This feature for Time Out Melbourne is about a fitness class called Deadlifts & Death Metal. It’s a strength-training class that – as you may have guessed from the name – is based around a heavy metal music theme.

The obvious angle for this feature is its unusualness. The soundtrack at virtually every health club or fitness centre is so-called “gym music” so a feature about people who like doing what is a common enough activity – but with bona fide death metal music – will help it stand out.

I’ve been one of these sessions and the article doesn’t quite do justice to how much fun they are. I also love the following quote from Deadlifts & Death Metal’s senior instructor, Elissa Jewell: “I like heavy things. I like heavy metal and I like lifting. Not everyone gets to combine their two favourite things in life, but I do.”

That was simply too good to leave out.

Although this article was 300 words, it was actually an adaptation of a previously written (and unpublished) 1200-word piece. A lot had to be left out and I hope to get the opportunity to revisit this in greater depth.

The response to this article turned out to be excellent. On Facebook alone it attracted 1.1k comments in six days.