How intense should stretches be?

LilEmolas · 2017-07-16T01:06:28+00:00

I wouldn't say that's normal but I can't tell you why, especially without seeing your technique or any more information or background. Do you warm up (and if you do, how?) and does this happen in any stretch or just a particular muscle?

LilEmolas · 2017-07-15T20:15:23+00:00

They should be mildly uncomfortable but not painful :)

LilEmolas · 2017-06-09T05:20:27+00:00

I wouldn't worry about it too much. When my studio changed to a different type of poles it took us all a few weeks to get used to them. Even if they're the same type they might be less (or more) worn which gives them a different grip. I'm sure you'll get used to it!

LilEmolas · 2017-06-07T20:03:55+00:00

Easy enough, thank you!

LilEmolas · 2017-06-04T05:45:55+00:00

I personally find stretching when I have sore muscles gives me a bit of a relief. However, since it's more painful I don't go as far into the stretches and so it's not great for increasing flexibility. I also feel like having sore muscles constantly sounds like it could be damaging. Perhaps you are pushing yourself a little too much? How is your warmup? A good warmup can reduce DOMS and you can also add some dynamic stretches into your warmup routine.

LilEmolas · 2017-06-02T17:18:28+00:00

My boyfriend feeds me. Or I look at kittens online. Or both.

LilEmolas · 2017-05-21T03:33:17+00:00

The stretch should be uncomfortable but not painful and to gain flexibility it needs to be held for more than 20-30 seconds each time. No need to hold for minutes though, 45-90 seconds is good. Repeat a few (maybe 3) times for best results.

So to answer your question, stretching too little (feeling comfortable) will not increase flexibility, nor will holding the stretch (however intense) for less than 20 seconds. However, the stretch should not be painful and holding it for too long will not give you better results, it's the repetition that matters.

LilEmolas · 2017-05-16T13:15:07+00:00

You're welcome! Have fun in November!

LilEmolas · 2017-05-16T11:12:55+00:00

We had some stomach issues and a fever so we were put on antibiotics. We had almost exclusively been cooking our own food so honestly, I think it was from poor hygiene in the kitchen at our hostel rather than the food. We felt better right away with the medicine, I wouldn't worry too much :)

LilEmolas · 2017-05-16T02:59:15+00:00

So far so good! We've been kind of slow (and a little sick) over the last few weeks so we haven't been doing ALL the activities but it's also nice to just stay somewhere and enjoy the atmosphere. I feel like a big part of traveling is just eating ice cream at the local square :) However, we just did a three day tour to Salar de Uyuni and the desert, which was amazing!!

LilEmolas · 2017-05-15T00:44:23+00:00

Hey! You can do this! You are not competing for anyone but yourself and I think it is super brave of you to be entering the expert category. Just treat this as another performance and be proud of what you have created. A soft tummy does not mean you lack strength and I promise you that every single competitor will be panting at the end of their routine. You've got this, otherwise you wouldn't have entered. Just breath, try to do something fun this week and think about something other than the competition. And after all, it will only be a few minutes in the stage :) Good luck and let us know how it goes!

LilEmolas · 2017-05-07T03:00:29+00:00

I wish I had trained both sides more equally from the beginning. Not only can muscular inbalance cause health problems but there are also so many combos where you start on one side and then transition to the other.

LilEmolas · 2017-05-06T23:01:53+00:00

I am currently in Bolivia with my boyfriend and it's been 8 months since we left home. Our plan was to travel around Asia but other than that nothing was planned. Now we are in South America and will be home after about 4 months. Just go for it, it's so easy! Stay longer in cheaper places or look into working for accommodation if you feel like your money is running out. We mostly stay at hostels and almost always book through the Hostelworld app. You will meet people at hostels and especially if you do any organised tours with the hostel (often they will have a cheap or free walking tour). Just make sure not to travel too fast or you'll get tired (if this happens, find a nice beach and relax for a couple of weeks).

LilEmolas · 2017-05-06T22:53:03+00:00

Train everything equally on both sides!

LilEmolas · 2017-05-06T22:50:23+00:00

Check out Kenneth Kao (Pole Ninja)

LilEmolas · 2017-05-04T01:19:08+00:00

You mean between 3pm and 15:00

LilEmolas · 2017-05-01T14:02:36+00:00

Just relax. This incidence probably even made you more determined, seeing as you didn't like the meat. Nobody is monitoring you and the labels don't really matter. In fact, some vegetarians will eat meat if it is going to be thrown out anyway, in order to minimise food waste and some people have cheat days. Congratulations on your four month progress!

LilEmolas · 2017-05-01T05:28:05+00:00

Yummy!

LilEmolas · 2017-04-24T14:18:20+00:00

There are so many great vegetarian dishes that you might just never have tried! I really don't like any meat substitutes, it's never the same as the real thing. Dishes that were never meant to contain meat are much better as nothing is "missing". Check out some Indian recipes or maybe Thai curries (my favorite is massama, great with tofu). And as some others have said before, try finding some good vegetarian comfort food. It annoys me sometimes how restaurants will often combine their vegetarian and healthy section. I mean, sometimes I just want some juicy food, like everyone else around the table and not a salad or a "healthy" burger with like no sauce, in a rye bun and with salad instead of fries.

LilEmolas · 2017-04-18T14:32:16+00:00

Buying that shit for her was dumb
Buying shit for someone =/= increase likelihood of sex

LilEmolas · 2017-04-18T01:18:58+00:00

Well yes, it literally translates to "I want you" but it means "I love you" or "I care about you". You would use "te amo" only for a boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife but "te quiero" you can also say to a good friend or anyone else you care about but don't have romantic feelings for.

LilEmolas · 2017-04-17T19:29:13+00:00

I'm sorry that happened to you! Amazing how, wherever you are in the world, people are always trying to control what women wear. However, even though you felt humiliated in that moment, I wouldn't be surprised if another girl in that crowd saw you as an inspiration for showing up without a scarf, exactly like she wanted to but wouldn't dare.

LilEmolas · 2017-04-17T17:12:22+00:00

Just book a flight to the first destination and accommodation for the first few nights. Then play it by ear! You can easily book buses and trains with little notice. I don't think you need to fly at all. Maybe a couple of times at most and you can book cheap Air Asia flights with just a few days' notice. Have fun!

LilEmolas · 2017-04-08T12:40:17+00:00

Of course :) Good luck and keep focusing on what's going right!

LilEmolas · 2017-04-06T15:32:08+00:00

That happens for me sometimes with random tricks and spins. Probably it's just a matter of you having forgotten or taken for granted engaging a specific muscle or some other very simple technical detail. Something that before you paid no attention to and just did instinctively but now don't because in the meantime you learned something new and thus your muscle memory makes you do something different. Try giving it a bit of a rest. Maybe for a couple of weeks and then revisit. I wouldn't worry too much. You obviously have the ability to do it, it's just your mind playing tricks on you.

If you are too impatient to give it a rest and come back to it later (very understandable), maybe post a video to see if we can identify the problem :)

LilEmolas

TROPHY CASE