Angela Zhang it sounds like we're probably in a similar spot in our needle journey bc I also have a relatively straight back leg capezio/libellula now, but I have a bent leg eagle/cocoon!! 🙃here's a pic of where my needle is at without using a wall or pole, as a reference (which is basically straightening the back leg) so you can gauge if my advice applies. At the beginning of the year I could only grab my foot with one hand, and I now do the straight back leg exercises with the intention of trying to grab with both hands as my opposite shoulder/back seems to be my limiting factor. Its a SUPER intense video for me though so I can only do it 1-2x a week max, or my body might start to protest. 😬glad to have someone else working towards their needle to keep me motivated and honest!

I'm currently working towards getting my needle as a New Year's resolution!!!! I'm also a former dancer however I never even had a scorpion, so I feel this post in my bones. I personally LOVE doing the first 4 videos of the backbend flex, particularly ending with the cocoon one and those are my go to for weekly back/shoukder flex training for my needle. Steph just made a brand new video that I'm obsessed with that I've found super helpful for progressing my needle to straightening the leg (added it here). I've honestly been only sticking to these videos bc cocoon/eagle are the most similar to a needle, and straightening the back leg is what I want to do for a needle 🙃I only do each video once a week all the way through due to time but, will incorporate parts through out my warm-ups during the week depending on what im working on.

Stephanie Tallant if I could do live online classes with you I'd die happy 🥺😱😍take my money 💸💸💸

Susan Papp Mlodzienski 😂😂😭you kill me. I love tangled split, but you already know how it's going to be if Stephanie Tallant added a "safety" paragraph in bold for the challenge this week 👀😂

✅Homework

The classes at my studio the teacher's warm-ups are 10-15 mins depending on the class. For home pole my warm-ups are usually very brief and targeted for what I want to do and usually keep them to like 10 mins. If I'm doing a move that's more intensive for my body, like an eagle, then I would have to do a more intensive warm-up that's probably going to be more like 30-45 minutes focused on my back and shoulders. I agree with Susan Papp Mlodzienski that it really is dependent on your body for how much warmup you do. At times when I'm busy, I've been one to call walking to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription or taking my hot shower in the morning part of my warm-up 🙈Steph will cry reading that but I do something I have to do anyways to get the blood flowing then do some stretching and I usually feel warm enough 😬Just to clarify though there's a big difference between warming up and flexibility or conditioning training! At least for me.

Forgot to add a screenshot on here last week but this is my new favorite type practiced on my less favorite side

You forgot Samaya Sinha 🙃🥳

Stephanie Tallant I'll have to retry with chest closer to the pole 🧐bc I actually liked the chest press butterfly... but giving my shoulders a break

Waittttt Stephanie Tallant is one handed supposed to have the chest on the pole? Bc that could explain a lot 👀😬also hi Amber Clark! You straightening your leg on the one handed is wild to me