There isn’t one single reason you might be struggling with your Straddle Invert, also known as a Chopper Invert.

An invert requires several different movements, muscle groups and techniques to work together. If one part is struggling, it can make the whole move feel impossible.

That’s why repeatedly attempting the full invert isn’t always the answer.

The key is identifying which part of your invert is holding you back and focusing your training there.

Inside the Pole Rage Chopper Invert Programme, I help you do exactly that.

A Chopper or Straddle Invert requires strength across your upper body, back, core, arms and hips.

But having strong muscles individually isn’t enough. Your body also needs to coordinate that strength as you lift, tuck, tilt and move into your Straddle.

That’s why I combine Cross Training to build strength off the pole with Pole Conditioning to learn how to apply that strength on the pole.

If your knees aren’t coming high enough during your Pole Invert, your tuck is one of the areas worth looking at.

Getting your feet off the floor isn’t necessarily the same as creating the position your body needs to progress into a controlled Chopper or Straddle.

Rather than repeatedly attempting the full invert, it can be more useful to identify why your tuck is getting stuck and train that stage specifically.

This is one of the areas I help you assess inside the programme.

If you can start your Chopper Invert but keep sliding or dropping back down, you’re likely losing strength, positioning or control somewhere during the movement.

The important question is when does it happen?

Do you struggle to get off the floor? Do you lose the position as you move backwards? Or do you reach your Straddle but struggle to hold it?

Where you start to lose your Chopper can give you a clue about what you need to work on next.

If your hips stay low during your Straddle Invert, the problem may actually begin earlier in the movement.

A Chopper is a sequence of movements, so what happens before your hips start moving backwards can affect the position you’re able to achieve later.

Instead of only focusing on getting your hips higher, look at your whole invert and where your technique first starts to break down.

That’s one of the reasons I teach the Chopper as stages rather than treating it as one big movement.

If your upper back rounds and your shoulders collapse during a Pole Invert, it can make it much harder to create and maintain the strength you need to lift your body.

Your upper body needs to stay strong and active throughout your invert rather than collapsing as you take your weight from the floor.

Upper-body position and strength are therefore important areas to look at if you struggle with the beginning of your Chopper or Straddle Invert.

If you rely heavily on jumping, kicking or momentum to get upside down, it can be useful to work on building more strength and control through the individual parts of your invert.

Rather than focusing only on whether you can get upside down, look at whether you can control the movement as you get there.

Breaking your invert down and training the areas that need more strength can help you work towards a more controlled Chopper or Straddle Invert.

The best exercises for improving your Straddle Invert depend on which part of your invert is holding you back.

Someone struggling to create enough lift may need something completely different from someone who can get upside down but can’t maintain their position.

That’s why I don’t believe every pole dancer needs exactly the same Straddle Invert workout.

Assess your invert first. Then choose exercises based on what your body actually needs.

Inside the Chopper Invert Programme, you’ll get targeted Cross Training and Pole Conditioning workouts to help you do this.

You don’t need to practise your Chopper every day to make progress.

For my Chopper Starter Programme, I recommend around 2–3 targeted workouts per week alongside your normal pole classes, depending on your current training schedule and recovery.

One session might focus on the full Chopper movement or Pole Conditioning, while another focuses on an area you’ve identified as needing more strength — such as your upper back, lower core or hip flexors.

Rest matters too. Your muscles need time to recover and adapt to your training.

Getting your Chopper isn’t about doing as much as possible.

It’s about consistently training the areas that actually need work.

Chopper Invert and Straddle Invert are commonly used to describe the same or closely related pole movement, although terminology can vary between instructors, studios and countries.

You may hear the terms Chopper, Chopper Invert, Straddle, Straddle Invert or Pole Invert used when learning to get upside down on the pole.

Throughout Pole Rage, I usually call the movement a Chopper Invert, and I break it down into four stages:

Lift → Tuck → Tilt → Straddle.

Whatever you call it, understanding what’s happening throughout the movement can make it much easier to work out why you’re getting stuck.