Question Time with Bendy Kate
Lauren Chambers | 20/08/2021
Pole Dance Champion, Aerialist, Acrobat, Therapist, Author, Bendy Brand Creator and soon Mumma to be Kate Czepulkowski AKA Bendy Kate is an ICON in the Pole World.
So who better to ask for our first interview and give answers to our students questions regarding everything from pole, performing, competitions, stretching, prehab/rehab and more...
How to avoid pain in my forearms when training and improve strength/avoid injury?
Pole and aerial are so heavily dependent on forearm strength for grip purposes. its not often we hang our whole body weight off 1 hand but with pole this is a daily occurrence for almost 1hour continuously!
To prevent forearm pain my top 3 tips would be:
1. To work on wrist/grip strengthening prehab
2. Keep on top of forearm stretching even when they don't feel tight, when you start to feel he forearms tire in a training session make sure you are using shoulder efficiently (this will help your grip!)
3.Self massage your forearms as much as possible. A great way to do this is when you wash your hands, put the soap up your forearms and massage it off!
Advice for people considering competing?
Remember competing is not the be all and end all of pole dance. But if you genuinely want to try a competition you should definitely do it, but only for the right reasons.
Try to stay true to yourself, plan your training plenty in advance, make sure you keep on top of your prehab and stretching to avoid injury.
Also the best thing you can do at a competition to stand out is to be unique, don't try to do the same as everyone else.
What is your best advice to get bendy?
Do it wisely, with focus on active flexibility, balance and strength as your 3 main focuses!
How often a week would you recommend stretching and for how long?
It all depends on your goals and how soon you want to achieve them.
If you really want to get needlescale and middle splits, I would recommend stretching at least 3 times per week.
Bu remember for you to get them safely there should be a massive focus on Glute strength, hip stability, balance, active flexibility and a good understanding of your spinal range of movement (for needlescales).
Training box splits I get bad knee pain, is it normal or am I doing it wrong?
Sometimes if you're a little way of middle splits, passively stretching them can cause pressure on your medial knee ligaments.
To avoid this work on active stretching your middle splits & frog stretch with bent legs.
Is there any good daily 15-20 min stretch routines for people who work shifts?
Because everyone and everybody is so different its best to discover what works best for you.
which instructor taps into your body the best etc.
So unfortunately there's no quick fix for a 15-20min stretch.
You could also thin about focusing on hips one day for 15-20mins, then back stretch the other day.
Listen to your body it will tell you what needs working on.