No grip? But Why?

Everyone will have grip issues at some point in their pole journey. Some more than others, but here are a few things you should consider when you are having grip issues.

Are you properly warmed up?
The body sticks better when it is warm. Your body should start to produce a little bit of sweat as you start to warm up. That little bit of sweat actually adds grip to your body. Do at least a 10 minute warm up when you pole. In addition to helping you stick, it redistributes blood flow, slowly, to working muscles and your skin. This helps you body gradually adjust to the workout and decrease your chance of injury.



Is the pole warm?
A warm pole is grippier than a cold one. In addition to warming up your body, you must also warm up the pole. This is especially important on cold days. There are several ways you can warm up the pole. Just touching the pole, climbing the pole, doing spins, etc, creates a friction on the pole which warms it, as well as transfers your body heat to the pole. If touching the pole takes too long for your liking, you can use a blow dryer on it, or use a clothing steamer or iron on steam (wipe it down after so it isn't wet.) Some girls put a pot of boiling water at the base of the pole, or put a room heater right next to it. Be creative!

Is the room warm?
If the room is cold, chances are your pole will be cold. You can turn on the heater in the room to aid in maintaining any warmth on the pole. This will also help you maintain a warm body.

Is the pole clean?

Dirty poles can be slippery, so clean that baby! If you pole is relatively new, chances are there is still a factory coating on it, from production. It takes some vigorous cleaning to get that coating off, so be diligent with the cleaning, and be patient. You can use a steamer to help get off the coating. You can also use vinegar and rubbing alcohol. I have even used soap and water on my pole, to get gunk off.


Is the pole conditioned?
You may notice, if you have been to a studio, that the poles there are usually very grippy. When you get home, you may notice that the pole you have is slipperier, even though it is the SAME POLE. This is due to the high amount of use that the studio poles get. Poles get grippier with use. Touching, spinning, climbing, etc all condition the pole. Some poles take longer than others to condition. For instance, stainless can take a long time to condition, whereas brass can take a shorter time. This is where patience comes in. Try to touch your pole often. If you walk by the pole, run your hands up and down it. Eventually, it will become grippier. I promise!

Other factors:
There are other factors that can make you slip on a pole. Our bodies are all different, and will react differently to different poles. Dry skin tends to be much slipperier that moist skin. If you have dry skin, try using a glycerine based lotion at night. If all else fails, don't be afraid to use a grip aid. There are many of them out there!

Grip issues are a nightmare for a poler, but they can usually be managed. It just takes some trial and error!