During POUND Pro Training, we ask our new Pros to answer the question: “What is POUND?” We ask this question because we feel strongly that POUND should be accessible for every participant level and every body. By understanding what is at the heart of POUND – what POUND really is – our kickass Pros are able to create creative ways to use POUND to lead a variety of different people: all ages and all stages.
Before the first beat of the warm up drops, you walk into a space they create where you define what POUND is to YOU. And over the next hour, you explore movement, emotion, community and the Permission to Rock through their kickass, musically-driven class.
It’s a dream for us to see POUND participants young and old, male and female, beginners and athletes, seated in chairs and wheelchairs — and as you’ll learn today — deaf and blind. This moving Pro from Alabama shows us that ANYONE CAN POUND.
With that, we’re excited to introduce you to POUND Pro, Julie Brown.
“I really love it! No matter if I could hear or not… I’m deaf and I follow you when you [POUND]. You are [an] awesome instructor.” – Amanda, Member of Julie’s POUND Posse
From Julie…
It all began when a local fitness instructor shared a POUND promo on Facebook and tagged me and all of my co-workers from the gym. I watched the video and was hooked on the idea of POUND.
I was lucky enough to attend a few classes from a local POUND Pro, Stephanie Hobbs, so I already had a few routines memorized, prior to my December 2013 training. The “Killing In The Name Of” track by Rage Against the Machine was ultimately what made me realize I “HAD TO” do this. I absolutely LOVED it!
All the moves, music, and the feelings from this workout!! I felt an instant connection to the use of Ripstix.
In time, I bought my own Ripstix and I was trying to teach POUND all over the place. Eventually, a martial arts teacher contacted me about Yoga classes, and I offered to also buysoma.net teach POUND. She agreed and we began a rotation of those two classes.
This is where I met Becky, a blind student.
Becky has an amazing sense of humor and loves to move! She was already a dancer prior to her loss of sight, and she had no fear embracing the idea of POUND or yoga. I gave her lots of space, and a lot of direction. I had to move her arms to the music BEFORE class to show her what moves went where. She and I became good friends and she eventually latched on to her love of exercise through both POUND and Yoga.
In February 2015 I was rehired by a church to launch their fitness program. Initially they opted out of including POUND on their schedule. However, the church rotates through various formats, so after a few cardio and toning classes, I started to bring out my Ripstix.
We started with one or two POUND tracks. After about a month, we did a couple of full 45-minute POUND classes. The church eventually requested that we turn ALL classes into POUND classes.
I couldn’t wait to tell Amanda, my deaf student, the good news.
Amanda is amazing and talented, inspiring all of us with her lack of fear! Amanda cannot hear a single beat, yet she pays very close attention to the details. My yoga student, Jennifer, helps us communicate, as she takes sign language classes. Jennifer did much to assist me in explaining modifications before classes.
When Amanda heard the news about the “ALL POUND” classes at the church, she released squeals of absolute joy and delight! I knew she loved POUND as much as I did. She feels the same way I feel, and fearlessly goes for the beat with the rhythm inside her head and heart! When I told her about the feature of this article, she had happy tears and hugged me. ANYTHING is possible through POUND and working out hard.
Sometimes you don’t need words.
~Julie
Julie and Becky (blind student), goofing off with their Ripstix!
Amanda (deaf student) taking a sweaty selfie! 🙂
