Ashley

This month I want to talk to you about best practices with towels, which many of you have already heard me preach about. This mostly applies to my Pole Ashletes, but is something everyone should keep in mind. When practicing, you should ALWAYS use TWO DIFFERENT TOWELS – one as your pole cleaning towel and one as your personal sweat towel to wipe your body with. NEVER USE THE SAME TOWEL TO CLEAN THE POLE AND WIPE YOUR BODY AND DON’T SHARE BODY TOWELS WITH OTHERS.

Quick Pole Education: Poles come in several types: Chrome (what most studios and competitions use), Titanium Gold (what I have at my lab), Brass (mostly used in Australia), Powder coated and stainless steel. All Poles are constructed from a variety of materials, which for some polers can cause allergies and skin rashes. Chrome poles are a big culprit because they are made with nickel, which can aggravate anyone with a nickel allergy.

Using a pole towel on your body transfers any germs and allergic residues from the pole onto your body, and using your body towel on the pole transfers any “personals germs and fluids onto the pole”. Now imagine a room full of sweaty students germ and fluid swapping during a hot, sweaty class…pretty gross huh? Don’t get me wrong, It’s natural to sweat, especially in the areas of your hands, back, inner thighs, and down your back…this simply can’t be avoided, but the sharing and transferring of it can be lessened if not mostly avoided.

So here are my best practices for towel usage:
1. Keep your sweat towel separate from your pole towel to cut down on germ swapping.
2. If you’d want to take it a step further, use a separate towel for your face and body, because face it, you don’t want your butt sweat in your eyes (YEA I SAID IT!).

3.Use different color towels so you know which is your pole towel and which is your body towel.
4. Replace your towels with clean ones each session if you can, but at the very least each week.
5. Don’t share body towels with anyone, which means keep up with where you put your towels during class so they aren’t accidentally grabbed by someone else.

And yes, this may seem like a lot of extra laundry, but TRUST that it’s worth it. I’ve seen and heard a lot of horror stories when it comes to germs, rashes and less than savory studio laundry practices. If you’re taking studio classes then I encourage you to carry your own personal body towel. I carry my own personal towels when I teach and if I ever take a class/workshop. Also, if you train with me at my lab then you know I always keep clean towels for pole and body use. Never hesitate to ask me for one if you need it.

Advancing in your pole/aerial ability requires more than just signing up for classes. Take responsibility for your aerial development and get the most out of your classes. Here are my top five tips on how to get the most out of every practice session.

1. SHOW UP regularly. You won’t grow if you don’t show. Consistency is the key to results.

2. Become a master. Ask yourself, do you strive for mastery or just an introduction to the trick? So often tricks are taught, attempted and moved on from without a clear focus or dedication to mastering that skill. It’s all to common to see students not only not remember how to execute a trick/combo previously taught, but are not even able to remember what they did in class the previous week. Do you revisit what you learn in class when you get home or during open studio? If you don’t, you should start. Learn it, practice it, master it and then put it into action! This practice should also include regularly recording and reviewing your skills. Keep your own video library.

3. Stay on task! This is multifold, as I’ve encountered a variety of ways that students get distracted during class:

• When you’re in class, stay focused on the skills and drills provided by your instructor. I find myself often reminding students that they don’t pay to stand around, they pay to get beat down lol. (Feel free to sugar coat this to your liking.) The point is, standing around after attempting a move 1-2 times before giving up, watching others or waiting around for the next task is not an efficient use of your time or class funds. I tell my students: Don’t stop when you get it right, stop once you can’t get it wrong.
• Are you doing what the instructor has asked you to do, some altered version of what you were instructed to do, or just flat out what you want to do? Don’t venture off on your own. You not only become a distraction but you could do something that your body may not be properly warmed up for or that you can get injured from.
• Pay attention and stay focused. You should not be on your phone or having disruptive, unrelated side conversations. If you do need to take a call, check your phone or return a text then step out of the room.
• Listen and ask questions for clarity and modifications but do not talk over your instructor or attempt to co-teach.

Not only are these things a disservice to you and your fellow students, sometimes they can be disrespectful to your instructor and classmates, not to mention dangerous.

4. Aim for more than just the picture moment (save that for competition). During all of your moves, you should be exercise full body awareness while also focusing on proper muscle engagement, efficient movement throughout the move, and clean transitions into and out of the move. I said all of that to say: be focused on more than just getting a good shot for IG.

5. Give it your all. Are you giving 110% or bare minimum? Not every class/practice session is going to be a home run game. We all experience days that are good, not so good and exceptional. All of these add up though. So the goal is to just show up and give it your all.

Votes are in and Yoga Wheel training it is! Thanks to everyone that voted online. Curious to know what this yoga wheel thing is all about? Do you have a Yoga Wheel, but don’t know what to do with it? If you’ve been wanting to try one and are interested in learning how to use it and incorporate it into your personal flexibility practice then this class is for you!  We’ll be covering exercises for shoulders, back, hip flexors, hamis and core strengthening to help you get deeper back bends and better splits. Open to all levels. 

Date: Sunday 7/29
Time: 1pm
Location:📍 Clique Studios 2385 Midway Rd. Carrollton, TX 75007
Cost: $20 BYOW | $25 if you need to rent a wheel
Space is limited to 10 participants. Pre-Registration Required. Please take a moment to read the class policies before you sign up.
 
RSVP NOW
 
Bring: Your yoga wheel and water. Optional – yoga blocks, grippy yoga socks, and a yoga mat.

Wear: leggings and a comfy shirt. If you have long hair bring a hair tie/clip.

You MUST have a yoga wheel to participate in this workshop. We will have 5 yoga wheels to rent for $5: first come, first served. Please email: flexyandfit[at]outlook.com to inquire about wheel rental availability PRIOR to registration.

Everyone wants a round, perky bum with the toned legs to match. Why do matching toned legs matter? Because they make the butt fit your body. If not you’ll be walking around looking like Kim Kardashian or K-Michelle (pre-implant removal) and trust me when I say that ain’t what you want.

BUTT (pun intended lol) what if you could repurpose 2 minutes every morning to start working your way towards the runway legs and J-Lo booty of your dreams? Well I have the perfect starter routine to help you build and lift your butt as well as tone and shape your legs.

This morning routine is fail-proof (assuming you remember to do it lol) because it easily fits into your existing morning routine. If you’re like me and utilize an electric toothbrush, one cycle runs about 2 minutes (30 seconds per quadrant), and thus your 2-minute workout. Perform each excerise per quadrant cycle. Yes, it’s that simple! I do this myself everyday as pre-workout. Most of the time when we’re brushing our teeth we’re just standing there checking ourself out, thinking about the day or maybe dancing about. So why not really make those few minutes count and get in a little extra Me-Fit time? Starting tomorrow, I challenge you to begin your day with this little FlexyFit leg routine!

For those that don’t have an electric tooth brush, you can time yourself, or shoot for a specific rep count. For squats and lunges, I recommend 30-50 to start. For calf raises, aim for 60-75 to start. If you prefer, you can also focus on one exercise a day, and rotate through each exercise each day of the week. And for your wall sit, go for 30-45 seconds.

THE WORKOUT

Squats
– Keep the torso upright. No leaning forward.
– Only go as far down as your body allows. If you feel knee discomfort don’t go as low.
– Push through the heels as your rise up.

Side Lunges
– Keep the torso upright. No leaning forward.
– Make sure you really push the hip out to the side.
– Don’t let the foot of the straight leg slide out as you’re shifting your weight.

Calf Raises
– Make sure the ankles don’t rotate out to the side. While they don’t have to touch, you should keep them.
– Make sure you’re going up to the highest point. No half reps!
– Pause at the top before lowering down.

Wall Sit
– Stand with your back pressing against a wall. Make sure that your shoulders and low back touch the wall.
– Knees should make a 90-degree angle, with your hamstrings are parallel to the floor. Move feet forward/back as necessary to achieve the 90-degree angle.
– Stay engaged! Core and inner thighs (don’t allow knees to open out to the sides) should be active.

Of course building that well-rounded backside and matching legs requires more than just these four exercises. The truth is, it requires the proper mix of exercises for the quads, hamstrings, calves, glutes, low back and core to build a toned, proportionate lower body. If you need a little extra guidance and motivation to build the body that’ll make people peach their heart out, then be sure to stay on the lookout for my next ASSLT class.

What is ASSLT?
ASSLT (Ass, Legs & Thighs) specifically targets the lower body, focusing on all things Ass, legs and thighs! Whether you’re looking to build-a-butt or just tone, tighten and strengthen, this 1-hour workout will help you get shaped up and peached out! For an added bonus, many of these moves will also engage the core muscles (abs, lower back, obliques). Ready to sculpt and burn fat? ASSLT is where it’s at! This class is appropriate for ALL levels.

Let me say that I reject the notion that flexibility, pole dance, aerial fitness, and general fitness are just for the already fit and flexible. And allow me to add to that: the young, attractive, rich and privileged. Nothing about flexility and fitness belongs to any class or group of people. So forget what you see on social media and these false seeds of information being planted in your mind.

I can’t tell you how many women (and men) I encounter that have delayed doing something that’s caught their interest because of what another person told them. Probably someone that was unhappy or scared to try themselves. Flexibility and ALL the fitness is for anyone that has an INTEREST and DESIRE to try.

If you aren’t flexible, that’s okay, that’s why you go to flexility class…to work on your flexibility. If you don’t think you’re strong enough or coordinated enough to pole dance or do aerial fitness that’s okay! That’s why you start in beginner classes so you can learn the foundational moves and build up the strength you need. If you aren’t your ideal shape/size that’s why you go get that gym membership and maybe a trainer and start working towards building the body of your dreams. If you have two left feet but want to bachata, dance hip hop, or do a sexy strip dance in your tallest heels, then take a dance class or a private and start working towards that dance dream.

Whatever it is that you want to do, YOU SHOULD DO!

If you find a teacher that says you can’t or shouldn’t because of your age, shape, size, weight, sex, etc then know that it’s not because that activity isn’t for you, it’s really because that instructor isn’t for you. Unless there’s a medical professional advising against it, its just someone else’s useless opinion. If there’s a will there’s a way!

I’ve been told all my life that I couldn’t do things or was not expected to excel, we’ll I’ve proved a many people wrong. And being the underdog, doing the unexpected, know that I will always support and root for the underdog. So if you want to come to a flexibility class, c’mon! If you want to try pole dance, aerial yoga, hoop, sign up for a class! If you want to dance or strut your stuff in heels, grab your tallest stilettos and get yo boogie on. Whatever it is that you want to do or try, GO FOR IT! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! And for anyone that walks into ANY of my classes, know that I will support you 110% and help you reach your goals. I don’t care what your size, shape, age, experience, etc. is. All you need is to have the will, together we will make a way!

As you know, I firmly believe that self-care and ME time when it comes to your emotional, mental and physical health. This is a component that is often missing from our lives, especially as women, because we spend much of our time taking care of others and the cray that life throws our way each day. Regular massages are a key part of my healthy mind and body regimen, and I highly recommend adding massages to your health and wellness routine. I want to share with you my secret magic maker: Jocelyn. She is my trusted massage therapist, and one of magic makers that helps keep my body running optimally. Jocelyn specializes in multiple massage techniques including: Shiasu, Cranial, Swedish, Reflexology, Deep Tissue, Trigger Point, Accupressure, Russian Sport, Sports Massage, Hydro Therapy, and Movement & Bodywork. And in case you don’t know the many benefits that massage has on your mind and body, then be sure to check out the deets below!

15 Benefits of Massage:

• Relieve Stress
• Reduce anxiety
• Reduce muscle tension and pain
• Promote muscle relaxation
• Enhance exercise performance
• Increase range of motion
• Relieve tension headaches
• Improve sleep so you can rest better
• Ease symptoms of depression
• Promote relaxation
• Improve posture
• Lower blood pressure
• Improve circulation
• Increased joint flexibility
• Help recover from strenuous workouts

Ready to book your massage?
Email: Jocelyn at: jlyn_bass@yahoo.com
Did I mention she travels and will come to you?!? Yep, she’s that awesome 🙂

I’ve been trying to cut down on meat, but still enjoy tasty eats. (More on the why behind going meatless later) Besides moving towards a healthier me, it’s hot as hell outside and so any opportunity to eat light and not turn on the oven is surly welcomed in my house! I’d like to share my current obsession: LOADED VEGETARIAN TACOS!!! I think these vegetarian tacos are my new fav and they were easy to make. Each one is fully loaded with lots of guacamole, black beans, corn, peppers, cilantro and lime. Talk about yummy on the tummy!!! They’re vegan and dairy-free, too – assuming you don’t add any extra condiments! 

You can check out the original recipe at: http://soupaddict.com/2014/06/loaded-guacamole-vegetarian-tacos

Since I’m always on the go and limited on time, I took a few short cuts by getting pre-cut and pre-mixed elements.

Here’s my on-the-go recipe hack:
– Frozen Southwest Mix (check in the frozen food section) It’s a blend of corn, black beans, onions and peppers.
– 1 can organic black beans (From Trader Joes)
– Seasoning: ground cumin, chili pepper, paprika and pepper
– Pre-made guacamole (From Tom Thumb, and now they have Mild AND Spicy!)
– Pre-cut onions (From Tom Thumb, and they were actually diced)
– Mini Corn Tortillas

Garnish (Optional)
– Lime
– Cilantro
– Green Sauce

I simply cooked the Southwest mix according to the directions on the package, which was a quick 3 min boil followed by a 10 min simmer. Then I mixed in the organic black beans during the simmer. I warmed the corn tortillas on the stove and then proceeded to load them with ALL the fillings. And then nom nom nom!!! These vegetarian tacos are surprisingly filling. I had a lot of questions from people asking if I really got full, since they were meatless and the answer is YES! I usually eat 2-3, but it really just depends on how much you stuff in them. And if you still feel hungry after, you could always eat another.

Quick tip: The corn tortillas are really delicate and will break if you overstuff. You also have the option of doubling up on the tortillas for a little extra durability as you chow down! Also, if you want a little extra kick you can mix in some poblano peppers. Tip from a friend: take the skin off before eating!

Happy eats!

I get comments from people all the time saying: “you don’t even look like the same person.” This happens when I post progress pics, before & after comparisons, and even when I see people I haven’t seen in a while. And you know what, they are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT! I don’t look like the same person because I AM NOT the same person. You can not stay the same when you are trying to evolve. There’s no way that I could maintain the same habits, behaviors, attitude, ways of thinking and accomplish this transformation.

So much in my life is different:
✔️What I like
✔️What I tolerate
✔️What I eat
✔️What I drink
✔️How I sleep
✔️Where I work
✔️How I work
✔️ Who I deal with
✔️ How I schedule my days

YEP, PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING! And honestly, changing all of these things is what helped me free myself from the hamster wheel I was on so that I could become a better, healthier version of me. And let me tell you, becoming ME 2.0 was the greatest creative project I’ve ever done. In working on my health, I also changed my perspective on many things. I’ve been able to improve all areas of my life because it’s required me to analyze my life and focus on me. I have shed things and people that did not serve purpose. I learned to say no and stand up for myself. I learned that conflict can be healthy and have developed better conflict resolution skills. I am able to better Manage my energy and eliminated energy vampires from my life (more on this later). I had to embrace the idea that less is more and let go of the things, people and habits that did not support the life that I wanted for me.

So ask yourself, what’s standing in the way if you living your best life and being your best self? What can you change or let go of to get to a better you?

Although the title of this blog post refers to flexibility, as it was sparked by the recent posting of an extremely alarming and dangerous video, this concern really applies to all types of classes and teaching. There’s a video floating around of a instructor manually putting students into a contorted position. This “technique” was not only unsafe but potentially paralyzing, and could have left someone seriously hurt. Not only were these students being forced into a position, they had a rod pressed against their cervical spine (not at all where the pole should even be if you’re properly performing a spatchcock). On top of that, after being warped around the rod, they were pulled upright by the bar onto their tailbones and then turned onto their backs. I cringed as as I watched this, and I cringe as I continue to discuss this with others in the industry. And to quote another fellow instructor: “the heels, the ankles, the knees! So many potential injuries.” Training methods should not put students at risk for injury…point blank. There were just so many areas where things could have gone wrong, and for no reason because there are so many safer ways to train this particular skill.

Now, my goal is not to shame those involved, but rather to shed light on the need for responsible teaching. While many of the extreme training methods being shared socially are full of ooh and awe, these so called novelty techniques are dangerous and can lead to serious injury. There are safer, smarter ways to achieve the skills you desire. As instructors (or anyone that has a social media following/fan base) we need to be cautious about the teaching and training methods we share because people are watching and many of them try to replicate what they see. The only thing worse than seeing this video unfold, were the comments on the video. People (who I’m sure didn’t know any better) were impressed. With over 10k views and hundreds of comments left on this video, it’s definitely generating a lot of attention. However, many of the comments are from viewers praising the post and calling it genius and stating their desire to try this same “technique”. And this is not the first incident of this type. Last year a video surfaced of a cheer coach that was forcing a student into splits, which led to the young lady being serious injury. Not only was her body not ready for that position, she was clearly in panic mode and tensed up, which only further added her pain and suffering because her body was in the flight or fight phase. Then there was a workshop that I attended a while back with a cirque professional, that consisted of no warmup and then her preceding to place us in vulnerable positions and sit on us, all while knowing nothing about us or our ability levels. These tactics are UNACCEPTABLE.

As instructors, it’s okay to have the urge to get creative with our teaching methods. I mean it does keep classes interesting and enjoyable, but safety should ALWAYS take precedent over creativity. Practicing safe teaching methods is only the tip of the iceberg. There’s more areas of concern that keep arising. Instructors and students reading this, please pay attention to these things in the classes you teach/attend. When trying to make your body healthier, stronger, more flexible you should not be putting it in more danger. So what should we see more of in classes and training?

Gentle Coaching and Proper Technique:
Students should never be placed or forced into any position. It’s okay to coach them, guide them, provide tactical cues and make minor adjustments HOWEVER we shouldn’t be manually manipulating them into forced poses that they clearly aren’t ready for. This also includes not sitting on students. This is especially true (1) when it comes to the pole/aerial world where we have a lot of older adults that come in with little to no experience or previous training and are more susceptible to injury and (2) when it comes to workshops or other instances where you are training people that you aren’t familiar with their bodies and ability levels. Hell, I barely even touch new students. Which I admit can come off as favoritism towards vets, but really it’s for their own safety. I like to get to know my students ability, challenges, bodies, etc before just jumping in and physically torturing them (insert evil smile here).

Proper and thorough warm-up
Warm ups are just that: to WARM THE BODY UP and get it prepped for the workout. That means the heart rate and body temperature should rise, increase blood flow to the joints, ligaments and tendons. Hopefully, you get slightly out of breath and break a sweat. I’ve seen, heard and been to classes that had insufficient warmups and it’s scary. Along the same lines, because my warmups are thorough, for some they are seen as too intense and has scared a few people away. I’m okay with that. I’d rather have you warmed up properly and mad at me than put you at risk for injury.

Leveling and Sequencing
How instructors prepare and train students for tricks/skills is important. Hint: there’s a reason why we go through grade school before high school and college, and why we learn our ABC’s first before reading and writing essays. A solid foundation helps set you up for success and reduce risk of injury. Ensuring that are properly primed by focusing on form, breaking skills down into levels and sequencing the foundational building blocks is key. From there ensuring that they not only know, but practice, proper technique, and form while providing progressions, strengthening and conditioning should also be a part of the process.

Continuing education and training
As instructors, we should never stop learning. Whether you’re investing in training courses or doing solo studying, we should always keep working to improve our craft and knowledge and keep up with the advancements of our students and the evolving aerial/fitness industry.

Referrals…Yep, don’t be afraid to refer a student elsewhere
I don’t know everything and you know what? I’m OKAY with that. No one knows everything. So if a student asks me something that’s outside of my expertise, I am quick to refer them to a doctor, sports doctors, chiropractor or massage therapist. Why speculate when I can send them to someone qualified to assess, diagnose and treat? If it’s something I feel like I probably should be more familiar with or want to know more about then I will take the time to research and learn more about it. Along those same lines, I follow up to see what the outcome was so I can add that knowledge to my toolbox for the future, AND because I care!

That being said, instructors we need to do better! Not just in teaching but also in educating our students. Students, please don’t let instructors do just anything to you. If something doesn’t seem right or feel right, don’t do it. Speak up, ask questions, raise concerns. You only get ONE body. Do not comprise your health and well-being in pursuit of a goal. Know that whatever skills/abilities you desire, they can be achieved but you want to go through the proper channels so that you can safely achieve those skills.

Questions, thoughts, concerns? Want more details on how to train safely? Give me a shout!