Image courtesy of poundfit Instagram
“You’ll have so much fun during a POUND class, you won’t even know you’re working out.”
Or so they told us. But 100 squats into our first POUND class, and our legs were beginning to feel the burn. And no that isn’t an exaggeration. Throw in lunges, and you’ve got the beginning of any leg day workout.
A typical POUND class helps you sculpt your entire body, while the fast pace ensures you get your cardio fix. Improving their cardio was the main reason Zinhle, Gotlhokwang and Megan decided to do POUND for the staff fitness challenge. But they didn’t realise just how intense the class would be or how much the class would help them tone their lower body.
READ MORE: What You Should Know About The Staff Fitness Challenge, From The Boss
Group exercise instructor Cindy Abrahams jumped at the chance to become a POUND instructor at Virgin Active, having taught various other group exercises before. “Pound is a great workout that allows you to release stress when you strike the floor. The moves are also designed to tighten your glutes and tone your legs,” she says. Squats, lunges and glute bridges are three of her top moves.
Wanna give it a try? Grab a set of drumsticks (or any sticks) and do these moves.
1. Glute Bridges
This move will help you sculpt the butt of your dreams. It also happens to be Gotlhokwang’s favourite move. “I love glute bridges. My hamstrings are so weak and this move helps me engage them,” she says.
How to do it: Squeezing your glutes, raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Drop your hips to the floor and bring them back up. With each movement you’re striking, hitting the pound sticks in front of you when your hips are raised, and then lowering your arms as you drop your hips to the ground. Repeat.
READ MORE: Exactly How To Get Booty Benefits From ANY Workout
2. Squats
If you’re looking for a move that’ll target all the muscles in your legs, look no further than the squat. There’s a reason why it pops up in every workout. “You do about 500 squats per class without even knowing you are. As amazing as that sounds – it doesn’t feel so amazing the next day,” says Zinhle.
How to do it: Bend down, making sure your knees don’t go over your toes, arching your back, pushing your butt out. Strike the floor with your Ripstix and then stand up. Repeat until you feel the burn.
3. Lunges
Other than working all the muscles in your legs, the lunge is a great move to do if you’re looking to improve your balance and co-ordination. This is the one move we all love to hate.
How to do it: Step your right leg back and sit down, making sure your knee doesn’t touch the floor. Strike the Ripstix on the floor in front of you. As you pulse up, strike the Ripstix above your head. Sink back into the lunge, striking the Ripstix on the floor. Repeat until you feel the burn and then switch sides.
READ MORE: Fitness 101: How To Master The Lunge
To add some sass – work the abs. Just for control.
Abs workout
Building core strength is important because it also improves your balance and stability. “I hated this ab move when we first started. My core strength was seriously lacking,” says Megan. “But the more classes I went to, the more I loved this move, because it was giving my abs an intense workout.”
How to do it: In the seated position, lean back until your upper body is at a 45 degree angle to the floor. Make sure your core is locked and you’re able to move using your abs. Stretch your left hand out in front of you. As you move forward you’re going to strike your right hand on your left and then lower back down. Repeat.
Watch Cindy perform the moves:
Bitten by the POUND bug? Here’s 5 reasons why you should give POUND a try for yourself, plus sculpt even sexier thighs with Mapule Ndhlovu’s thigh workout.
