Sometimes, exercising can be a chore, or something done just because it’s healthy. Other times, there are ways to make working out a lot more fun.
Enter senior Ashley Fisher, the instructor of Pound classes at Elizabethtown College. “Pound is a new type of workout, and it’s a high-interval training,” Fisher said. “It combines Pilates, cardio, all different kinds of workouts together using lightly-weighted drumsticks called Ripstix.”
Pound was invented by a drummer and her friends. The drummer forgot her stool and spent the performance standing behind her drum set rather than sitting. She realized after the performance how much of a workout it was to play the drums in that way.
Pound is an extremely popular activity on campus. Fisher said that she was not expecting as large a turnout as she got and is very excited that Pound is something that interests students so much. Last semester, Pound was a bonus class through E-fit. That class generated enough interest for Fisher to get Pound certified as a weekly class this semester.
The class is usually very crowded, and many people thought that its popularity would die down after a few weeks. However, it is still going strong. Fisher hopes to add two more classes at different times during the week because of its popularity.
Junior Stephanie Hartman was very excited that Pound has become a weekly class this semester. She went to the special class last spring and was happy E-fit decided to incorporate it on a regular basis. “I like that it’s good loud music and it’s a lot of fun to work out,” she said. “They make it fun.”
According to Hartman, Pound is a great way to work out with a group. It is a good way to socialize and have fun while also working hard to be healthy.
“It was actually my idea,” Fisher said. In her hometown, Elizabethville, Pa., there are Zumba and Pound classes for the community to participate in. It was something she really enjoyed at home. She wanted to have a chance to share something like that with the College community. “It’s something new, and it’s so different than all the other workouts. I figured it would be something fun, but it’s definitely a hard workout,” she said.
Pound classes have different tracks. Some work the arm muscles; others work the leg muscles through squats and other movements. One track focuses on the core muscles, and the small muscles that are not normally focused on are worked, too, because of all the different kinds of movements.
Each song on the workout soundtrack lasts between two and four minutes. The classes themselves run for forty-five minutes. The soundtrack contains music ranging from rock to pop to Dubstep to everything in between to keep participants on their toes and having a good time.
Pound brings so many different styles of music together and so many different types of workout routines that it makes its central theme very clear: Pound is all about balance. A Pound routine ensures that participants get the right amount of cardio work or toning or fat burn. The length of the songs and the chosen type of routine aid in this.
The fact that Pound classes emulate a rave really help make them enjoyable. During the workout, all the lights are turned off, and the Ripstix glow different colors under blacklights. When the music starts and the class starts moving, the lights move and flicker around the room and light up the space.
Participants show up early to Pound to make sure they can get Ripstix, so setup for the class can take anywhere from thirty to forty minutes. “They get there before I do sometimes,” Fisher said. “It makes me really happy. It’s exciting.” After class, tear-down tends to only take five minutes or so.
Last year, Fisher was an E-fit assistant, and this year is the E-fit coordinator. This allowed her to speak with her supervisor about having Pound offered as a weekly class. “Otherwise, I don’t know if anyone would have known to bring it to Etown,” she said.
Pound classes are offered every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the KAV.
