I convinced (forced, conned, tricked… all the same right?) my diva bff to attend a Pop Pilates Master class led by Cassey Ho at 24 Hour Fitness. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal so why all of the sneaky persuasion? Well the free and open to the public class was on the same day as our eight hour Pop Pilates instructor training (more on that later) but I figured the gym would be inundated with hundreds of island Popsters and we simply couldn’t miss the madness. And plus I was freaking out about the instructor training workshop so a one hour workout would be a good chance to sweat out any last minute nerves (didn’t work but at least it was a good excuse to get coffee)….
If I lost you with “Popsters”, “Pop Pilates” or “Cassey Ho” no worries I got your back, here’s a quick rundown of the deets (super cool street slang for details):
Blogilates:
Popular fitness YouTube channel created by Cassey Ho. The mat Pilates inspired workouts are challenging, short (between 10-20 minutes) and set to upbeat pop music.
Popsters:
The amazing and lovely peeps that do Blogilates workouts.
Pop Pilates:
A Pilates inspired total body, equipment-free workout created by Cassey. This format is part of the group classes available at all 24 Hour Fitness gyms.
Popflex:
The beautiful activewear line created by Cassey Ho.
Cassey Ho:
The super sweet, enthusiastic, hard working and inspiring entrepreneur behind Blogilates, Pop Pilates and Popflex.
Now that you’re all caught up with the correct lingo let’s get back to the Pop Pilates Master Class. Cassey is an Internet celebrity so it wasn’t a surprise when we arrived to hundreds of Popsters waiting to get a spot in the large group fitness workout room. It was so full I was convinced we weren’t going to get a spot (which probably would have been good considering we worked out again while in instructor training). There were 150 seats taken when we got to the gym and we were put on a waiting list while the 24 Hour Fitness staff and Cassey’s team shifted and reorganized everyone to make room for more people. Even though it was absolute madness it was beautiful chaos, everyone had smiles on their faces and you could feel the good vibes throughout the gym.
A few minutes later we found ourselves inside the large workout room with our mats placed only a few inches from our neighbor, we made it in! There must have been over 200 hundred people in the room. I felt like I was at a mini Taylor Swift concert (not that I would know what that’s like because I’ve never been to one, come back 1989 World Tour!) because nearly everyone around me looked like they could be at least ten years younger than me. Popsters are definitely a younger crowd but it’s perfect because I’m thinking that if I inherit my moms great skin and if some of the Popsters’ bubbly energy and good vibes rub off on me I’ll never have look my real age. We’ll see, I’ll keep you posted.
The first Pop Pilates class in Hawaii was moments from starting when my diva bff and I felt the urge to pee. Typical. We and our older-than-everyone-around-us bladders tried to rush back to the room before Cassey made her grand entrance but we were seconds too late. Fortunately it was for the better.
As we waited behind a small group of people to slooooowly make their way into the room we could hear the loud applause and joyful cheering of hundreds of Popsters. We could see hundreds of phones held high and a large beautiful smiling crowd on the other side of the glass but we couldn’t see her, where was Cassey and why in the world was everyone loosing it and pointing their phones in our direction!? It didn’t take long to realize that the slow moving group of people in front of us was Cassey’s team leading her to the entrance of the room. We were literally two steps behind Cassey as she made her way inside. We got to experience the entrance from her perspective and it was beautiful, intense and exhilarating! And even though every single eyeball and camera phone was pointed at Cassey something in that moment made me understand that everything that was happening wasn’t about her at all. I’m certain she does what she does not for herself but for every single person in that room (and those that watch her online).
Cassey led a wonderful, challenging and fun Pop Pilates class looking absolutely flawless the entire time. After the class was over she met and took photos with nearly every single person in that room, the line seemed like it was never-ending but she greeted everyone with the same excitement and love that she portrayed when she first walked into class. A couple of hours later she joined the future Pop Pilates Instructors during training and although I could tell she was exhausted, her warm smile and good energy never wavered.
I realize there’s a slight chance I may sound like a creeper with all of these detailed descriptions but I guess it’s the photographer in me that is fascinated with the details. The Popster in me is completely inspired by the community Cassey has built, the so-called writer in me is having a hard time editing this post to a reasonable length and the future fitness professional in me is convinced that Pop Pilates was the perfect choice to begin my journey into the world of group fitness instruction (more on that later).
If you’ve fallen out of love with working out Pop Pilates is a perfect reintroduction and if you’re physically active Pop Pilates is a great (but not easy!) complimentary workout to your current routine. I don’t know what the future of Pop Pilates will be in Hawaii, let alone the rest of the country, but I do know that the first Pop Pilates class on Oahu was a beautiful success and I’m thankful that I got to be a part of it. As 24 Hour Fitness continues to add Pop Pilates to their group class schedule I encourage you to take a class led by a sure-to-be-fabulous instructor and experience the fun, energetic and beautiful world of Pop Pilates for yourself.
Have you tried Blogilates or a Pop Pilates class at your local gym? How was it!?
