Music for the gym


What kind of music do you listen to at the gym? I find that my routine gym playlist has artists like Nickelback and Vertical Horizon, along with selections from the Top Gun and Karate Kid album. And as much as it pains me to admit it, Eminem's Lose Yourself really helps to pump me up.

Any other suggestions for music to get you motivated?

Michael
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I usually do a playlist with a mix of speed metal, upbeat electronic/lounge music, and a touch of cheesy eighties pop music/70's disco.

...for heavy squats, bench and military presses, and barbell presses.. nothing beats..IMHO.. Metallica.

Metallica's entire "Justice For All" or "Garage Days RE-revisited EP" albums....songs: Blitzkrieg, Whiplash, Dyer's Eve, Master of Puppets, Damage Inc, Die Die My Darling.. etc.

System of a Down's "Chop Suey", "Shame on a Nigga", and Iron Maiden's "Flash of the Blade" are pretty good songs too... have you heard Eminem's "Without Me"?...and Slayer's "Reign in Blood" album.. is for acquired tastes.

As for cheesy eighties/disco... lately:

A-ha "Take on Me"
Human League "Don't You Want Me"
New Order "Blue Monday"
Depeche Mode "Strange Love"
Prince "Kiss"
U2 "Two Hearts Beat as One", "New Year's Day"
Eddie Grant "Electric Avenue"
Anita Ward "Ring My Bell"

Not that familiar with electronic, but what I like so far is:

Koop "Waltz for Koop"
Thunderball "Scorpio Rising"

The electronic stuff and a "new school" blues outfit called the Black Keys "Magic Potion" and "Chulahome: Songs of Junior Kimbrough".. are excellent for cardio.. kind of hypnotic... also excellent for playing Texas Hold'em.. when you gotta sit tight for the good hands.

..... and by the way.. I pay my taxes, am gainfully employed and no I am not 17....

my gym mix is multiple tracks by:

nine inch nails, lamb of god, dope, kmfdm, tool, marilyn manson, ministry, hanzel und gretyl, skinny puppy, bile, coal chamber, devil driver, korn, metallica, chimaira, deicide, and a couple other bands.
...that sounds like a wicked mix turner.. I forgot about all the industrial stuff..
Elf73,

It sounds like your tastes are similar to mine. I also use Metallica and U2 on my gym playlist. I hadn't thought of New Order's Blue Monday, though.

I also have some Cracker, REM, Alice in Chains, Savage Garden, Madonna, Staind, Godsmack, BeeGee's (hate to admit it), Fuel, Saving Abel, Electric Light Orchestra, and Hinder on the playlist.

And then, when that still doesn't get me in the mood, I switch to Dvorak! (That's right, I use high-energy classical as a backup to rock/metal.)

Keep the suggestions coming!

Michael
.. you should look into some Ministry and Nine Inch Nails like Turner suggested as well... I find that the heavy droning, punctuated by metal ripping guitar riffs and double bass drums help with the pain..lol.

I know what you mean about "guilty" pleasures... whatever gets you going. The only thing I find with pop music is that it gets a bit too refined (over produced) and thus tedious to listen to for good workouts..

Don't know how you get your "software", and of course one should always support artists by buying their stuff... eventually.., but I go to Mininova to search for stuff to try out and use Azureus to acquire it because you can select specific songs...then I look for it on Vinyl if I really like it...

I'll look into Dvork.. sounds interesting. Is that like the heavy metal equivalent of classical...lol.

You've probably heard of them... but in case you haven't, you might like Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures". Probably sound awesome on your system...(New Order after the lead singer's suicide)... kind of a haunting, bass/snare drum heavy, dripping with emotion sound.

There's a movie that just came out about the lead singer called "Control"..probably be a really good movie to watch on your HT setup.. everyone from U2 to Nirvana to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to the Killers cites them as a major influence.

.. speaking of which.. I've been really digging the new Red Hot Chili Peppers stuff... "Californication" and "Stadium Arcadium"...kind of like a road trip in California, driving down Route 66, around dusk in a convertible mid August kind of vibe..

For new music, especially cool electronic stuff, you might want to (if you haven't already) check out Tone Audio. The Club Mix section... I know nothing of this genre without this column.. it's a free online audio mag.. but it's real value is in their music section. The second in command at Rolling Stone is their music editor.. and it's Free.

http://www.tonepublications.com/

..sorry for the novel...
I don't have a specific playlist for the gym.Whatever I like listening at home,I burn it on cd-r ,usually a compilation of favorites and take it at the gym.I only spend about 1.5 to 2 hours anyway so I just repeat the same disk.After about two weeks I will swich to another disk of different music.Lately I am listening to 60's garage bands rock,English and some favorite Greek of that era.
I am more into heavy weights and not much cardio(where music is more at need,I think) although I usually finish my workout with a 20 minute treadmill fast walk.
Best regards
George
If you are using an iPod (who isn't these days it seems) there is a free subscription called pod runner. Most tracks are about 1 hour mixes of techno dance style. Each is mixed at a specific BPM. Highly compressed (so don't expect much in the way of fidelity here--but at the gym I don't really care). It's great for aerobic work outs.
Carcass 'symphonies of sickness'
Morbid angel 'blessed are the sick'
Pungent Stench 'club mondo bizarrw'
suffocation 'pierce from within'
napalm death 'scum'
terrorizer 'world downfall'
deicide 'legion'

this is some serious pound shedder music dude. not for the faint of heart.... :)
Wow, Proghead, I'd never heard of any of the bands you mentioned, but their names all evoke rather dark imagery.

I listened to some sample clips of Morbid Angel from Amazon.com. I guess it's just not my cup of tea for listening at the gym. Sounded kind of like Java the Hut singing heavy metal.

I'm afraid to even try some of the other suggestions.

Michael
Metalica, 'Black Album"......Alice in Chains, "Greatest Hits"...........Pantera "Vulgar Display of Power".
Some singles include "Judas Priest..You got another thing commin"
Yelo.... "The Race"
Aldo Nova....."Fantasy"
Boston "More than a feeling"
Saliva "Click click Boom"
AeroSmith "Back in the Saddle again"
Thats just the 3 minutes I actuallt thought about it but its much longer!
What headphones do people listen on?

My normal ipod ones bit the dust (also didn't stay in my ears very well). I bought a pair of SkullCandy ear buds, but they sound atrocious.

Any suggestions?
Since I'm not looking for high fidelity from headphones at the gym, I use cheap Sony headphones that go over the head and are easy to adjust. I tried the around-the-neck kind but they just didn't stay in place well with aerobic activity. And the ear buds to me always feel like they're going to fall out.

Michael
1.comfortably numb..pink floyd
2.loan me a dime..boz + duane
3.blind willie mctell..mick taylor
4.can't you hear me knocking..stones
5.alberts shuffle..mike bloomfield
6.speedway at nazareth...mark knopfler
7. sultans of swing...dire straits

this usually gets me through a 5 mile run.

Other folders depending on my mood and energy level.
All songs are live versions