If you follow me on Instagram, you know I am quite the pole, yoga, and handstand enthusiast. Well this March will mark my THREE YEAR POLE-IVERSARY! I can NOT believe it's been that long since I started working out at Bella Forza. The relationships I've made with my fellow Bella Beasts are such an important part of my life now, it's hard to imagine a time without them. BFF has given me so many great opportunities like writing for the site Strong Is Our Sexy, as well as kicking off my career as a pole-fitness instructor! I honestly can't say thank you enough. *cue giant smiley face!* :) OK, enough talk, on with the pictures!!! The first few videos are from the Beginner Pole class archives.
I shared these in my 2 Year Pole-iversary post, and love looking back at how excited I was to do these simple moves. Cracks me up! Moving from Beginner to Advanced, these combos are a bit more my speed.
I've also made leaps and bounds with my Iron-X. Below is the first video I took when I began working on it.
I held it for maybe a second....and now I'm up to almost 8 seconds!
Here are a few more pole pics, as well as a video of a sweet ninja-flip I've been working on.
Lastly, I've really been focusing on hand balancing and yoga this year. I absolutely LOVE handstands, and am determined to continue building my skills!
FIND THREE HOBBIES
YOU LOVE:
ONE TO MAKE YOU MONEY,
ONE TO KEEP YOU IN SHAPE,
AND ONE TO BE CREATIVE
-Unknown
I have loved this quote for a while now, and can truly say that Bella Forza provides me with all THREE of those hobbies. I am so grateful to get a chance to be an instructor, the workouts constantly challenge me, and pole dancing feeds my creative soul with opportunities to perform and express.
All and all it's been another INCREDIBLE year, and I can't wait for the next!
Two years ago, I found a Groupon to Bella Forza Fitness and took my first Pole Foundations class. From the moment I took my first spin, I was completely hooked! Since then I've been taking 2 to 3 classes a week, and also started taking as many fitness classes I could fit into my schedule. At first I started pole to get stronger, now I'm focused on getting stronger so I can do more pole! Never have I ever had this much strength, and I can't even explain how great of a feeling it is. Pole has completely changed my life :)
Here are a couple videos from my Beginner Pole classes:
These just make ma giggle now, I love how excited I was to spin by pushing myself off of the floor while doing a Table.
Once I was moved up into Intermediate I was taught how to invert. Here is a picture of one of my first Butterfly tricks.
Not long after I was moved to Intermediate, we had our annual BFF showcase. I thought "What the heck!" and signed up. Here is the video of my routine to Sweet Transvestite from the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Now I laugh at how shaky the inverts are, but this was an absolute rush to perform in front of people. Videos like this really help me see how much progress I've made. If you ever start a new hobby, document everything. There is nothing like seeing your talents improve that gives you the confidence to keep doing what you love!
After around a year in Intermediate, I was finally moved up to Advanced!
One of my absolute favorite tricks I have learned in Advanced is an Aysha. Below is a video of when I finally nailed a Handspring into a Split-Grip Aysha.
We've had another showcase at Bella Forza Fitness, and of course I said "Sign me up!". This showcase I did an advanced routine with two other of my peers. We had a medley of Disney songs we meshed together to create and adorable performance. :)
My latest trick I've really been working on is called an Iron-X. It is literally holding your body away from the pole so you are in the shape of an "X". It requires control, strength, and takes a lot of practice.
Here is one of my first attempts I recorded a couple weeks ago:
And here is another video taken last weekend at the Arnold Sports Festival:
Held it a few seconds longer and I am pumped!
This last one is a Cartwheel into a Split-Grip Aysha that I just nailed yesterday! Need to keep that one leg straight, but I'm still very happy with it!
Bella Forza has also let me meet two absolutely insane pole athletes, Estee Zakar and Natasha Wang! Click their names to see videos of their incredible skill!
Bottom line, Pole Fitness has become a MAJOR part of my life. I can't begin to explain how thankful I am to have found this form of exercise, or how important is has become to me. The support and love that flows through the ladies in my classes is indescribable. Everyone is rooting for you, and they are just as happy when you succeed as you are about yourself!
If you've ever thought about giving pole dancing a spin, GO AND TRY IT!
You'll never know what you're missing until you give it a shot!
We were a bit buried by the end of the night, so it was good we didn't have any plans.
We DID have a short little list of "must-get-done" items for the weekend though, one being to get those last few cabinets painted!
Eric didn't have school Friday, so he had the whole day to himself. When I got home from work that day, he was so excited to show me this little cabinet painting system he rigged up in our basement.
How awesome is this?! He hung the last few doors up with clothes hangers so he could paint both sides at the same time. Making sure to go with thin coats so there wasn't any dripping, they turned out perfect.
So the moment you've all (OK maybe just me) been waiting for...
WHITE CABINETS!
So fresh and inviting! Such a big difference from when we started.
I'll have to keep you posted as to how tough they are to keep clean, I'm sure it'll be nothing a magic eraser can't handle every once in a while. Every time I walk into our kitchen I just smile, this was the biggest project we've done to the house so far, and the results make it all SO worth it!
The rest of the weekend was filled with a bit more house organizing, Christmas decorating, and I finally updated my chalk-board window for the holiday season.
Saturday was also the night of the Bella Forza Fittness Pole and Arial Showcase!
This was the second showcase I've performed in, and this year my whole family was able to come and watch! Even my Grandma H.! It was an absolute rush being able to perform with my BFF friends, and show off what our hard work and dedication is all for! Everyone did an stunning job and I am just so proud of all of us!
I am so proud of this group! You can check out the rest of the performances from Saturday night on the Bella Forza Fitness Facebook page! Hope everyone else had a great weekend, just a few more until Christmas!!!
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