The Rock-N-Roll Workout For People Who Hate Exercise

The Rock-N-Roll Workout For People Who Hate Exercise

The popular group fitness class Pound feels less like a fitness class and more like a group air-drumming concert (if there were such a thing). And yet, by the end of my first class at Crunch gym in Los Angeles, my shirt was soaked through with sweat, and I realized I had probably done about 100 squats, 100 lunges, and 50-some crunches without realizing it.

Pound is a choreographed rhythm-focused class that is similar to a dance-inspired workout like Zumba, but with drumming. You use special drumsticks, called Ripstix, to rhythmically bang in time to rap, pop, and rock hits blaring through the sound system.

Pound’s founders, Kirsten Potenza and Cristina Peerenboom, say they’re “drummers first, fitness enthusiasts second.” When they created the workout a few years ago, they wanted something that didn’t feel like exercise and that anyone could do. “We were the ones going left in class when everybody was going right,” Peerenboom tells Yahoo Health. “We knew it never felt good when you’re the token modifier in class. And we said, ‘How do we create something that literally anybody who walks in there feels comfortable [doing]?’”

Pound founders Cristina Peerenboom (in white) and Kirsten Potenza (in gray) demonstrate a lunge with 2-pound Ripstix during the drumming-based fitness class. (Photo: Mark Sacro)

In the class I took led by Potenza and Peerenboom, they made it clear from the start that the purpose of the class was, above all else, to have fun. While demonstrating a squat, lunge, hip bridge, and crunch, they gave easier versions and encouraged everyone to take modifications whenever needed. “If you’re not sure which way to go, or if you’re having trouble following the choreography, don’t worry about it — just pound!” Peerenboom told the group. A diverse track list — ranging from Fall Out Boy to Rage Against the Machine to Iggy Azalea — kept everyone moving.

Related: The Awesome Abs Workout

Even though Pound is more about having fun than being a hardcore fitness class, it does provide a serious workout. “Pound is a combination of cardio, strength training, and conditioning,” Peerenboom explains.

The Ripstix not only jack up your heart rate as you hit them against each other and hammer on the floor, but they also throw you off balance as you perform squats, lunges, and other moves. This forces your core to brace in order to keep you stable. The morning after my class, I could feel a lingering soreness in my butt muscles, upper and lower back, and shoulders.

Pound also incorporates explosive movements, such as jumps, that are performed all while drumming along to the beat. (Photo: Mark Sacro)

“You don’t realized how focused you are and how long you’re holding those poses,” Peerenboom says. “And really, on your own, you’d probably never be able to have the attention span or the focus to accomplish the types of moves you need to stay safe and stay strong. We sneak it in there.” During the workout, I noticed myself working harder than I normally would in order to stay with the beat, or squatting down extra low so that I could smack my sticks against the floor.

Related: The 12 Healthiest Snack Foods To Buy

The idea for Pound came about serendipitously one day after the two friends jammed out on a drum kit without a stool, squatting down throughout the session. “We didn’t think anything of it at the time, but the next day we woke up completely sore,” Potenza says. The pair realized they could pair their two passions — drumming and fitness — to create a fun workout. They came up with choreography and hosted the first Pound workout on a friend’s rooftop.

After refining the program, they launched their first official class at Crunch gym, and have been growing ever since. Approximately 3,000 instructors are certified in the U.S., the workout has boomed in Europe over the past six months, and the brand recently launched its first five-DVD set and nutrition guide, the Rockout Results System.

“We’ve had 5-year-olds to 85-year-olds in class,” Potenza says. “You never feel left out because you’re doing the same movements and hitting the same beat as everyone else, and you’re so focused on the simple beat you don’t even realize you’re getting a great workout.”

Read This Next: The Inspiring Man Who Finished Last In The Boston Marathon

Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Health on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Have a personal health story to share? We want to hear it. Tell us at YHTrueStories@yahoo.com.