Dear Marine Corps: Pole Dancers Can Pull-Up

Poler Dancer Pullups Marine Corps

I stumbled across an awesome hopefully soon to be major movement started by United Pole Artists in response to a problem that the Marine Corps is having with female recruits. They delayed a physical fitness mandate, which was supposed to start on January 1, for lady marines after realizing that 55% of the women didn’t meet the required ability to do three pull ups minimum.

Oh?

There’s a debate raging about what to do about this problem because women naturally have 20% less upper body strength than men (because, you know, testosterone and stuff). However, with the proper training in place women can bust a few moves when it comes to upper body strength. It seems like there’s no solution in place for the military just yet but United Pole Artists has a good idea of what to do because guess what? Pole dancers got this, son!

Watch:

UPA also called on female polers to post video of themselves busting out pull ups to prove that this could actually work.

Ahem…

This is me getting a few in after about three weeks of NO fitness activity whatsoever.


I am naturally strong but pole dancing has introduced me to a new level of strength that I had previously never imagined possible. My body continues to amaze me with what it can do as I progress in my training.

The UPA’s solution is brilliant. If this becomes a reality, not only will female recruits get the proper training they need and have fun in the process, but the message about the athleticism in pole dancing could hopefully shift people’s negative perceptions about the sport.

Pole dancing is amazing and diverse and it’s about time that people start seeing what we see and experience.