Good workout music

[SeraBella]

Does anyone have any suggestions of good workout music? Most of the music I listen to is not really workout-paced and doesn't do it for me.

 

I get so bored working out, it's just not my thing. So I need something to help my boredom and keep me motivated. The TVs at the gym just distract me.

[HotPink]

I just buy dance cd's with a compilation of lots of upbeat dance music.

 

Just look in your local cd shop, they probably do workout music cd's too

[Trimmer]

What types of stuff do you listen to normally? I could suggest my stuff, but it's kind of rock and roll-based, from Allman Brothers to Clapton, Foo Fighters... I do mostly stationary bike, and I find I don't so much need a specific beat-rate as just stuff with high energy.

 

I usually create playlists on my iPod to run my typical workout time, then add an extra "cool down" song or two at the end ("South City Midnight Lady", by the Doobie Brothers is an example of a great cooldown song after a vigorous bike session...)

 

The other thing I do is occasionally mix it up with a podcast - I have my own favorite, but it sometimes depends on the mood I'm in, whether I can use that for sufficient focus, or if I just need to close my eyes and disappear into the music.

 

But it all depends on your tastes...

 

Also, what kind of workout do you do? Bike, Elliptical, etc?

[SeraBella]

I'm looking for really upbeat things I guess. Stuff that motivates me and makes me wanna move and keep moving.

 

I have very eclectic musical tastes, but everything I've been listening to lately is slower. I think it's because I've been listening to pandora.com A LOT and you just enter an artist and it plays similar styles to that artist. It's a great way to find new artists, but the artists I have entered aren't really upbeat.

 

I have tons of music, but I'm finding it hard to go through it all to find good workout stuff.

 

I don't listen to a ton of hip hop and pop on a regular basis, but I think that's what will probably give me the most energy...so I think that's why I may be struggling a little.

 

Pretty much everyday I use the elliptical, sometimes bike. I go jogging when the weather is suitable (which isn't very often where I live). I do a little bit of strength training a few days a week.

 

I just really hate working out and lose interest within the first like 10 minutes. lol...so once those 10 minutes are over the rest is a real struggle...if there are any tips other than music to keep my interest, I'll take those, too!

[SeraBella]

and thank you for your responses!

[Trimmer]

OK, this one is about 30 minutes, with that 5 minute cooldown song at the end:

 

All Summer Long; The Beach Boys (Endless Summer)

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo; Rick Derringer (All American Boy)

Sweet Child O' Mine; Guns N' Roses (Appetite for Destruction)

Our Lips Are Sealed; The Go-Go's (Beauty and the Beat)

Bye Bye Love; The Cars (The Cars)

Never Been Any Reason; Head East (The Best of Head East)

Los Endos; Genesis (A Trick Of The Tail)

South City Midnight Lady; The Doobie Brothers (The Captain And Me)

 

I used that one the other day and it worked pretty well for me.

 

Here's a 33 minute one that I haven't picked a cooldown song for yet:

Tush; ZZ Top (Fandango!)

In The Garage; Weezer (Weezer)

Cornflake Girl; Tori Amos (Under the Pink)

All I Want; Toad the Wet Sprocket (Fear)

Lay Your Hands On Me; The Thompson Twins (Here's To Future Days)

Two Princes; Spin Doctors (Pocket Full of Kryptonite)

YYZ; Rush (Moving Pictures)

Roll With the Changes; REO Speedwagon (You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish)

 

I haven't tried this one yet, and it has a kind of a different energy flow, but mostly I need something I can tune into. These work for me because the music is all stuff I have listened to in my life and I like. If I get a good playlist, I can just put a towel over the display panel on the bike - it doesn't help me to watch the minute counter ticking by slowly - and just disappear into the flow of the music.

 

I'm doing pretty much the same as you - cardio (bike for me) every day that I can, and a couple circuits of lifting 2-3 times a week. For whatever reason, I find that I don't need music for lifting, but I definitely need something for my time on the bike.

 

What do you think about spoken-word material like podcasts or books-on-tape? There's such a huge range of podcast material available... Do you think that might hold your interest sufficiently?

[Sunset]

Pump it - Black Eyed Peas

Livin la Vida Loca - Ricky Martin or She bangs

Lollipop - Mika

 

Will think of some more if you like these ones, nb they are cheesy but do the trick. I have usually fallen of my thigh trainer by song three!

[Meaplus3]

Does anyone have any suggestions of good workout music? Most of the music I listen to is not really workout-paced and doesn't do it for me.

 

I get so bored working out, it's just not my thing. So I need something to help my boredom and keep me motivated. The TVs at the gym just distract me.

 

Heres a few artist's that I listen to that keep me moving!

 

Christina Aguilera

 

Avril Lavigne

 

Beyonce

 

AP:)

[Pyro]

My favorite workout songs:

 

-Smack My B*tch Up: Prodigy

-Summer Song: Joe Satriani

-10,000 Fists: Disturbed

-Kickstart My Heart: Motley Crue

-Ready To Fall: Rise Against

[e.clipse]

whoa, Trimmer's post is excellent!

 

OP: why don't you try listening to heavy metal? you know, the really make-your-ears-bleed-loud kind.

 

some years ago when i would go to the gym, i would always have multiple heavy metal playlists ready. the only thing is that i had a tendency to go workout when i was angry at something. and because they had a room with punching bags and the like that you could use (only during certain hours, though), i would just listen to that super angry and loud music whilst thinking about why i was mad--over and over and over again, and well, it just fit perfectly.

 

the music allowed me to dispel every ounce of anger inside of me. ah, i wish i could still do that.

 

failing that, even though i am not a fan of hip hop music, i think that this kind of music is the best type to work out to, since it is so fast and upbeat. the Black Eyed Peas, Pussy Cat Dolls, and Outkast come to mind.

 

also, i think Funk and Techno can be pretty good. anything, except sad songs, really.

[Citizen Erased]

System of a Down works for me.

 

Trimmer, the Gunners? That is awesome!

[Dumbledore]

whoa, Trimmer's post is excellent!

Agreed!

also, i think Funk and Techno can be pretty good. anything, except sad songs, really.

Techno is pretty cool.

 

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html

[SeraBella]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I really appreciate the responses. I'm going to try all of them over the next week or so just to see what works best for me.

 

 

If I get a good playlist, I can just put a towel over the display panel on the bike - it doesn't help me to watch the minute counter ticking by slowly - and just disappear into the flow of the music.

 

I'm doing pretty much the same as you - cardio (bike for me) every day that I can, and a couple circuits of lifting 2-3 times a week. For whatever reason, I find that I don't need music for lifting, but I definitely need something for my time on the bike.

 

What do you think about spoken-word material like podcasts or books-on-tape? There's such a huge range of podcast material available... Do you think that might hold your interest sufficiently?

 

I definitely feel the same about getting a good playlist. The music just makes you forget about keeping time and one song is over and you don't even realize 3-5 minutes has passed.

 

I may look into some spoken-word. I'm not sure if it will help, or not, but it's worth a shot sometime. I don't know if it will be a distraction, like the television. There's this guy at the gym and I swear he comes just for the cable tv. He'll like start lifting or something and stop midstream and just stare at the tv. LOL The center is 24 hours, and I've seen him there at odd hours like 3-4 am, midday, and in the evening. I know he doesn't work there...and he's not really fit or anything, so that's how I came to that conclusion.

 

I heard of someone who learned spanish while working out. She got some sort of spoken lessons, made them into mp3's and listened to them. I've thought about that, too, but I'd rather learn a language when I can interact with others.

 

 

Agreed!

 

Techno is pretty cool.

 

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail45.html

 

 

Hiliarious link...I love Strong Bad. I wish light switch raves were better exercise because I'd totally stay entertained with that.

[s_n_d]

Heavy metal works for me.

But if your more into r&b then you definitely need to go for songs like Hey Mama by the Black eyed peas and Ay Chico by Pitbull.

P.S. I have the weirdest taste in music. I love heavy metal and claim to hate rap and r&b and then i find myself listening to the black eyed peas and pitbull.

[kymberann]

I love finding work out music and I have to since I teach spin and kick boxing. Anything industrial, techno or electronic. Try Alice DJ, Nine Inch Nails. and go to limewire and download by genre!

[Trimmer]

Trimmer, the Gunners? That is awesome!

Heh heh, you supposed I might not be quite that hip, eh?

 

I definitely feel the same about getting a good playlist. The music just makes you forget about keeping time and one song is over and you don't even realize 3-5 minutes has passed.

I used my second playlist today, and I have to say, the REO Speedwagon song (Roll with the changes) was a great climactic ending song - for my tastes, anyway.

 

The other useful thing I noticed is that I compiled this playlist a week or more ago, and so by the time I got into the gym, I had forgotten which songs were on it... I just punched it up as "Exercise B - 33 min", and let it go. So I didn't even know which songs were coming or how many, and the time seemed to flow by quite nicely. I think I'm going to compile a bunch more in advance so they will kind of be "surprises" by the time I use them.

 

There's this guy at the gym and I swear he comes just for the cable tv. He'll like start lifting or something and stop midstream and just stare at the tv. LOL The center is 24 hours, and I've seen him there at odd hours like 3-4 am, midday, and in the evening. I know he doesn't work there...and he's not really fit or anything, so that's how I came to that conclusion.

Ha! At 3am he's probably been sitting there in a stupor for 6 hours, with a bit of spittle dripping out of the corner of his slack mouth, puddling up on his thigh...

[reservoirdog1]

I tend to go for hard rock/heavy metal, something that moves at a good clip. A few years ago when I was getting over my divorce, the angrier the better. 30 minutes on an eliptical trainer listening to loud angry music does wonders for your psyche at times like that.

 

I still like to listen to the same stuff when I work out, but I don't need the anger fix nearly as often. Some examples:

 

Guns N' Roses -- You Could Be Mine, New Rose, Don't Damn Me

Green Day -- American Idiot, Saint Jimmy

Rage Against The Machine -- Take the Power Back, Guerrilla Radio, Killing In the Name

Ash -- Meltdown

Marilyn Manson -- The Beautiful People

Motley Crue -- Kickstart my Heart, Shout at the Devil

[Arch]

Power Metal / Heavy Metal/ Thrash Metal.

 

Slayer for ever!

[Quinch]

Try some of these:

 

American Badass, Kid Rock

Ace of Spades, Motorhead

Call On Me, Eric Prydz

I Predict A Riot, Kaiser Chiefs

Don't Stop Me Now, Queen

Feuer Frei, Rammstein

Somebody to Love, Boogie Pimps

Two Tribes, Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle), Limp Bizkit

The Rocky Soundtrack (works every time )

 

and many, many more ...

[Prodigal Princess]

If you're getting bored after 10 or so minutes, I'd suggest going to a class - my fitness levels increased dramatically after I started spin a few years ago and its giving me more motivation to also do my own thing.

 

 

I'm a real dag when it comes to music, but some of my fave songs to run to are:

• Black Betty - Spiderbait
  
• Straight Lines - Silverchair
  
• Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
  
• Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim
  
• Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet
  
• Bad Reputation - Halfcocked
  
• Joker and the Thief - Wolfmother
  
• Ray of Light - Madonna
  
• She Wants to Move - N.E.R.D.
  
• Do Your Thing - Basement Jaxx
  
• I Like the Way (You Move) - Bodyrockers
  
• Silence - Delerium feat. Sarah McLauchlan
  
• What You Waitng For? - Gwen Stefani
  
• Smooth Criminal - Alien Ant Farm

All of those songs get me pumped to sweat it out!

[Lookingforward]

I still like the workout themes from Rocky (1 & 2) - cheesy I know but it works for me LOL

[Enema]

I stream music from Radioparty.pl at work and rip it to the HDD to later put on my ipod for when I'm at the gym.

 

I don't understand a lick of polish, but it can be great!

[directx]

Ramones Greatest hits (the one with thirty plus songs)

Songs are fast, short, and get your blood pumping.

I do a set a song practically.

 

I like Blink 182 too

[Pyro]

Ramones Greatest hits (the one with thirty plus songs)

Songs are fast, short, and get your blood pumping.

I do a set a song practically.

 

Now are you talking the single disc greatest hits, or the double disc anthology?

[directx]

Now are you talking the single disc greatest hits, or the double disc anthology?

 

The single greatest hits. I think its called Ramonmania. The main color on the disc case is yellow. I love it.