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8. POUND
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Almost anything can be used as a workout instrument, even weighted drumsticks. Unfortunately, we don’t mean an extra large, chocolate-dipped ice cream cone with nuts on top. It’s actually the tool of choice for Pound classes, where your neon green Ripstix, as they’re called, are constantly moving. In one class alone, you’ll strike the sticks against each other, up in the air and to the floor more than 15,000 times while listening to the latest workout music. Pound promises no generic gym music. And you don’t need to be a musician to get started.
Where to Find It: Just a couple blocks outside of West Hollywood, Crunch Gym (8000 Sunset Blvd. at Crescent Heights) offers Pound classes three days a week. On Mondays, pound away at 7 p.m. Catch the beat on Thursdays at 9 p.m. and Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. Memberships at Crunch will run you $70 per month, but that’s 12-15 opportunities to Pound.
What You’ll Work: Pound incorporates elements of boot camp drills, Pilates and interval training so it works the entire body, but you’ll definitely feel it in your core muscles. When sitting in a squat position and rocking out on the hardwood floor in front of you, you may not notice how much your abs are tightening. Your arm movement throws the body off-balance and the core muscles have to counteract it to keep you from falling over.
