I'm 400lbs and want to start pole dancing

by ssbbw want to dance too

Where do I start, what do you recommend, please be honest I'm a big woman I can take it. What's the best way to mount a pole if you don't want to mount it to ceiling? I really want to do this please help me start somewhere.

Your Pole Pal responds:

ssbbw, THANK YOU for stopping by to get some encouragement! I'll do my best to help inspire you get started exploring the wonderful world of plus size pole dancing. Let's get right to your questions...

It sounds like you want to learn at home with your own dance pole.

If you don't want to install a permanently affixed pole, I recommend the Lil Mynx as your next best option. The reason for this is that Lil Mynx poles attach with a bolted ceiling mount rather than relying on a friction fit rubber pad.

Now wait! I get a lot of people asking about that bolted mount...they don't want any screws in the ceiling at all. Often this is because they live in rented housing and are worried about damage to the property.

Rest assured, the screw bolt that these poles use will do no more damage than a nail you'd put in your wall to hang a picture. When you move out, all that's required is a tiny dab of spackling paste (ie Polyfil) in the hole and you're all fixed up!

You can read this detailed review of Lil Mynx dance poles if you like, to learn more about why they're so solid and a great alternative if you can't or don't want to screw a pole permanently into your floor and ceiling.

Now, as to the weight limit. As you'll hear me discuss in this thread on pole dancing for a plus size woman, I've heard unofficial numbers of up to 400 pounds mentioned "off the record." Does this mean I can guarantee your pole won't come down if you put this much of a load on it? Nope, sorry.

BUT, and this is a big BUT - no pun intended, m'dear, and I sure hope your sense of humour is as big as your desire to pole dance :) - it's important when considering weight limits, exactly what you intend to do with your pole.

What do I mean by that? Of course you want to pole dance, right?!

Right. But let's be realistic. Are you strong enough right now, at 400 pounds, to lift yourself up and swing your weight around the pole?

I don't like to make assumptions, but I'm going to guess probably not. So it's almost a moot point, really.

Yes, it's true that there are a few non-airborne moves that you need to be cautious about, most notably any move that puts a lot of pressure near the base of the pole. That's because if the base has enough force applied to it and it slides out of position, there's a chance the pole could come down.

But that's what I love about the Lil Mynx poles and their bolted ceiling mount. Even if the base shifts significantly, I've found that the pole will usually stay in place, though it will then be at an angle and need to be re-aligned.

However, with a friction fit pole, once the base moves the top has nothing to "grab" to keep it in place, and the whole works will come down without warning. Of course, this is a very dangerous situation, and the reason that I feel the design of the Lil Mynx bolted ceiling mount pole is safer than a friction fit pole.

So unless you plan to get those 400 pounds airborne right away, I'm of the opinion that your chances of being injured by a falling pole are no greater than anyone else's, assuming of course that your pole is installed correctly and you use it appropriately.

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Perhaps you'd like to read more about general dance pole safety, to help ease your mind and give you confidence in getting started.

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While spins and lifts and inversions all look wonderfully sexy and graceful, they are not requirements of the sport by any means. I love the pure dance aspect of pole dancing more than I enjoy the tricks, and many of my favourite moves are actually ground based.

There is so much you can do to get a great workout, have fun, and look and feel super sexy, without lifting so much as your baby toe off the floor.

For example, this pole dance workout DVD has an entire pole dance fitness routine that's an amazing workout with NO spins or lifts. It's entirely do-able, loads of fun, and will work you into a sexy sweat before you know it!

Of course, I'm just a wee bit biased because I created this DVD, but you're the very reason I did so!

There are oodles of closet wannabe plus size pole dancers out there who, just like you, really need a do-able starting point. I hear from them all the time. They want to get fit, have some fun and feel s-e-x-y!

Please do me a favour, ok? Have a look at the Lil Mynx dance pole, get yourself a good DVD or two - here are a few more recommendations for plus size pole dancing DVDs - maybe enlist a girlfriend to join you, and turn it loose!

I promise you will amaze yourself when you start looking for what you CAN do, as opposed to looking for what you can't do. And you can DO THIS!

And I really want to hear back from you once you've had your first pole workout. Wouldn't it be great to inspire other plus size women to give it a go as well?