What came first, pole dancing, fitness or armwrestling?

It all started with a gym. I couldn’t even walk properly when I first held a barbell in my hands, and sometimes I even chewed on it. My father had a home gym. I had to be there when he worked out. I remember getting a set of cute little pink dumbbells for Christmas. I worked out with them, imitating dad. In 1993 my parents opened a club and since then I’ve been spending more time at the gym then at home.

So, when has armwrestling come along?

It’s been with me since childhood. I armwrestled my father at home, then with my mates at school. I beat most boys there. I got into armwrestling in earnest in 2003. I read an article about a tournament in a paper, saw photos of girls who fought, found an information about the nearest contest and decided to give it a shot. I got great results from the get go, and it’s been a part of my life ever since.

And how about pole dance?

I’ve been at it for three years. I signed up to a first ever school in Wrocław, and after the first class I knew this was something I wanted to do.

Why was that?

Because it’s a very female and sexy thing, but also very powerful and brave, just like me! Besides, I like to try new things, especially if they are out of the ordinary. And armwrestling and pole dance definitely are, plus they are a little controversial.

What are the controversies?

A lot of people don’t realize that they are actual sports, with tournaments. Armwrestling is associated with pub games, and pole dance with go-go clubs. People imagine me wrestling with huge dudes or shaking my ass in their faces. I often hear that armwrestling is a guy game and I’ll get huge from all the weights. And why do pole dance? Do I want do be a stripper? It’s so sad how narrow minded many people are.

How do you divide your time between all the training?

My gym adventure started when I was 4 years old and my parents opened their own gym. Since then my father tortured me with corrective and stretching drills. Then came resistance training, and my workouts got more intensive and frequent. These days I train 3 – 5 days at the gym, depending on time and strength.

I started armwrestling when I was 14. I have armwrestling exercises in my program, usually 1-3 exercises per workout. I do pole dance 1-2 times a week since I was 23. Additionally, a year ago, I started doing Israeli Krav Maga once a week, and I’ve been teaching fitness classes 4 times a week for 2 years now/

How much training does it take to get this good at pole dancing?

It all depends on predispositions and dedication to training. We’re all different, some catch on very quickly and are able to do some figures after only a few workouts, others need months to do the same. Usually, girls train 2 times a week, an hour at a time. In my opinion, you need about a year of training at this frequency to get fluid and effective at pole, on amateur level that is. Pros train a few hour a day to get perfect.

Do you need some special skills to do pole dancing?

Anyone can do it, regardless of age and body mass, all you need is distance, strong will and dedication. As for skills, like in every other sport, you need some motor coordination to develop properly. Flexibility, coordination and strength are useful. But they can be trained and taught. Add some weight training and stretching to the mix and you’ll have real fun with pole dancing.

Pole dance is relatively young in Poland, but it’s growing rapidly. Why do you think that is?

Pole dance classes are usually taught to small groups, 8-10 girls max. You get to know everybody after a few classes. After the doors close, all girls drop all pretenses, can free their sex-appeal and be themselves. They learn things that seem impossible. It’ s addictive! You catch yourself seeing any pole or post, like a lamppost or road sign, and you just want to grab it and start doing your favorite stuff. Pole dancing used to be associated with go-go clubs and naked girls. But nowadays it’s changing, it’s associated more with athleticism, acrobatics, with sports, thanks to TV, celebrities who proudly admit to practicing it.

Also, being fit is the thing now, and pole dance got great publicity as a fitness method. A training that burns fat, shapes body, increases confidence and femininity in ways different from classic fitness. Women like what’s fashionable. And lastly – what woman wouldn’t want to do a pole dance for their man? There’s just something in the pole that attracts us.

You do many sports at once, is it “gluttony”, or just being multi-disciplined? How would you describe yourself – a wild spirit and adventurer, or just a person who likes being all-round developed?

I’m more about being all-rounded. I think the best investment is investment in self, so I never deny myself new experiences. But first and foremost, I’m an armwrestler. Pole dance, Krav Maga, gym, fitness – those are hobbies that make my work and career easier.

You study nutrition and health prophylactics. All your life seems to be connected to sports.

Definitely. As a kid I did dance classes, then judo, then I found armwrestling, but in the meantime I ran, I did shot put and trained self-defense with my father. I couldn’t have turned out different with a father who kept thinking up new activities for me. My gym workout was more important than homework. He taught me to train, myself and others. He’s a bodybuilding instructor and he also teaches self-defense, and my mother, despite working in other fields, is also a fitness instructor and a dietician.

I majored in a sports academy in Wrocław, in fitness, and got my bodybuilding instructor certificate there. I also did post-major studies in nutrition. I work as a personal trainer, I teach power-building fitness, I’m a Piloxing instructor and a dietician. What I do gives me a lot of pleasure and satisfaction, and I have no regrets about my chosen way of life.

Małgorzata Ostrowska, 20-times Polish armwrestling champion in category up to 60 kg (2005-2014). 6 times 3^rd place in European Championships in 2005, 2006 (left and right arm), 2007, 2009, 2012. Has an entry in “Polish records and personalities” book as the strongest Polish woman in left arm, years 2006, 2008, 2009. In November 2005 she took 2^nd and 3^rd places in Japan, right and left arm, in category up to 60 kg, and in 2006 in Warsaw she placed 3^rd in the Nemiroff Cup.

Personal trainer, Piloxing instructor and dietician.

Photos: Natalia Panek

Iza Małkowska