Leg Circles, Pole Assisted

Difficulty: Beginner

Category: Floorwork

Type: With heels / Without heels

Points of Contact: 3

Pre-requisite Moves:

• Baseball grip (top hand)

Leg Circles are fun and showy, making them an excellent choice for pole-assisted floorwork. This motion looks great whether you are in heels or barefoot, and you can speed them up or slow them down as you’d like to match music effects.

Move Steps

1. Start sitting next to the pole.
2. Place your inside arm behind the base of the pole for support. Elbow underneath your shoulder, palm flat on the ground.
3. Place your outer hand on the pole at about face height.
4. Lean onto your inner hip, knees bent.
5. Bring the top leg out straight, rotating the heel in towards the ceiling.
6. Lift the straight leg and butt cheek. Rotate the leg around in a circle until your foot is pointing towards the opposite wall.
7. Rotating the butt cheek down, leaning onto your back gently while pointing the toes down, continue the circle to the now-opposite wall. Lean onto the side of your hip as you move back into the starting position.
8. Your heels will be pointing down towards the floor. To continue the circles, rotate the heel towards the ceiling again, and repeat.

Safety Tips

• When placing your hand and elbow on the floor for support, make sure it is more-or-less underneath you shoulder. You shouldn’t feel like it is straining or tiring out the shoulder joint at all to hold yourself up in the semi-laid back position on the floor.
• Remember to hold yourself up with the hand on the pole. Keep this hand strong throughout the arm and shoulder to better support your movements.

Common Mistakes

• The Movements Look Clunky: If you’re struggling with movements that don’t look as fluid as you’d like, go back to the basic movements! The more you master the small, basic movements in each part, the faster and larger you can make them while keeping them looking fluid.
• My Legs Feel Tight: If your legs feel tight, you may want to focus on lower body flexibility. Depending on where your legs feel tight during this movement, it can be anything from lower back to hip flexor, hamstrings, or glutes. This is a common problem if you sit often, as the muscles may be stretched or shortened in a way that keeps your legs feeling tight whenever you are not in a sitting position.
• I Get Tired Easily! If you’re feeling like your legs are heavy and you’re getting tired easily dring this movement, you may benefit from lower body conditioning. Bodyweight exercises like these toe point exercises can help. Additionally, keeping your back straight can help reduce the strain on your legs.
• I’m Struggling to Hold Myself Up: If you’re struggling to hold yourself up while you’re focusing on your legs, then your arms may need adjusting. Remember that you should keep the hand on the pole strong, as it stabilizes you. The elbow on the floor should be more-or-less underneath your shoulder, aligned so that it supports your weight. Keeping your palm flat on the floor will provide additional balance support.