Well fitness fans I was at the gym today doing my weight training workout and couldn't believe my ears as to the music of choice blaring across the speaker system. I don't understand why in the world anyone would choose to blast songs like Kissed By a Rose in a gym where people are trying to pump themselves up to get in a better sweat session. I'm a fan of Seal, and yes he has some great stuff, but at the same time when I'm lifting weights or doing my cardio I want something uptempo and fast that gets me moving and shaking!

It got me thinking back to an article I wrote a while ago, that I will add at the bottom of this post, on how listening to loud, fast music can actually boost your endurance and strength. It's not that much of a shocker because the tunes help you zone out and will take your mind off of say the pain or tired feelings in your muscles. If I'm on the treadmill or anywhere working out indoors a distraction is a must; a good pump up song can work wonders for the old motivation. If I'm outdoors and running, however I am still a bit old school and don't like being plugged into my iPod. The reasons for this are because I never started running with headphones and also I must have weird ears because I have a hard time finding earphones that actually stay in place and won't fall out. It's usually too much of a hassle to deal with and especially if I'm doing a hard workout I don't like anything else in my way.

But back to the main point, the right kind of music while you're working out can actually boost your performance. So in keeping with such I thought I'd list some of my favorite motivating songs:

1) The Distance by Cake
2) Machine Head by Bush
3) SOS by Rhianna
4) Move Along by the All American Rejects
5) 4 Minutes by Madonna
6) All My Life by Foo Fighters

Okay, well I know there are many more but that's all that are coming to mind right now and as a distance runner that one Cake song has been a theme song since the first time I heard it! So pump up your workouts folks and take the excuse to blast those tune! And feel free to give a shout out to the best songs that get you moving!


Can your iPod improve your workout?


In this technologically enhanced age, it seems everyone, whether running, biking, stair climbing, lifting weights, or even simply walking to the bus station is plugged into their portable music device. The only line that seems to be drawn is taking it into a yoga class; but even that may change with the soothing sounds of Enya soon flowing through those ear buds. Of course everyone has their own music choice, but when working out, the play list is generally reserved for something fast-paced, loud, and energetic.

That could be a good thing, as a study out of the University of Western Ontario in Canada cites loud pump-up music as the reason individuals were able to perform their exercises better than when done in silence. Women who were relatively active at the time of the study were sent through three different test cycles; one without any music, one at their preferred volume level, and one at a higher decibel level but not loud enough to do any lasting hearing damage.

For each phase the candidates were asked to cycle as hard as they could on a stationary bike and then preform leg press and bench press repetitions until fail. During the cycling portion, the study revealed that music at any level boosted performance, but it was the louder music that had the biggest effect during the weight lifting portion.

The women, who averaged 26 reps without music, upped that to 29 reps with the softer music, but were able to increase their total to 36 reps with the loudest music. "Music seemed to help participants push through the psychological aspect of the test that is telling tom that 'it's too hard' or 'just quit,' as well as push a little extra through the pain caused by lactic acid build-up [in the muscles]," Janet McMordie, a graduate student heading the study and working on her master's in kinesiology.

So, whatever gets you moving, download your tunes and workout to the beat. It will not only help the time go by but actually improve your performance. Those songs can even get you motivated when you are tempted to simply bag the whole workout. Generally, once you at least get started, the beat will have its effect, and so too will your endorphins, and you'll most likely want to keep going. Some of the most popular songs of choice by others are:



* Boom Boom Pow--Black Eyed Peas
* Jai Ho--A.R. Rahman
* Poker Face--Lady Gaga
* The Distance--Cake
* Lose Yourself--Eminem
* Somebody Told Me--The Killers
* Promiscuous--Nelly Furtado
* Since U Been Gone--Kelly Clarkson