Pole dancer, do you actually know what your code is and what it does? No shame if not: by the end of this episode you will! Listen in as we go over:

• What’s actually part of your core?

• What does it do?

• As pole dancers, what's important for our movement-specific training? (Including a commonly-overlooked motion!)

Links and resources:

• Free sample class: https://mailchi.mp/slinkthroughstrength.com/free-pole-flow-class

• Sign up for community flow: https://slinkthroughstrength.as.me/community-flow-class

• Join my mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/slinkthroughstrength/newsletter

• 2025 studio dance playlist (these are all songs members suggested/brought to class!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/06yzGCF4wi22B8516YuhIZ?si=9226904ac6f54287

Chapters:

00:00 Core Basics Intro

02:18 Defining The Core

03:17 Core Muscles Tour

04:58 Spine Control Role

05:47 Spine Motions In Pole

08:07 Pole Specific Demands

09:46 Stability And Isometrics

11:44 Anti Rotation Strength

14:14 Wrap Up And Takeaways

Dr. Rosy Boa of Slink Through Strength discusses why long-term pole dancers may lose motivation and how to rebuild a sustainable relationship with pole. She flags that dreading hobbies and anhedonia can be a symptom of depression and encourages seeking mental health support if that’s present. Otherwise, she recommends: assessing overall life capacity and scaling pole to fit current energy (including taking breaks without fear of major strength loss), clarifying what you currently want from pole using a “best possible self” meditation or journaling to align training with changing goals, adding novelty through different teachers, movement styles, and music to increase play and awareness of preferences, and reducing perfectionistic demands by focusing on consistency and effort over outcomes while lowering setup friction to make showing up easier.

Links and resources:

• Free sample class: https://mailchi.mp/slinkthroughstrength.com/free-pole-flow-class

• Join my mailing list: https://mailchi.mp/slinkthroughstrength/newsletter

• 2025 studio dance playlist (these are all songs members suggested/brought to class!): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/06yzGCF4wi22B8516YuhIZ?si=9226904ac6f54287

Citations:

Carrillo, A., Rubio-Aparicio, M., Molinari, G., Enrique, Á., Sánchez-Meca, J., & Banos, R. M. (2019). Effects of the best possible self intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS one, 14(9), e0222386.

De Kleine, E., & Van der Lubbe, R. H. (2011). Decreased load on general motor preparation and visual-working memory while preparing familiar as compared to unfamiliar movement sequences. Brain and Cognition, 75(2), 126-134.

Encarnação, I. G., Viana, R. B., Soares, S. R., Freitas, E. D., de Lira, C. A., & Ferreira-Junior, J. B. (2022). Effects of detraining on muscle strength and hypertrophy induced by resistance training: A systematic review. Muscles, 1(1), 1-15.

Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2014). “The perils of perfectionism in sports” revisited: Toward a broader understanding of the pressure to be perfect and its impact on athletes and dancers. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 45(4), 395-407.

Hall, H. K., & Hill, A. P. (2012). Perfectionism, dysfunctional achievement striving and burnout in aspiring athletes: The motivational implications for performing artists. Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 3(2), 216-228.

Heekerens, J. B., & Eid, M. (2021). Inducing positive affect and positive future expectations using the best-possible-self intervention: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(3), 322–347. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2020.1716052

King, L. A. (2001). The health benefits of writing about life goals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 798–807.

Chapters:

00:00 Pole Spark Fizzles

00:25 About Me And Membership

01:55 Long Term Pole Relationship

03:10 Mental Health Red Flag

03:48 Check Your Capacity

07:46 Take Breaks Without Fear

08:42 Best Possible Self Goals

11:34 Add Novelty And Play

15:28 Reduce Demands And Friction

18:38 Recap And Next Steps

20:20 Closing And Free Resources

Did you know there’s a whole scientific field that just studies friction?? It’s true! And we can apply a lot of those findings to help us stick better to the pole.

In this episode we’ll dig into why you might be too slippery or too sticky by focusing on friction and research from tribology (much of it drawn from prosthetics studies). We’ll talk about how skin, fat and muscle all contribute to grip and how to navigate each.

I also break down all the different types of grips and when/why you might want to use each one.

Want to train with me? Check out the Science of Slink membership: https://scienceofslink.com/

Citations:

Gerhardt LC, Strässle V, Lenz A, Spencer ND, Derler S. Influence of epidermal hydration on the friction of human skin against textiles. J R Soc Interface. 2008 Nov 6;5(28):1317-28. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2008.0034. PMID: 18331977; PMCID: PMC2607440.

Xu, Z., Sun, H., Tang, W., Fang, X., Kosimov, A. A., & Mamadamon, A. (2026). Influence of muscle fatigue on pain based on friction and brain activation. Tribology International, 112362.

(I didn’t talk about it, but this is a fun blog post about tribology: https://www.stle.org/files/TLTArchives/2024/12_December/Feature.aspx)

Chapters:

00:00 Sticky vs Slippery

00:38 Science of Slink Membership

02:17 Friction and Tribology Basics

03:34 Skin Layers and Hydration

06:16 Body Fat and Surface Area

10:10 Muscle Tension and Fatigue

15:32 Grip Aids Explained

20:25 Wrap Up

Dr. Rosy Boa of the Science of Slink podcast shares 10 key considerations for building a home pole space based on a decade of home training, emphasizing that a home setup will differ from a studio. She covers choosing reputable pole brands and safe installation (permanent vs. tension-mounted), proper placement under structural supports, using boards to distribute weight in plaster construction, checking tension with temperature swings, and shaking the pole before use. She discusses flooring choices for different styles, avoiding gaps that can catch toenails, and keeping cleaning tools nearby. Other topics include optional open wall space, storing alcohol/grip and towels, safety gear like mats and self-spotting bands, additional props (chairs, blocks, weights), airflow/humidity/temperature control, lighting options, music setup considerate of neighbors, and filming considerations like corner placement and fisheye lenses.

Chapters:

00:00 Home Pole Setup Intro

01:05 Studio Versus Home Reality

01:55 Pole

05:43 Flooring

07:39 Wall Space

08:28 Storing essentials

09:20 Safety equipment

10:30 Props

11:55 HVAC

14:00 Lighting

15:46 Music

16:34 Filming

17:48 Recap And Final Thoughts

Iris Sparrow lighting tips: https://www.instagram.com/p/DcRKQnJhoX4/

Want to work with me? Check out my virtual Science of Slink membership at ScienceOfSlink.com

⁠

🤎 All-level pole technique⁠

🤎 Discover amazing-feeling freestyle flow⁠

🤎 Accessible, equipment-optional conditioning⁠

🤎 Taught live, recordings always included⁠

⁠

Sliding scale pricing available.⁠

Freestyling in pole dance can feel frightening and physically stressful, often driven by fear of failure and harsh self-criticism. This episode offers some practical strategies to cope with that. Drawing on sports psychology, we’ll talk about research (Ceccarelli et al., 2019) showing self-compassion predicts better stress recovery and fewer maladaptive thoughts after recalled sports failure, and use Neff’s (2003) framework of self-compassion: mindfulness (noticing thoughts without over-identifying), common humanity (remembering others struggle too), and self-kindness (treating yourself as you would a friend). We’ll also go through some specific strategies that you can use in the moment to help cultivate more self-compassion.

Citations:

• Bluth, K., Gaylord, S. A., Campo, R. A., Mullarkey, M. C., and Hobbs, L. 2016. Making friends with yourself: a mixed methods pilot study of a mindful self-compassion program for adolescents. Mindfulness. 7:479–92. doi: 10.1007/s12671-015-0476-6

• Ceccarelli, L. A., Giuliano, R. J., Glazebrook, C. M., & Strachan, S. M. (2019). Self-compassion and psycho-physiological recovery from recalled sport failure. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 1564.

• Neff, K. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and identity, 2(2), 85-101.

Chapters:

00:00 Freestyle Fear Is Real

00:57 Coach Disclaimer And Shoutouts

01:48 Why We Fear Failure

04:13 Research On Self Compassion

06:19 What is Self Compassion?

07:25 Mindfulness And Meditation

10:55 Common Humanity And Community

13:06 Self Kindness In Practice

14:51 Tools To Calm And Reset

17:53 Final Encouragement And Wrap Up

Dr. Rosy Boa explains why pole dancers need strong, stable shoulders for hanging, spinning, climbing, and inverted work, outlining shoulder anatomy and key movement demands. She reviews general strength patterns used in pole—horizontal and vertical push/pull—and emphasizes the importance of isometric straight-arm hanging strength. For overhead stability, she highlights conditioning the rotator cuff via external rotation to keep the humeral head securely positioned during arm flexion, offering a simple external rotation drill. She also stresses scapular upward rotation for full overhead range and stability and concludes that shoulder mobility requires stability training to pole safely and long-term.

Learn more about the Science of Slink membership & join now: https://scienceofslink.com/

The book I reference (HIGHLY recommend!):

Emily Scherb, D. P. T. (2018). Applied anatomy of aerial arts: an illustrated guide to strength, flexibility, training, and injury prevention. North Atlantic Books.

https://www.thecircusdoc.com/book/

Chapters:

00:00 Why Shoulders Matter

01:51 Shoulder Anatomy Basics

03:55 Push Pull Patterns

05:44 Vertical Strength Demands

07:22 Hanging Isometrics

08:44 Rotator Cuff Focus

11:36 Scapular Upward Rotation

15:51 Key Takeaways

16:27 Mobility Needs Stability

17:48 Wrap Up And Resources

Dr. Rosy Boa discusses what happens when you take a break from pole, covering both physiological detraining and the emotional side of returning. She emphasizes not beating yourself up and notes that feeling awful after missing one class can signal an unhealthy dependency, suggesting support for possible exercise addiction. Aerobic capacity tends to noticeably drop after about two weeks away, while strength loss is slower and depends on training status and age: very trained lifters may not show measurable 1RM decreases until around 32 weeks, untrained individuals can lose strength after a 10-week break, and adults 74–86 may see strength and balance declines after two weeks. Returning typically takes about half the break time, and strength is often easier to rebuild due to “muscle memory,” with evidence that people can catch up to peers who never took a break.

Interested in training online with Rosy? Check out the Science of Slink membership: https://scienceofslink.com/

Chapters:

01:36 Be Kind About Breaks

04:40 Detraining Timelines Overview

09:41 Rebuilding and Muscle Memory

11:15 Catching Up After Breaks

13:38 Personal Trick Loss Story

15:31 Final Takeaways

Citations:

Cumming, K.T., Reitzner, S.M., Hanslien, M., Skilnand, K., Seynnes, O.R., Horwath, O., Psilander, N., Sundberg, C.J. and Raastad, T. (2024), Muscle memory in humans: evidence for myonuclear permanence and long-term transcriptional regulation after strength training. J Physiol, 602: 4171-4193. https://doi.org/10.1113/JP285675

Encarnação, I. G., Viana, R. B., Soares, S. R., Freitas, E. D., de Lira, C. A., & Ferreira-Junior, J. B. (2022). Effects of detraining on muscle strength and hypertrophy induced by resistance training: A systematic review. Muscles, 1(1), 1-15.

Halonen EJ, Gabriel I, Kelahaara MM, Ahtiainen JP, Hulmi JJ. Does Taking a Break Matter-Adaptations in Muscle Strength and Size Between Continuous and Periodic Resistance Training. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2024 Oct;34(10):e14739. doi: 10.1111/sms.14739. PMID: 39364857.

Toraman, N. F., & Ayceman, N. (2005). Effects of six weeks of detraining on retention of functional fitness of old people after nine weeks of multicomponent training. British journal of sports medicine, 39(8), 565-568

Dr. Rosy Boa hosts an episode of Science of Slink on neurodivergence and pole with neurodivergent psychologist and pole dancer Gabby Desmond. They define neurodivergence as a broad umbrella beyond autism and ADHD (including OCD, BPD, and learning disabilities like dyslexia) and discuss why neurodivergent people may be drawn to pole for its structure, predictability, community “parallel play,” and endless achievable challenges. They explore sensory processing and regulation through spinning, inversion, and aerial hammock, plus differences in interoception and pain that can affect conditioning, stretching, and injury risk. The conversation covers learning preferences (visual vs verbal cues), difficulties with right/left and choreography, managing ADHD/autistic boom-bust training cycles, focusing on core vocabulary over trick inflation, and using external cues and varied feedback to support motor learning. Gabby shares where to find her work at unfurlpsychology and on Instagram.

Where to find Gabby:

• Unfurl psychology: https://www.unfurlpsychology.com.au/

• https://www.instagram.com/unfurl.psychology

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

02:11 What Neurodivergence Means

03:51 Why Pole Attracts ND Folks

06:30 Sensory Seeking and Spinning

11:41 Dyslexia and Learning Pole

15:35 Learning Styles and Flow

18:41 Boom Bust Training Cycles

24:05 Interoception and Pain

25:45 Stretching and Hypermobility

29:53 Learning Through Feedback

38:36 Failure and Self Efficacy

41:22 Why Pole Community Works

42:42 Wrap Up and Links