Looking to build strength quickly? It’s easy to think that taking a pole or aerial class every single day will help you build strength, faster. More practice should mean more progress, right? Not exactly.

In fact, training too much – especially when you’re just starting – can actually stall your progress, lead to burnout, and even cause injuries. We get it, you’re excited about your new-found passion, and you want to do it daily! But do you want to do it for a short period of time, and burnout? Or are you interested in incorporating it into your lifestyle for the long term?

The key to building lasting strength in pole and aerials isn’t about doing as much as possible – it’s about training smart.

The Risks of Overtraining

  1. Burnout & Frustration

If you train every day without giving your body time to recover, you’ll likely start feeling drained, unmotivated, and even frustrated with your lack of progress. Skills that once felt fun and exciting may start feeling impossible, leading to discouragement.

  1. Shoulder Overload & Injury

Your shoulders are the workhorses of pole and aerial training, taking on repetitive strain, high loads, and extreme ranges of motion. Without proper recovery time, you risk developing chronic injuries that could force you to take months off training—or even end your practice entirely.

Here are some of the most common overuse injuries and how they affect both training and daily life:

▪ Rotator Cuff Tendinitis / Tears

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that stabilize your shoulder joint. Repetitive overhead movements, like inverts, deadlifts, and spins, can cause inflammation or even small tears.
A frustrated woman in athletic wear, standing beside a pole with her arms crossed, looking tired and disappointed. She is surrounded by symbols of fatigue and injury, such as aching muscles (depicted with small lightning bolts) and an overwhelmed expression. The background shows an aerial hoop and pole equipment, symbolizing pole and aerial arts. The vibe should reflect a sense of burnout and frustration rather than strength, with an emphasis on the toll overtraining can take on the body.💥 Impact: You might experience shoulder pain while reaching overhead, lifting objects, or even sleeping. It can make everyday tasks—like washing your hair or carrying groceries—painful and difficult.

▪ Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

This occurs when the tendons in your shoulder get pinched between bones due to overuse and lack of rest. Signs include sharp pain when lifting your arm or reaching behind your back.
💥 Impact: Activities like reaching for a seatbelt, putting on a jacket, or holding onto a pole during class become painful.

▪ Biceps Tendinitis

Overuse of the biceps tendon (which helps control arm and shoulder movement) can lead to pain at the front of the shoulder, especially with pushing and pulling movements.
💥 Impact: Simple movements like lifting a bag, opening a door, or pushing a stroller can trigger discomfort.

▪ Wrist & Forearm Overuse (Tendonitis & Grip Fatigue)

Pole and aerial require a ton of grip strength, and overtraining can lead to chronic wrist pain, inflammation, or even nerve compression (like carpal tunnel syndrome).
💥 Impact: You might feel tingling, numbness, or weakness in your hands, making typing, writing, and holding objects difficult.

▪ Lower Back Strain & SI Joint Dysfunction

Many pole and aerial moves put intense strain on the lower back, especially if core engagement isn’t properly developed yet. Hyperextension (arching too much in backbends or climbs) can cause strain and instability.
💥 Impact: Sitting for long periods, bending over to pick something up, or even standing for too long can become uncomfortable.

▪ Rib & Intercostal Strains

Twisting, deep backbends, or intense engagement of the obliques can lead to painful rib and intercostal muscle strains.
💥 Impact: Breathing deeply, laughing, or rolling over in bed can suddenly hurt.

  1. Plateaus & Lack of Progress

Strength, flexibility, and technique don’t improve overnight. Muscles need time to rebuild, and flexibility gains come from consistent but spaced-out training. If you push too hard too soon, you’ll not only risk injury—you’ll also plateau faster because your body doesn’t have time to recover and adapt.

What Should You Do Instead?

1️⃣ Start slow & progress gradually.
👉 Train 2–3 times per week when starting, and increase intensity over time.

2️⃣ Cross-train to balance your body.
👉 Incorporate gym workouts, dance, and mobility work to strengthen supporting muscles.

  1. Strength & Conditioning (Group Pump Classes)

Building a foundation of full-body strength is key to becoming a strong aerialist or pole dancer. Group Pump classes at Aradia focus on strength training, helping you engage muscles that may not get targeted during pole or aerial work, such as your legs, back, and core. This will build overall strength and stability.
💪 Benefit: Strengthens the muscles needed for lifting and holding poses in pole and aerials while also preventing injury.

  1. Flexibility & Mobility Classes

Flexibility is crucial for mastering pole and aerial skills. Aradia’s Flexibility and Mobility classes focus on improving your range of motion, helping you safely deepen stretches and work on more complex tricks that require flexibility. Regular practice in these classes will also improve your ability to recover faster between training sessions.
🤸‍♀️ Benefit: Increases flexibility in hips, shoulders, and back, which is essential for mastering higher-level pole and aerial moves.

  1. Dance Classes

Whether it’s Ballet, Salsa, or Hip-Hop, dance is an excellent way to build coordination, fluidity, and core strength. Dance will also help you develop a sense of timing and body control, which is especially important for pole and aerial performances.
💃 Benefit: Builds overall body awareness, balance, and flexibility, while making your pole and aerial routines feel more natural and expressive.

Check out all of our supportive cross-training class options here! 

If you think you would benefit from some 1:1 training to help build a strength-training program for pole/aerials, check out our in-house personal trainer: Kira Hickey Fitness
Click here to visit her website. 

3️⃣ Prioritize recovery.
👉 Rest days are when your body actually gets stronger! Without them, you’re just breaking yourself down.

4️⃣ Listen to pain—don’t ignore it.
👉 If something hurts consistently, it’s a red flag. Modify movements, take a break, and see a physiotherapist if needed.

By training smart instead of just training hard, you’ll build strength without breaking down your body, keeping you in pole and aerial for the long haul.

 

Rest days aren’t lazy—they’re essential. This is when your muscles repair and grow, making you stronger for your next session. Without them, you’re just breaking down muscle without rebuilding it.

Conclusion: Train for Longevity, Not Just for Today

If you want to stay in pole and aerials for the long run, train smart from the start. A mix of pole, cross-training, and rest will get you stronger, faster, and injury-free—so you can keep flying for years to come.