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Annabell

@actuallyannabell

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Pole • Psychology • Protein 🩷
From “Why can everyone do this except me?”
to “I trust my own progress.”
↓ Start your Pole journey

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Reasons to follow or unfollow me: I started Pole Dance in September 2025 and somehow made it my entire personality. I’m a psychologist and ridiculously proud of it, I’m a feminist through and through, I love cats and would absolutely have one again. My heart belongs in Australia, I love oat milk cappuccinos and I listen to Ikkimel. I’m convinced I’ll stay single for the rest of my life, I hate waiting, I’m impatient and definitely a perfectionist. I care a lot about mental health and believe taking care of yourself is important. I think body shaming is never okay, no matter what direction it goes in, and I’ll never make fun of someone’s spelling because you never know what someone might be dealing with. So basically: these are some of the things that make me… me. If you vibe with that, stick around. If not, you know where the unfollow button is. 😂🫶 by @actuallyannabell

Hi, I’m Annabell 🩵

I’m 28, from Germany, and I started pole dancing in September 2025.

Before pole, I had basically no dance background. I went to the gym, but pole dance was a completely different kind of challenge. 😂

I started sharing my pole journey on my German Instagram account, and it has grown a lot over the past few months.

Since pole dance is such an international community, I thought: why not start over in English and see where this takes me?

So this account is going to be my pole dance diary. 🌀

I’ll be sharing old videos from when I was a complete beginner, current training, progress, fails, things I struggle with and everything in between.

No pretending that everything is perfect. Just my real journey of learning pole dance.

If you’re learning pole too or just enjoy watching people figure things out, welcome. 🫶 by @actuallyannabell

If you came to me and told me that everyone else is making faster progress in Pole Dance than you are, I’d start by asking you one question:

Is that actually true? 👀

Or are you comparing your own progress to what you see other people doing on Instagram or in class?

You see which tricks they can already do. But you don’t necessarily see how long they’ve been training, what experience they bring with them or what they might still be struggling with themselves.

And even if someone really is making faster progress than you, what does that actually mean for your own journey?

You don’t have to be the fastest to be proud of yourself. 🫶

And one more question: Would you talk to your best friend the way you sometimes talk to yourself?

Would you tell her she’s bad at Pole Dance because she can’t do a certain trick yet? Or would you remind her of how much she’s already learned?

Try to show yourself the same patience and kindness.

Your Pole Dance progress doesn’t have to look like anyone else’s. You’re allowed to learn at your own pace. ❤️

Follow @actuallyannabell for Pole Dance, strength training, fitness knowledge and tips to help you get stronger. by @actuallyannabell

I started my English Pole Dance account in mid-August.

It’s now late October, and I’ve grown to over 3,400 followers.

And no, I don’t think it’s because every single video I post is revolutionary.

But I do think there’s a reason why my videos keep reaching new people and getting views.

I don’t just post Pole Dance tricks and combos. I also show my personality, share my opinions, talk about my experiences and let people get to know the person behind the account.

Because here’s something I always ask myself when creating content:

What does someone actually get out of watching this video?

Is it entertainment? Inspiration? A new perspective? Something they can relate to? Maybe even a useful tip?

A Pole Dance combo can be beautiful to watch. But what makes someone stop scrolling, watch until the end and eventually hit follow?

Give people a reason to connect with you beyond the tricks you can do.

You don’t have to share your entire private life or become a full-time talking-head creator. You just need to let your personality and perspective show up in your content.

Because people aren’t only following the things you do. They’re also following the person doing them.

Follow @actuallyannabell for realistic Pole Dance, beginner progress, strength training and the person behind the moves. by @actuallyannabell

My Pole Dance invert before, during and after trying the viral resistance band hack from @pd.sapiens . 😂💪

I struggled with my invert for months, and using a resistance band genuinely felt therapeutic. It helped me work on the movement, build confidence and get more comfortable with the inversion process.

Of course, a resistance band isn’t a magic fix, and it doesn’t replace building the strength and technique needed for a controlled invert. But sometimes finding a different way to practise a skill can make a huge difference mentally, too.

Have you tried the viral resistance band hack for your Pole Dance invert? Did it help you? 👀

Follow @actuallyannabell for realistic Pole Dance progress, invert training, strength training and everything in between. 🫶 by @actuallyannabell

I think by now everyone knows that Static Pole and I are not exactly best friends. 😂

But apparently, miracles do happen because I voluntarily did a Static combo.

And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t actually enjoy it. 👀

Maybe Static and I can still work things out after all. 😂

And honestly, combos like this are great for working on your basics.

The combo:

• Fan Kick
• Pole Walk
• Dip Spin
• Pirouette
• Fireman
• Climb
• Stargazer 🩰

Follow @actuallyannabell for more pole dance content and to follow my pole dance journey. 🫶 by @actuallyannabell

Instagram often makes Pole Dance look effortless. You see the clean tricks, the pretty combos and the perfect final attempts. What you don’t see is all the repetition, frustration and failed attempts behind them.

Pole Dance progress takes time, consistency and a lot of practice. You don’t have to be naturally talented to start, and you definitely don’t have to get everything right on your first try.

Sometimes the only difference between you and the person doing that impressive trick is the amount of time they’ve spent learning it.

Follow @actuallyannabell for realistic Pole Dance progress, training fails, new tricks and the unfiltered reality of learning Pole Dance. by @actuallyannabell

Pole Dance invert + resistance band = potentially the missing puzzle piece? 👀

Using a resistance band during my invert practice was honestly such a therapeutic experience. For the first time, something finally clicked.

Before this, I kept asking myself: What exactly is holding me back?

Am I lacking arm strength? Is it my hip flexor strength that makes it difficult to pull my legs in properly? Is it my core strength? Or is it something else entirely?

I never really considered that I might not be engaging my back properly or bringing my elbows close enough to my ribs when attempting an invert.

The resistance band forced my arms closer together and helped me feel that position more clearly. I could even see the difference in how my sports bra pulled across my chest.

And suddenly, I had a theory about why my invert feels so much harder without the band: I’m not bringing my arms together as much, and I’m struggling to engage my back in the same way.

This is just my current theory based on what I felt during the exercise, but it might explain why the band made such a difference for me.

I’ll definitely make another video comparing my inverts with and without the resistance band, because I want to see what actually changes. 👀

Have you ever tried using a resistance band for your Pole Dance invert? Did it help you, too? Let me know in the comments! 🫶

Credit: @pd.sapiens by @actuallyannabell

One year ago, I genuinely thought I wasn’t made for Pole Dance. 🥹

I thought I was too big, not flexible enough, and definitely not someone who could move elegantly around a pole. I was scared I’d look ridiculous.

And maybe you’ve had those thoughts too. Maybe someone has even told you that you’re too old, too heavy, or simply not the right type of person for Pole Dance.

But look at what can happen in just one year when you give yourself the chance to try. 🫶

I’m still learning, still working on my inverts, and still have plenty of moments where I wonder what the hell I’m doing. 😂 But I’m genuinely proud of how far I’ve come, especially because I never imagined I could move like this.

Now I’m working towards the intermediate level, and I’m even exploring the possibility of teaching Pole Dance classes myself one day. 👀

I have no idea exactly where this journey will take me, but I’m excited to find out.

So if you’re thinking about trying Pole Dance but keep telling yourself you’re not flexible enough, not strong enough, too old, or not made for it, let this be your reminder that you don’t have to know what you’re capable of before you start.

Follow @actuallyannabell and come along for the journey. Maybe my progress will inspire you to start your own. 🩷 by @actuallyannabell

I saw @pd.sapiens practicing a Pole Dance invert with a resistance band and honestly thought: there’s no way that actually works. 😂 So obviously, I had to test it myself.

And I’m not gonna lie, I’m annoyed by how well it works. 🫠😂

I’ve been struggling with my chopper invert for a while, and using the resistance band actually helped me get a better feel for the movement. I even managed to get up with straight legs, which genuinely surprised me!

I started with the strongest resistance band and now I want to gradually reduce the assistance while practicing both bent-leg and straight-leg inverts.

Sometimes you just need to try a different approach when a Pole Dance trick isn’t clicking.

Have you ever tried using a resistance band to train your Pole Dance invert? Did it help you? 👀💪🏼 by @actuallyannabell

Strength training can help you get stronger for Pole Dance and improve your control over different movements. It’s not just about lifting heavier weights, but also about choosing exercises that support your goals.

💪🏼 Single Arm Bench Press: I include unilateral exercises in my training to work both sides of my body. I always start with my weaker side and match the reps on my stronger side instead of doing more just because I can.

💪🏼 Lat Pulldown: A strong back is important for Pole Dance, whether you’re working on your invert or controlling your shoulders during spins. The lat pulldown has been one of my all-time favourite gym exercises for years.

💪🏼 Half-Kneeling Cable Row with Overhead Press: This is a more advanced combination that requires core stability and coordination. If you’re new to strength training, I’d recommend learning both movements separately before combining them.

Why do I find this combination interesting? In Pole Dance, many movements require you to pull and push at the same time. Think of certain spins where you pull yourself towards the pole with your inside arm, engage your shoulder and push yourself away from the pole with your outside arm.

That’s why I might include more combinations of pulling and pushing movements in my next training plan to make my gym training even more transferable to Pole Dance. 💪🏼

You don’t need complicated exercises to get stronger for Pole Dance. What matters is choosing exercises that suit your current level and gradually progressing over time. 🫶

Save this Reel for your next gym workout and follow @actuallyannabell for Pole Dance, strength training and realistic progress as a beginner Pole Dancer. by @actuallyannabell

Your Pole Dance progress might not be happening as fast as you want because you’re focusing on the wrong thing. 👀

Training more often doesn’t automatically mean making progress faster.

I recently watched a video where a YouTuber compared two groups: one trained six times a week, the other three times a week. The question was whether training twice as often would lead to twice as much muscle growth.

But that’s not how it works.

The difference in muscle growth was reportedly minimal. One possible reason? Training six times a week can be harder to recover from, and being constantly tired or sore can affect how hard you actually train.

What matters is not just how often you show up, but whether your training gives your body a reason to adapt.

That’s where progressive overload comes in: gradually increasing the challenge through more weight, more reps, better technique, more control or harder Pole Dance skills.

And just as importantly, your body needs enough recovery to adapt to that training.

You don’t need to train every single day to get stronger or improve your Pole Dance skills. You need a plan that challenges you consistently and gives you enough time to recover.

Welcome to Pole & Protein, where we talk about Pole Dance progress, strength training, recovery and nutrition without the unnecessary fitness myths. 💪

Follow @actuallyannabell for Pole Dance, strength training, sports nutrition and the science behind getting stronger. by @actuallyannabell