Then and...Now!

Looking back, it is incredible to see how much pole has shaped my life in so many ways over the years. The changes that have taken place have been so gradual that I never noticed them happening! There are obvious changes, such as the physical ones attributed to pole (hello lats!), but then there were not so evident changes in things like my diet and lifestyle.

The most noticeable change has been in my physical appearance. I’ve always been naturally thin (yes, yay for me) but any kind of muscle, tone or definition was non-existent. Spaghetti arms and toothpick legs. Super sexy, I know. Through years of pole practice, biceps, triceps and lats developed and with increased core strength. The best part of the change in my physical appearance? It was simply a perk of doing something that I love, I didn’t have to spend hours in front of a mirror doing bicep curls, lat pull downs or sit on the ever awkward hip adductor machine.

As a student in PoleFit Level 4

Another physical change was in my posture. And this was no small change. We took a look back at our instructor training videos and my god, think hunchback of Notre Dame and you’ll be on the right track. I probably gained three inches just from standing up straight. Admittedly, it wasn’t just pole that improved my posture, a few (hundred) pokes in the stomach from Jen when I was slouching would have contributed.

I was never a person to think twice about what I was eating. Seriously, if it looked edible and somewhat delicious… As I progressed through the levels, my training hours became longer, and the skills became harder. I found that my body started to crave protein and good food to maintain the pace I had set, as opposed to its usual calling of Nutella and a spoon (there are still days for that though!) It never felt like I was dieting, because I wasn’t. I was just eating well. There’s a big distinction there.

Celebratory drinks post level 4 performance at a Studio Verve Open Night

These changes weren’t immediate, far from it; they took years to develop to the point of being noticeable and are even still occurring. Sometimes you forget how far you’ve come, especially when you’re struggling with a new skill, so it was so nice to see a visual representation. Needless to say, I’m thrilled with everything I have achieved. Those little noodle arms served their purpose and got me to where I am today.

Click through to see more amazing "then and now" pics of our students.