The Thrill of the Workout!

Don't read my blog if you don't like music.

I wrote about listening to podcasts earlier, but a few weeks ago it was time to amp up my gym workouts. I'm getting too comfortable on the elliptical, so I'm on the treadmill. My legs are killing me. So the podcasts had to go and I brought in the music.

Here's a nice little set list that can work for YOUR workout or housecleaning or whatever it is you want to accomplish. These aren't necessarily my favorite songs or anything, though I do like several of them and listen to them outside of the gym. But mostly they are songs that I can drift off into and ignore the burn. THE BURN!!! If nothing else, enjoy the tunes.

A while back, I remember Sean Bristol mentioning to me that he and some roommates used to use South Park's What Would Brian Boitano Do? to jumpstart the housecleaning (or the story goes something like that). I've used this for some cleaning as well, and it's equally effective to jump start some gym time.




I took a few art classes a few years back, and I two of the different art teachers played Iggy Pop's Lust For Life. It was a great song to get my pencil or brush moving, and it's also great for a nice jog.




I'm not as big into lyrics on this list. It's mostly about the music and rhythm. But Don't Stop Me Now by Queen is too much on the nose. You might want to use it later in your workout if the words inspire you not to stop.




I'm not sure how That Thing You Do! by The Wonders even made it onto a workout list long ago. I remember the movie being OK, but forgettable. I don't think I ever listen to this outside of the gym, but the song is catchy and works.




Somehow Tom Petty's Running Down a Dream became my absolute favorite workout song. The beat keeps driving throughout, and I really dig it when this song hits. It energizes me for the rest of my workout.




While 12:51 isn't my favorite The Strokes song, it's probably in my top 5. Honestly, I just play all of Is This IT sometimes, and it's pretty awesome for the gym. But 12:51 from Room on Fire is my favorite at the gym.




OK - time to start cooling down. That sprint is now a slow jog or a fast walk for the last two songs. Weezer's Burndt Jamb has a cool groove that let's me catch my breath. And still rocks enough to keep me moving for a few more minutes. Off topic, if I took karaoke more seriously and wanted a cool, different, and challenging song, I would pick this.




I enjoy the entire Once soundtrack in the gym, but not every song helps me move. When Your Mind's Made Up is the perfect song to finish a workout. This is where I hop off the machine and walk just a bit more to finish cooling down. One complaint I originally had about the movie is that they played this song twice. Now I love the song enough that I'm cool with it.


Note: I know that bold isn't the correct way to list a song, but I wanted it to be easier to see titles and artists here. Also, I had to get a lot of unofficial youtube versions since a lot of official versions don't allow embedding.