Exercise?

ok, i've read before that poi is good exercise, but to be honest i think that's kind of clutching at straws somewhat. That's like saying pub crawls are good exercise right?

When i went on easter holiday 5 weeks ago I decided to start using a set of chains almost 3 times the weight of what i was spinning before. At first I found them pretty hard to control, but having used them for maybe 30 mins everyday I now find them normal, and my old set stupidly light.

Tonight i went bowling for the first time since i went on holiday (i bowl between 3 and 6 games a week during term time) I found myself being able to effortlessly bowl a lot faster with heavier balls than ever before. My average tonight was also 20 points above normal.

Obviously poi isn't as good as working out in the gym, i'm not going to kid myself that i'm being super healthy by doing poi, but has anyone else noticed an increase in upper body strength?

I started out doing poi alittle over a year ago and since than I've lost muscle mass. Than again a year ago I went to the rec and worked out 3 times a week, something I stopped after school ended last year and never started again these past two semesters, so thats most likely my problem. I do think, however, that doing poi has prevented me from loosing all my previous muscle build up, I mean I havn't reverted back to a twig yet and I've been lazy this whole academic year. So I thank my poi for what biceps and abbs I have left

good news though, in the fall semester I signed up for wieght lifting cause I need one more credit and it worked with my scedule. Kind of curious to see what the crowd will be like for the class, skinny computer nerds, big muscle guys, or both?

Yeah, I've noticed that my shoulders are getting larger and if I didn't have a layer of lard over them, the muscles in my back and arms would be much more defined than they used to be.
They're certainly larger too, you just can't tell that from looking at them.

Unfortunately, they all get very stiff very easily, so if I go even a week without spinning something or doing anything to loosen them up, they start getting really uncomfortable.
All the more reason to spin more regularly I suppose

I am one of those skinny people with hardy any muscle.... in fact I find it harder to keep weight on than loose it.

I have quite heavy practice & fire chains which I have been using since late January. I have noticed a definate increase in upper body muscle.... particularly arms and shoulders.

Do you stand still when you spin??? I dont! i bounce around like crazy, so I think i'm getting a full body work out when i spin. I find i dance and do moves that utilise alot of my back and stomach muscles. I'll move around alot and bounce and stretch and utilise most of my leg muscles.

its all about the way you move

I also want to point out in addition to being an upper body strength workout (which was one of the original uses for the male Maori version) it is also a really great aerobic workout. It works the muscles across the front of the chest and really helps the lungs. I figured this out after my accident when my lungs weren't up to capacity and I spun for the first time...yeee-owwww...
Now, after work, it is building back up well. It has helped my strength, my stamina, heavy poi also help balance....realistically it is no Bally's Fitness Center or Trim Spa program, but it is nothing to shrug at either. Especially if you change up the moves often, including heights and directions.

Stand still!!! I normally run round like a man possesed with fire poi, but I do most my practicing inside(which would account for 70% of poi time), which limits how much I can run round.

Well, I play with a staff too, fairly heavy one, and I have seen tremendous muscle building in the wrists and forearms, hand strangth and shoulders from that. Since I've been playing with my poi I have also seen a lot of bicep build and toughened abs...

I don't normally work out at all, so it took me like two weeks to be able to spin for a long time until my body built the muscle to do it.

I've been spinning for about a year now, often with pretty heavy equipment. My endurance and ability to spin heavier stuff has improved, but i still look like a load of uncooked spaghetti tied together with elastic

I remain pretty convinced that exercise is something that happens to other people.

Contray to your own beliefs you do do exercise Sheepy, I have seen it with my own eyes.

You just choose to call it something else

Vamp

i've been fencing for about 2 years, and that causes a lot of muscle build up on your dominant side. after i started swinging poi about 6 months ago, i've noticed my left arm trying to keep up with my right. (YAY, NOT LOPSIDED!!) i also do a lot of running around and jumping and leaning backwards and crazy stuff while swinging (as well as i can at this level), so i get a REAL workout.

Boo, they've got my name And what exercise?

Well my first poi that I still have and only have are light... but my arms are stayin toned... helps the pectoral muscles... YEY FIRM BOOBIES! LOL

Hehehe... has anyone found occasionally you learn a new trick but can only do it with your dominant hand, then found themselves adicted and doing that trick tons and suddenly- voila! an abnormally asymetric body!
Found that when i first started staff spinning, but has improved since the doubles...

Ben

I've defo noticed a difference in tone. Not really bulk, well maybe a little, can be hard to tell though.

I'm devoping scar tissue on my shins, head and elbows from my beaming poi . I love 'em really.

That settles it... My next set of poi will be heavier.

Maybe I will put more effort into learning staff using dominatly my left hand because the right side of my body is quite a bit stronger then my left. This is from spending a few months christmas tree shearing (Repeatedly swinging a 3 foot machete up and down all da long) I find poi works both sides equally for the most part. Another thing to consider about poi is it gives a lot of people an adrenaline rush when the spin lit. Any sort of phsical activity when you have adrenaline rushing through you burns more fat.

I can really see poi or club swinging makeing a comeback for excersize (wasn't club swinging developed for excersize because regular aerobics are to damn boreing?)

The big wicks and long chains on my fire poi really give the shoulders and arms a good workout. (also the burns last longer!)

Its an interesting compliment to the fencing, though I haven't told my coach about the spinning.


Raph

I am in complete agreement, spinning for long periods will get you fitter and it is great for improving your strength/dexterity on your weaker side. I do Wing Chun Kung Fu and find the spinning aids my stamina. For example over winter when I don't spin as much my arms ache much more when I'm training compared to spring/summer.