At Gfitness we put a lot of thought into our music playlists. Why? Because music works in workouts. Listening to it has been found to improve performance by up to 15%, helps you to keep a steady pace and essentially distracts you from your body’s exertions. Plus, it makes you feel great! Whether you’re looking to get into full beast mode for your weights session or something upbeat to keep you inspired on your daily run, there are a few things to look for in great gym music.
So what makes a great workout jam?
While specific songs and genres are a subjective thing, there are some rhythms and tempos that are proven to work effectively in a gym session. Music at around 120 to 140 beats per minute works well for moderate exercise, which could include anything from Springsteen’s Born in the USA to Foo Fighters’ Times Like These. At the upper end of the scale, 160bpm seems to work well if you’re running on a treadmill – for easy reference, that’s about the pace of Devo’s Whip It, or Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off!
Hip-hop, rock and pop are the most popular genres for fitness soundtracks, and many gym-goers find that the faster the lyrics the more motivated they feel. That’s probably why artists like Kendrick Lamar, Eminem and Major Lazer are so popular in workout playlists!
How can I find a good playlist?
It’s not hard to build up an epic pump-up playlist. Ask your mates at the gym what they listen to. Try browsing the Workout playlists on Spotify or your streaming platform of choice until you find something that you enjoy. There are also dedicated solutions that can help. jog.fm is one website and app that allows you to follow and build playlists based on specific beats per minute.
Lastly, think about what gets you personally pumped up. If you have certain songs that help you summon your strength or let out your emotions, they could be ideal to help you channel your energy.
Not so into music?
If you struggle to find music you like or you just get bored listening to tunes, why not try podcasts? They can be downloaded to almost any device and are available in a vast range of styles and subject matter to suit whatever you’re into. You could spend your time on the treadmill getting smarter about finance, learning about history or even hearing people’s life stories.