In Part 1, we got our pole nerd on and talked about what spinal rotation IS and why itâs so important for pole dancers.
If you missed that, please go check it out!
Or watch the quick catch-up video below so weâre all on the same page!
In this post, Iâll share:
- A quick test so you can check-in on your spinal rotation range of motion; and
- Some of the different ways we can train spinal rotation OFF the pole to help prepare our bodies for all the mad twisty shizzle we do ON the pole!
Testing your spinal rotation mobility
Hereâs a really simple test you can use to get an idea of where youâre at with your spinal rotation mobility. The purpose of doing âtestsâ like this is to identify any âsticky pointsâ, to get some clues for your training and to get a marker of where youâre at.
The idea behind the yoga block and the set up on this one is to help keep your pelvis still, so you can focus on rotating through your spine. It also helps to give consistency to your test set up, so you can repeat it easily and track results consistently.
To give you some points of reference: Around 45 degrees is the range Iâd be looking for as a minimum for my pole dancing clients. For more advanced pole dancers who are working on or towards more advanced flexibility tricks with high levels of rotation, I prefer to see them reaching closer to around 70+ degrees on this test.
For all pole dancers, regardless of level, Iâm looking for any restrictions that might impact what they want to achieve on the pole and also looking for the result to be fairly even on both sides (preferably less than 10% difference side to side).
But donât get too caught up on the numbers – the best thing about these kinds of tests is that if you check-in with them regularly, they will help you to assess if what youâre doing in your training is having a positive or negative impact on your movement patterns, or no impact at all. In this way, you can use them to direct your training exactly where you need it most.
Training spinal rotation off the pole
Before I share some examples, itâs worth pointing out that your exercise choices for training spinal rotation should be guided by your own individual goals.
For example, if your range of motion in rotation is quite restricted (particularly if itâs below 45 degrees on the above test, or if itâs well below 70 degrees and youâre working towards more advanced pole tricks), you might need to focus more on improving your flexibility. At the same time, you can also work on building strength and control through the range you have.
But if youâre a Bendy Wendy and your range of motion in rotation is already kinda owl-like, youâll probably want to skew your training more towards strength and control through that range (at the same time as maintaining your awesome flexibility).
If youâve got great range AND strength (i.e. youâre a badass, friend), you might want to focus more on speed and power in your rotation training, to help make your transitions on the pole more dynamic.
I will share some exercises below for each of these key areas, to illustrate how the intensity and focus changes depending on the goal behind the exercise:
- Flexibility
- Control and Stability
- Strength
- Speed and Power
Remember, these are just examples and the exercises that will benefit you most depend on many different factors, including your level, your goals, your experience in the gym and on the pole!
1. Flexibility in rotation
Supine rotation stretch
There are SO many great rotation stretches and I use variations of them frequently in my programming for pole dancers. Here is a really simple one that works great as part of a post-workout stretch routineâŠ
Rep/set recommendations: As part of a cool down stretch, 30s holds on each side, a couple of times through.
Lizard with rotation
This âstretchâ is a little more active (i.e. weâre using our own strength to rotate). It also combines a lunge position. I use this one regularly in warm up routines! You can also do the same movement but with the opposite hand on the floor, rotating in the opposite direction. I love both variations!
Rep/set recommendations: As part of a warm up routine, 5-10 reps on each side, a couple of times through.
2. Control and stability in rotation
Okay, before we move on, let me just quickly say that thereâs some overlap between the categories Iâm using here. Exercises that Iâd class more as âactive flexibilityâ, like the lizard rotation above will also have an impact on your control and stability through rotation â after all, youâre rotating through the range you have available using your own strength.
Similarly, the exercises Iâve included in this category for âcontrol and stabilityâ are also building strength! But hopefully you can see how the focus, intent and intensity differs between the categories!
Windshield wipers are a great way to train rotation where weâre keeping our upper body still and controlling the movement of our pelvis through that rotation.
Windshield wipers
Rep/set recommendations: 10 reps (alternating sides), 3 times through. 30s rest between sets.
A good progression on this one is to straighten the legs.
Exercises where we need to *resist* rotation are also super useful for building strength and control in rotational movements. Taking one of the stability points away from a plank is a great way to train that! These plank pull throughs are one of my favourites.
Plank pull throughs
Rep/set recommendations: 10 reps (alternating sides), 3 times through. 30s rest between sets.
3. Strength in rotation
Once weâve got a good level of control and stability in the basics of resisting rotation and moving through rotation, we can start to load our rotational movements using exercises that use heavier resistance to build more strength through that movement. Here is one of my favourite gym exercises for exactly that…
Half kneeling cable rotation
Rep/set recommendations: 5-6 reps on each side, 3 times through. 60-90s rest between sets.
In pole, weâre very rarely doing rotation in isolation, so I also love exercises that combine rotation with other movements, like walking lunges with rotation and Windmills that combine rotation with an overhead movement and a hip hinge.
Walking lunge with rotation
Rep/set recommendations: 10 reps on each side, 3 times through. 60-90s rest between sets.
Kneeling windmill
Rep/set recommendations: 5-6 reps on each side, 3 times through. 60-90s rest between sets.
Psst: Want to know more about windmills, why I love them for pole dancers and exercise cues and progressions? Of course you do, you big ol’ nerd! Head to my post here: Windmill Exercise for Pole Dancers!
4. Speed and power in rotation
Once we’ve got a good base level of strength in rotation, we can start adding speed and power to our rotational movements. This kind of training is for more advanced pole dancers who want to work on making their movements on the pole faster and more dynamic.
Power = force x velocity
This why improving either our strength (force) or velocity (speed) will have an impact on our ability to generate power. So training strength and/or speed will help us produce more power! However, once we’ve got our rotational strength to a solid level, we can also train for rotational power more specifically by moving a lighter load than weâd use for pure strength training, but doing it through faster movements. Magicallll.
Although we don’t ‘throw’ in pole, I LOVE rotational medicine ball throws for training pole dancers how to generate force in rotation! Here’s a fun fact: the thoracic spine contributes to an estimated 55% of the total force and kinetic energy generated during throwing[1]!
Medicine ball rotational throws
There are so many different variations for these. You can do them standing, facing the wall, and throwing the ball from one side like this…
Or you can do them from a half kneeling position, side-on to the wall, more like this:
I love the half-kneeling one above because it also involves controlling the catch of the ball to a dead stop which adds an element not dissimilar to the way we sometimes move in more dynamic pole combos. In other words: it’s a quick generation of power focused on the upper body with little assistance from the hips followed by a quick absorption of energy to create a hard ‘stop’.
Note that for power training exercises like these, weâre moving resistance but doing it quickly and moving very intentionally. We keep the repetitions low and the rest high to maintain the best possible quality of movement to help encourage our body to make the adaptations we want. For medicine ball slams, you’re really focusing on slamming the ball as hard as you possibly can into the wall!
Rep/set recommendations: 3-5 reps, 2-3 times through. 90-120s rest between sets.
Beyond training rotation for pole dance
Remember, rotational training is only one element of training for pole. We donât just rotate in isolation and although it’s great to zoom-in on individual areas like this, individual exercises like these are always just a small part of a much bigger puzzle.
To build strong, resilient bodies for pole, we need to train the entire body with a well-rounded strength and conditioning programme. If you want to build your own training programme for pole, you can do that using my book Strength and Conditioning for Pole which is available now in paperback or ebook!
Thanks pole nerds!
[1] Kaczmarek PK, Lubiatowski P, Cisowski P, et al.. Shoulder problems in overhead sports. Part I – biomechanics of throwing. Pol Orthop Traumatol 2014;79:50â8. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
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