Spotlight on Lulu!!

I first saw some photos of Lulu on Facebook and I was so impressed with her strength on the pole.  So welcome Lulu as our latest pole sister! What is your fitness routine (on and off the pole)?   Right now I’m training for Ms. Xpose 2012.  With being a mom, my schedule gets pretty hectic even before adding the training.  I make sure I’m flexible with my days to accommodate my needs on being a parent.  For off the pole I do a lot of push ups and crunches.  Those are my go to exercises to build up the strength I need to pull off tricks.  I try to at least do push ups every morning when I wait for the water for my shower to warm up.  Pole-Wise I attend pole class once a week and whatever we work on in class I work on in my Pole Cave once a week as well.  Now with training coming into the mix, I work on a routine a few times that night I’m in the pole cave.  Once I’m done, I work on a freestyle routine.  Freestyling is one of my weaker points so it gives me a good way to work on my weakness and get my mind the routine for a short period of time. What kind of diet do you follow? Last year I discovered Eating Clean.  I starting following it and I noticed a difference in how I felt overall.  This year I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and the doctor had told me that diet and exercise will ease a lot of my symptoms that I have.  I’ve started to work on clean more than I used to.   With competition training my husband is the nutritionist nazi. He has taken cookies from me and reminded me there is a competition coming up. Do you have a dance background? I’ve been dancing my whole life, even before I took class.  I started with cheerleading, that came with dance and tumbling.  I am a former National Cheerleaders Association All-Star Cheerleader.  That came with dance, stunts and tumbling.  As I got older I took more former dance classes in High School.  I stopped dancing after giving birth to my daughter in 2004.  Do you compete (pole fitness or any other kind of fitness competitions)? I've competed in the local competitions but I have auditioned for bigger competitions.  I’ve competed in Ms Xpose Fitness Preliminary round in 2008,2010 and 2011.  I am determined to win, so that’s why I keep trying!  I keep falling off the horse but I saddle back up and keep going!  Do you teach pole classes?  If so, where? Teaching is a one of my dreams, next to owning and running my own studio.  I made a personal promise to myself that I would win a competition before I decided to branch out and start teaching.  I like to have some credentials next to my name when it comes to someone who wants to learn pole from me. Do you have a preference? "pole fitness" or "pole dancing" For me, I’m a pole dancing kind of gal.  You’ve got to fill in the times you’re not on the pole. But I am a fan of both of them. What do you think about the stripper vs. pole fitness debate? I respect strippers, it takes some serious guts to stand in a room with a bunch of horny-ish men and get naked.  That’s something you’d never see me doing. I also attend a studio whose mission statement is about finding yourself through the art of exotic dance, I see more of the stripper side than pole fitness.  But you aren’t going to see any stripper do a jade in the club for tips.   What is your favorite product to help you stick to the pole?  I’m a big fan of Itac.  I use it when I’m in my Pole Cave, but when I’m in the studio where I take classes I use shaving cream.   The studio poles are brass and my home pole is chrome.  How do you deal with the dry skin on pole days (and on off-pole days)? I have naturally oily skin - I say I could fry an egg off my face.  The only lotion I use is face moisturiser, I don’t touch lotion beyond that.  Where do you like to buy your pole clothes? My favorite set is from Bad Kitty's Pole Fit Line.  I have the spider back bra and the Brazil shorts.  I love them so much that I could actually sleep in them. The go to shorts I wear are the Soffe cheer shorts.  You can get them in any color of the rainbow and they can be bought anywhere. My newest ones are zebra print.  Do you like to dance in heels or barefoot? I like both.  It really depends on the song.  You just know it when you hear the song.  I’m 5'4 so I find any excuse to look taller! What is your favorite thing about dancing on the pole? I feel like myself.  Pole is my happy place, it’s the one place I can go and be Lulu and not have to worry about anything else at the moment.   What is your favorite song to dance to (at this moment)? I won’t reveal what my competition music is but right now there are a few songs I’m really feeling. Black Coffee by Everlast and Shakin Hands by Nickelback.  Normally after I’ve danced to a song, I really don’t want to listen to it for awhile.  Those 2, I could hear over and over and still create new combos. What else would you like people to know about you or your studio(s)? That I have big dreams and I don't give up on them. I'm also an event organizer.  I run the annual charity events - Battle of the Pole Dance Studios.   I am beyond the moon excited to be running this event again.   You can check out my event at www.battlepole.com and my personal site www.team-lulu.com.