I was recently invited to try a Pound class at Kerry Sports Manila. I had heard about the class before and I was imagining it would be a workout based on the popular show Stomp (I guess the words are similar haha) so I was super curious and excited to try it out.
Of course, it was nothing like Stomp. Or maybe a tiny bit. Here's what you can expect from a Pound class:
What is Pound?
Pound is a 45-minute, drum-inspired cardio workout. You have these 500g drumsticks called Ripstix in your hands and you get to drum along to pop-rock music while getting a full body workout. 30 minutes in and I was spent.
They call it the Rockout Workout and it really does help to just unleash your inner rockstar to distract yourself while you sustain a c-sit or do multiple squats and lunges, striking the floor to the beats of Linkin Park, the soundtrack of The Greatest Showman or whatever songs your instructor has carefully curated for you.
Does it burn a lot of calories?
Supposedly an average 150-pound person can burn 500 calories from a 45-minute Pound class. I'm a super petite person and I burned almost 400 calories, which is comparable to what I burn at a group boxing class, so those were 45 minutes well spent!
Won't the sticks fly out of my hands?
The thought crossed my mind in the middle of the workout, so I had to ask Marge Camacho -- our instructor that evening -- about it. She said that drumsticks have indeed slipped out of sweaty hands and fallen to the floor occasionally, but it's nothing to worry about. The trick is to hold your Ripstix properly, as if you're holding a TV remote in each hand.
What if you don’t have any sense of rhythm?
Marge says that having fun in class is what's most important, and Pound promotes empowerment and creating a better version of oneself. So no, you need not stress over whether you're doing it right. Besides, rhythm can be developed over time.
Would I go for another Pound class again?
Absolutely!
Pound has been in the Philippines since 2017 and there are a growing number of certified instructors in the country. Classes have different difficulty levels: some are open classes geared more towards beginners, while some are more advanced classes that involve more complex choreography.
Special thanks to Gab Abeleda of Kerry Sports for inviting me to your very impressive gym to experience my first Pound class! That was amazing. For anybody who's a member at Kerry Sports or happens to be staying at Shangri-La at the Fort then go attend a class!
For more information, visit www.kerrysportsmanila.com or www.facebook.com/kerrysportsmanila.
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