Want to Level-Up your Split Grip skills the Pole? Here are 4 ways to increase your shoulder strength and stability.
Whether you are a beginner or seasoned pole artist, improving your shoulder pressing strength is crucial for feeling comfortable with two handed moves, increasing stability when pushing overhead, and reducing the risk of injury.
To better understand what your body is doing when performing overhead pressing movements in pole, let’s take a quick moment to review shoulder anatomy and muscle actions. Since the Ayesha is one of the first “big deal” split grip moves pole dancers get to check off their list, we’ll start there. In the Ayesha, you are performing a split grip on the pole utilizing a push-pull counterbalance with your arms. Your lower arm is actively pulling the pole, while your top arm is actively pushing into the pole in a more overhead position.
Roche SJ, Funk L, Sciascia A, Kibler WB. Scapular dyskinesis: the surgeon's perspective. Shoulder Elbow. 2015;7(4):289-297. doi:10.1177/1758573215595949
In that split grip, your scapular stabilizer muscles (serratus anterior, mid trap, low trap) are what stabilize your pushing arm in that overhead position as well as generate the force to actively press into the pole to hold your bodyweight. For most pole artists who are newer to these types of tricks, limited force production capacity of the pushing arm is the reason why split grip moves are so challenging. That is why today we will review four exercises you can add into your routine to improve your pressing strength and overhead stability for split grip tricks.
Elevated Single Arm Downward Dog
This one has got to be one of our favorites. Not only does it work on your pressing strength, but you have to maintain that active push through the shoulder while moving into an overhead position. Starting on an elevated surface helps reinforce that active push through the shoulder blade.
Dumbbell Windmill
Windmill variations are great for core and shoulder strength. This one is an “open chain” movement, meaning your hand is not fixated on a surface and can move freely during the exercise. The windmill is great for challenging your shoulder’s ability to keep a stable base throughout movement. Slow and controlled movement is the key here, we want to keep the shoulder, elbow, and wrist in a nice stacked position.
Elevated Plank to Pike Walk
This exercise is great for also incorporating some core challenge. Start in a tall plank with your feet elevated on a box and walk your hands toward the box until you end up in a pike positions with the arms nicely stacked overhead. This exercise involves more weight shifting between arms, which is great for challenging your body to stabilize as you move.
Feet Elevated Pike with Shoulder Taps
If you’re looking for the extra challenge, then definitely add these in! Instead of moving in and out of the pike position as in the previous exercise, you will remain here the entire time. Once you are in a nice stacked position, try lifting one hand to tap the other shoulder. This requires a lot of single arm stability and body awareness in order to shift your body weight onto each side repetitively. Again, slow and controlled is the focus here!
Work on these moves 2-3 times a week you will notice some major improvements in your split grip strength! If you are limited by pain or injury and need some guidance on how to get back to the pole, request an appointment today to get started with our Performing Arts specialist!
Dr. Paulina Tselikis
PT, DPT, ATC
Co-owner | The PATH Rehab & Performance
