👋 Hi! Tell us about yourself and your training
Hi! My name is Irina, I am now 33 years old. I’m from Russia. Now I am a pole dance and stretching coach. I started my sports career at the age of six. As a child, I was inspired by my mother, who was a professional gymnast in the past. That’s why I asked my mother to send me to dance and gymnastics classes.
When I graduated from high school, I entered a choreographic school. After graduating from College, I went to work in a fitness club. There I mastered various fitness areas and was an instructor of dance and strength programs, as well as taught classes in Pilates and body ballet. Graduated from the Institute as a coach in gymnastics and fitness.
In 2011/12, I participated in fitness and bodybuilding competitions. Occupied prize-winning places. Soon I got acquainted with the direction of pole dance and I was very interested in it, so from 2011 to this day I am engaged in and teach pole dancing. Their master classes I conduct not only throughout Russia but also abroad, working online worldwide.
I am also a judge at the pole dance Championships. In addition to sports and dancing, I spend time with my family. I have a daughter Eva who is 11 years old. I am married.
⏱ Describe a typical day of training
My training consists of: Choreography with a pylon, acrobatics with a pylon, stretching, functional training for the body.
I work out on the pylon about two to three times a week for two hours.
Often it is a choreography with a pole and acrobatics, sometimes I share the choreography and acrobatics to work out in more detail new features, movements or create a new choreography.
In my pre-pylon workout, I often include exercises for pumping my legs and buttocks with my own weight, or use additional equipment weights and rubber bands. Sometimes I have separate training sessions for body pumping and stretching without a pylon. In the summer, I like to work out on outdoor sports grounds.
From the equipment I like to use rubber shock absorbers and weights they are effective both for strengthening muscles and for developing flexibility. I like to alternate workouts and loads with intense and less intense ones. So I see a good result and a quick recovery.
Often I train alone with myself, so I can concentrate well on my body sensations and create something new from pole dancing or choreography without a pole.
The best motivation for me is my reflection in the mirror and my progress. But occasionally I attend classes of other choreographers and coaches for inspiration and development.
My diet must include fruits, vegetables and healthy fats every day: pastes made from seeds and nuts, sesame oil, linseed oil, and others. I also observe a drinking regime. Proper nutrition helps me recover faster after training.
👊 How do you keep going and push harder?
If my motivation decreases, I give myself a rest. I reduce the intensity of training or connect new dance directions or types of training. Sometimes I am inspired by other people, athletes and dancers, or people who are not related to sports, but who have achieved success in their business.
My biggest challenge is to do what my soul asks for, not paying attention to people who may say that you are doing the wrong thing.
🏆 How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
Now I continue to practice more focusing on choreography with and without a pole, as well as doing stretching and exercises to maintain and restore my back.
In the next five years, I plan to continue practicing on the pylon and give my classes all over the world. We also plan to continue expanding our online training activities for students around the world.
If I had started my sports and dance program all over again, I would have done everything myself, but I would have been more careful with my body, avoiding some injuries. When I started doing tricks on the pole, I wanted to master the exercises as soon as possible and did not think about how to properly adapt my arms to work on the pole, so my joints and tendons on my arms and in the elbow area were very painful. But then I realized that pole dance training had to be done more often and less in duration, then my hands would adapt without severe pain.
🤕 How do you recover, rest and handle injuries?
To cope with injuries, I try to avoid them! To do this, I do regular recovery training that eliminates muscle imbalances or overstrain. I feel my body and use its resources intelligently.
I need to sleep at least eight hours a night to feel good.
🍎 How is your diet and what supplements do you use?
At this point in my nutrition a lot of plant foods, but I’m not a vegetarian. I rarely eat meat. Mostly from protein food I eat eggs, chickpeas, lentils, sometimes seafood.
From supplements, I sometimes use amino acids, firms are different, so I will not leave links. As well as magnesium, vitamin C and B6. If I want to eat something sweet or not very useful food, I will eat it without problems.
I do not make myself psychological prohibitions in food, so in my head there are no annoying thoughts about unhealthy food. I don’t count calories. I eat intuitively.
I drink one cup of coffee a day and one cup of tea, mostly herbal tea. I use alcohol very rarely at holidays or celebrations. I do not have a strict diet, but there are foods that I do not eat or eat very rarely. If I want to eat something not very healthy from food, I can afford to do it.
👍 What has inspired and motivated you?
My main motivation is the reflection I see in the mirror. As well as feedback from my students about my work. I understand that the world needs me, and I give and receive in return.
When doing yoga or stretching, I like to do something in silence or with soft music
Friends and close people helped me not to be afraid to value myself more in my business
✏️ Advice for other people who want to improve themselves?
You should always remember that everyone has their own individual path in training, there are their own strengths and weaknesses.
I often see people who make mistakes in stretching and acrobatics training. But I consider the biggest mistake of beginners and experienced people to be comparing their own results with others.
You should always remember that everyone has their own individual path in training, there are their own strengths and weaknesses. Therefore, you need to compare yourself yesterday with yourself today and only!
🤝 Are you taking on clients right now?
I now take clients online all over the world. I give SIM my lessons on Exotic pole Dance and stretching. Of work offline I only have master classes, and adjudicating competitions. My clients choose me because they like my personal example and great experience in my business. I like my way of presenting material and training programs.
I have two state diplomatic houses. First diploma as a teacher-choreographer in a choreographic college in Rostov-on-Don. The second diploma is a fitness and gymnastics trainer at the institute also in the city of Rostov-on-Don. I have a large number of certificates for passing master classes in dance, pole dance and stretching
📝 Where can we learn more about you?
Please follow me on Instagram @irinka_belvarova and subscribe to my YouTube channel Irina Bell Dancer
