EXPERIENCE
Pound Your Way to Health
STORY & PHOTOS BY JD DOTSON
Always up for new challenges in my workout,a
friend of mine from the YMCA asked if I had ever
heard of a POUND class. “It’s working out with
drumsticks,” she explained, “set to pop music.” WE BELIEVE in the power of music and the
freedom of rocking out.
My interest was piqued, though I forgot the fact
that I have no actual musical rhythm in my body. WE ENCOURAGE sampling new forms of
movement, uncovering new rhythms, and
tapping into new ways of listening.
The YMCA partnered with the YUM! Center
for Fit Tuesday, a series of free classes every
Tuesday in the summer. Zumba, Yoga, Insanity,
Turbokick, Boot Camp and POUND are a few of
the offerings running through the end of August.
Intrigued about POUND, I grabbed my friend
Sarah and we biked to the YUM! Center. We had
a vague idea but went with little knowledge of the
class. We were ready to workout and be surprised.
POUND was created in 2011 by two recreational
drummers and college athletes. One day, while
drumming without stools, the women realized
what a great workout they were getting. Wanting
to put fun and energy back into their workouts,
POUND was born and is now available in more
than 40 countries with thousands of participants
worldwide. POUND’s philosophy, as stated on
their website reads:
36 EXTOL SPORTS / AUGUST 2017
WE SUPPORT unleashing aggression,
discovering new talents, and awaking new senses.
WE PROMOTE camaraderie, friendship
and bonding.
WE BELIEVE in loving our bodies while
improving them.
WE BELIEVE in handing you the permission
to Rock!
POUND’s website also claims, “POUND is the
world’s first cardio jam session inspired by the
infection, energizing, and sweat dripping fun of
playing the drums.”
I am no Ringo Starr but I felt pumped to try
this class. Sarah and I were ready to rock!
We were handed a loaner pair of POUND
drumsticks called Ripstix, a neon green pair of
hard and slightly-weighted plastic sticks, and
joined the crowd around the instructor, Laura.
Spread out to give everyone room to move, the
music started and we all followed Laura’s lead,
cracking the drumsticks overhead to the beat.
Unlike my workout buddy Sarah, I was
musically challenged, from clapping to the beat,
to moving my body. Dancing is not my thing,
either. I learned pretty quickly that POUND is
all of my physical weaknesses rolled into one
loud, rock ’n‘ roll package.
I am of the age that I care less and less about
looking like a fool in public, so I was ready for
45 minutes of sustained foolishness. The moves
started out fairly simple, cracking the sticks above
our head then on the ground to each side. I could
keep up with this rhythm for sure.
But as soon as I got in the groove, there was a
switch up and a leg raise, and chest pump and
drumming in the middle on the ground. The
routine changed with the music, offering some
fairly intense leg lunging, fast-paced drumming
and sweating.
I admit there were moments I couldn’t find