Ingredients to Avoid in Grip (and Cosmetic Products)
5 common ingredients to avoid in grip and cosmetic products you use daily and in the one you use to add grip to your sport performance.
One of the most frequently asked questions that we are asked by every pole dance athlete is “how can I better my hand grip?” or “my hands sweat too much, do you have any tips?”
In this article we want to help you to improve grip in pole dancing.
Sweaty hands as well as dry skin are two of the biggest difficulties when you start pole dancing, because slippery, sweaty hands and too dry skin make it almost impossible to perform most figures.
After years in the pole dancing business, we have collected some tips that can help you, so here are the top 6 tips to improve grip in pole dancing.
We often take it for granted that the pole is clean and that we are the problem, but sometimes it can be the cleaning products we use that cause the main problems with slippery hands.
Sometimes, if you haven’t used the pole for a long time, the grip may feel strange, as if there is an oily coating on top of the pole. This is a clear sign that it needs a good cleaning.
Start here: get some 90° denatured alcohol and Polipole’s Pole Tamer (did you know you can even use it to clean your hands during practice?). Why choose a reusable cloth instead of disposable paper? Because it is a much greener choice, thanks to which you avoid producing waste and leaving clutter in the gym. Not only that, the special fiber of Polipole cloth removes grease and dirt much more deeply. Result? A perfect starting point!
Washing your hands before a pole dancing class is so important, and the product you use to wash them plays a key role in the success of your session.
You should also be careful about the cleansers you use. If you wash your hands with a moisturizing soap, you could make your life much more difficult. You may have heard around about washing your hands with dish detergent, but it is important to know that these are very harsh products and can damage your skin. It was from this very need that our Skin Prep was born. A cleanser designed for the skin to prepare it and make it grippy and to limit excessive sweating.
Pro tip: Remember to wash not only your hands, but also your contact points. Be sure to scrub them well with Skin Prep to improve grip in pole dancing even before applying the grip!
What if the key to improving your grip on the pole and reaching new heights in your performance is simpler than you think? Healthy, well-exfoliated skin can really make a difference!
Start by using an exfoliating glove, such as Polipole’s Natural Viscose Gentle Exfoliating Glove, which gently but effectively removes dead skin cells and improves skin texture, making it smooth and glowing. This means a better grip on the pole, allowing you to perform figures and transitions with more confidence and control.
The benefits then don’t stop there! In addition to preparing the skin for pole dancing, the exfoliating glove stimulates blood circulation, softens the skin and can also be used to prepare the skin for spray tanning or to remove it. It also helps prevent and treat ingrown hairs.
If your hands don’t tend to sweat and your skin is dry, try Polipole GRIP now. This medium-sticky formula will help you take your performance to another level.
If you tend to sweat a lot, use Polipole DRY for a dry grip.
For touch points on the body, use Sticky Mania, a super-sticky formula to really feel secure.
If your skin is dry and you hardly ever sweat, then Skin Booster is the breakthrough product that will save your spirits during workouts. A grippy body cream with vitamins and amino acids to restore hydration.
For top preparation, wash your hands thoroughly with Skin Prep before applying your favorite grip.
Small bonus: If you tend to sweat a lot, but are still a fan of a sticky effect that lasts a long time , then use Polipole DRY and then Sticky Mania on top. For many of our athletes, using these products together has made all the difference.
Remember however that there is no hard rule, in addition to the skin component in fact, the habit of a certain type of product and the psychological component play a very important role. The environment in which you exercise, the season, and factors such as stress could fluctuate the condition of your perspiration and your skin. Better not to be caught unprepared and have different products on hand.
Not all poles are the same, and choosing the right one can completely change the way you train. A great example is THEPOLE’s poles with GeckoGrip finish, which stand out from traditional steel poles thanks to their white or black color.
This special finish is created through a process that coats the steel with molecules that have unique properties. Available in glossy black or white, this exclusive coating is not only nickel-free (making it suitable for sensitive skin), but it also helps to improve grip in pole dancing, helping you reduce fatigue during the most demanding holds.
What’s more, even if it gets scratched over time, the surface remains safe to touch, unlike traditional chrome poles, which risk flaking.
The strength of the grip of the hands is not taken into account enough by those who approach pole dancing. At the same time, it is underestimated that a good grip involves all the muscles that start from each finger and go up to the elbow, and that there is a risk, if you overdo it, of igniting the forearm and not being able to practice on the pole for quite some time.
Grip strength is not given enough consideration in the pole dancing community. Exercises to strengthen the hands, forearms and arms are great for this. You can start with those suggested by Valentina in this reel and also in this one.
Try these tips now and share your experience! We’re curious to read if they helped you to improve grip in pole dancing, and of course, if you too have any helpful tips, please share them with us in the comments.
Sara Martinelli
Polipole
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