#exercise-trends

This group fitness class combines… basically everything. (Photo: Mark Sacro)

A workout that involves lunges, squats, and crunches might sound less like a good time and more like a tedious exercise routine. But if you add thumping music, drumsticks, and two kick-ass female founders, the whole game changes and you get Pound.

Pound is not your typical workout. It’s a group fitness class that combines Pilates, cardio, and conditioning with drumming. And, yes, you get to use special, lightly weighted drumsticks called RipStix as you move and sweat. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be an actual drummer, or even musically inclined, to get the hang of it. You just need to show up ready to rock.

“Usually, when we say ‘You get to hit things for 45 minutes, and you’ll burn 400 to 900 calories without even realizing it,’ people are in,” says Pound cofounder Christina Peerenboom. “Not only does it bring a serious fun factor to the mix, but it combines the science of music with the most effective exercise modalities into one simple format.”

Peerenboom started Pound with her friend Kirsten Potenza, both drummers, when they realized exercise was more of an ordeal, than an experience they enjoyed.

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“We bonded over struggles faced by many young women today, from the pressure to stay slim and fit, to the larger overarching questions like, ‘Who am I, and what should I do with my life, and what makes me happy?’” says Potenza.

That’s why they decided to start a new career and a workout that would inspire other women to take control of their bodies and minds in a 45-minute session.

“When we realized that the two things we loved most, music and a team, could be melded together, we created a way to fill the void that was missing for us,” says Potenza. “By being a support system for each other that fostered creativity, insight and self-discovery, we got down to the basics of what made us happy, both inside and outside the gym: MUSIC.”

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Peerenboom adds, “It’s not very often women get unbridled permission to step outside of any role and march to the beat of their own drum, but Pound gives them that: The permission to be loud. The permission to be aggressive. The permission to hit things. And ultimately, the permission to rock.”

You can find Pound in gyms, dance studios and wellness programs across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia, along with an exclusive program at Madonna’s Hard Candy gyms worldwide called Pound Rock Hard. If it isn’t offered near you yet, the girls have a DVD and nutrition system called Rockout Results that comes with your very own set of RockStix.

“Women all over the world are able to discover just how badass they can be through Pound, and that their bodies are more than just ‘beach ready’ or sexy,’” says Peerenboom, “Their bodies are the vessels that help them kick ass at life.”

By Susan Yara 

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