take this inversion and make it spin which makes it a lot more fun, but you’re going to want to try to master the basic inversion first.
Prior to learning any inversion, as I mentioned in my other video, you want to make sure you’re properly warmed up and that you’re working on your flexibility, and again, you can refer to Laura Michael’s video when she talks about how to grease your straddle. It will be more safe, and your legs will look longer and leaner, and your lines look really pretty when you’re inverting. You also want to make sure that you have a spot, probably, when you’re first learning how to invert, and you have a crash mat to catch your fall in case your hands slip. Above all you want to make sure that you have the strength and the coordination and the flexibility mastered from just basic, regular pole dancing technique before you take it and you flip it upside down.
So the proper grip for doing a bicep grip inverted straddle is called a bicep grip. You’re going to reach your inside hand out to the side, parallel to the ground, so about 90 degrees. You’re going to bring that arm around in front of your shoulder, and bend the elbow, so the upper arm bone is now parallel to the ground. A good way to make sure your hand is in the proper position is, if you release your pinky you could poke yourself in the eye, and so then you know you’re in the proper position. Outside hand will come directly on top of that pushing your top of your bicep into the pole, and your oblique on the other side, so it’s sort of sandwiched between your arm and the side of your body.
Your going to drive the pole into the ground using the strength of your back. From there you’ll drive your knees into your chest. Your bicep grip will slide now into a little bit of an elbow brace. You’ll extend your legs into your straddle reaching you toes towards the opposite ends of the room, and from there you can either go into an upside down double knee brace and release that to the ground tucking your chin in to your chest, or you can also just come out of it, step out of it on your inside leg and then your outside leg.
