POUND FITNESS
MARK The music was loud, the instructor enthusiastic. The moment I grabbed a pair of drum sticks and found my place in the class of 12 I felt ready to exercise. Pound combines drumming with quite an intense workout. We started off with some simple moves – marching while hitting the sticks together over your head, then stepping up the pace, we quickly moved into double time.
Following the instructor was tricky as some of the moves are quite complex: Lunges, seated floor excercises, twisting my core, banging the floor with the sticks, hitting the sticks above my head, all trying to keep with the beat. Initially, I just couldn’t keep up, and was laughing hysterically. Slowing the pace down made the moves easier. Changing up the music, we went from ’80s house to Michael Jackson’s Beat it. As the class worked together, it was easier to follow the rhythm of the drumsticks, making the moves easier. I tried to concentrate on the beat and the sound from the floor rather than that of the instructor. I did whack my head several times, dropped the sticks more than once, but enjoyed it nevertheless. The routine that got me was the ‘MJ shuffle’ – open-leg squats, arms over your head smashing the sticks, shuffling towards the front of the studio. Three times.
It was a fast and fun class, and once I master the moves, I might be able to make them in double time. I still can’t get Queen’s We Will
Rock You out of my head! TRY IT YOURSELF Where: GFX Fitness Club, Bay Avenue Mall, Executive Towers, Business Bay Price: From Dh85. To book: Call 050 9969470 or visit gfx.ae.