Best Workout Songs
Bob Marley was probably working out when he said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.”
Music disassociates. It diverts your attention from the pain or even boredom of a workout. You’re caught up in the tempo and lyrics. At one with the rhythm. An early study on music showed that some cyclists who listened to music during their ride pedaled faster than those who rode without it – proof that exercise music somehow boosts our energy levels. It also means that workout music does help to get you through a challenging regimen. In fact, a 2012 study called “The Effect of Music – Movement Synchrony on Exercise Oxygen Consumption”, proved that Cyclists who ‘pedaled to the beat’ used 7% less oxygen.
Tempo runs, cycling classes, hardcore gym training. These are only some of the workouts that wouldn’t be as fun or motivating without heart-pumping music. Some mobile running apps like RockMyRun can even adjust the bpm (beats per minute) of the music according to your pace. The bpm of music is the main motivating factor. However, according to one study, anything that goes beyond 145 bpm has less effect. There are however some songs though that have a bpm higher than 145, but can still provide the needed motivation. These are rap and R&B like Eminem’s songs. The directness and aggressiveness of the lyrics appeals to our base instinct. The instinct to push through and survive.
In 2012, the International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport, and Dance conducted a study on College Students’ Usage of Personal Music Players during Exercise. They found out the most popular types of music listened to during exercise:
- hip hop (27.7%)
- rock (24%)
- pop (20.3%)
- country (12.7%).
The most common modes of exercise while listening to music on a device:
- free weights (27.2%)
- treadmill (26%)
- machine weights (19.6%)
- elliptical trainer (17.4%)
The most common reasons to listen to music were:
- “to work out harder,” (22.4%)
- “make the exercise seem easier,” (21.4%)
- “to work out longer” (20.2%).
Most participants said they would definitely work out more frequently when listening to their own music
Top 20 Workout Songs
Have you ever noticed how your heart races when you hear the bass kick in, or how spa music relaxes you and puts you to sleep? Needless to say, music sets the mood for any activity.
You can use different genres of music to spur on your different workouts. For running music, your best running songs should come from the Techno or EDM genre. Pump up the volume on rock music for heavy weightlifting, and bring down your heart rate when you do yoga or a warm down with mellow music. But, of course, you might choose to play mellow for weightlifting instead of rock, and rock music for your cool down stretches. It all depends on how your body, your heart responds to the tempo. Each individual is different.
If you still can’t decide which gym music to include in your next workout playlist, you can find exactly what you want by genre on music app Spotify or Youtube. On Spotify, you can find playlists such as Workout Jams, Rock Workout, Beast Mode, Spotify Running, Energetic Run, and Running Workout Goals. Youtube, on the other hand, has a whole line up of Workout mixes for Cardio, Sport Music, Gym Music, Dance Workout, and Workout Rock Music. There’s even a channel called Running Music that has over a hundred running songs and playlists as well as tracks for marathon training and jogging. Genres range from pop to dance to rock.
Selecting the perfect songs is not that easy. You’ll have to consider how each one will affect your mood and if it’s going to push you to go the extra mile. With all the available playlists, you’ll never run out of a music mix to boost your workout sessions. But, in case you want to create your own unique playlist, here’s a run down of the top 20 best workout songs of all time:
20.
Song Name: Turn Down for What
Artist: DJ Snake, Lil John
Album: Turn Down for What (single, 2012)
Genre: Trap
Exercise style: Weightlifting
19.
Song: Name Anywhere
Artist: Rita Ora
Album: Phoenix (2017)
Genre: Dance-Pop, Electro-Pop
Exercise style: Cool down
18.
Song Name: Sexy and I Know It
Artist: LMFAO
Album: Sorry for Party Rocking (2011)
Genre: EDM
Exercise: style Weightlifting, Running, Cycling
17.
Song Name: Pound the Alarm
Artist: Nicki Minaj
Album: Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded (2012)
Genre: Eurodance
Exercise style: Running, Cycling
16.
Song Name: Wake Me Up
Artist: Avicii
Album: True (2014)
Genre: Dance/Electronic
Exercise style: Running, Cycling
15.
Song Name: Wolves
Artist: Selena Gomez and Marshmello
Album: Single (2017)
Genre: EDM
Exercise style: Running
14.
Song Name: Nervous
Artist: Shawn Mendes
Album: Shawn Mendes (2018)
Genre: Pop
Exercise style: Running, Cycling, Cool down
13.
Song Name: Emergency
Artist: Icona Pop
Album: Emergency (single, 2015)
Genre: Dance/Pop/House/Electronic
Exercise style: Weightlifting, Running, Cycling
12.
Song Name: Radioactive
Artist: Imagine Dragons
Album: Night Visions (2012)
Genre: Electronic Rock/Dubstep
Exercise style: Weightlifting
11.
Song Name: One Kiss
Artist: Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris
Album:12″(2018)
Genre: Dance-Pop, Deep House
Exercise style: Running, Cycling
10.
Song: Name Enter Sandman
Artist: Metallica
Album: Metallica (1991)
Genre: Rock
Exercise style: Weightlifting, Running, Cycling
9.
Song Name: No Excuses
Artist: Meghan Trainor
Album: Treat Myself (2018)
Genre: Pop
Exercise style: Running, Cycling
8.
Song Name: Finesse
Artist: Bruno Mars, Cardi B.
Album: 24K Magic (2018)
Genre: R&B
Exercise style: Weightlifting, Running, Cycling
7.
Song Name: Level Up
Artist: Ciara
Album: Single (2018)
Genre: Pop/R&B
Exercise style: Running, Cycling
6.
Song Name: Welcome to the Jungle
Artist: Guns N Roses
Album: Appetite for Destruction(1987)
Genre: Heavy Metal
Exercise style: Weightlifting, Cycling
5.
Song Name: Filthy
Artist: Justin Timberlake
Album: Man of the Woods (2018)
Genre: Electro Funk/R&B
Exercise style: Weightlifting
4.
Song Name: Eye of the Tiger
Artist: Survivor
Album: Rocky III & Eye of the Tiger (1982)
Genre: Hard Rock
Exercise style: Weightlifting, Cardio
3.
Song Name: Havana
Artist Camila: Cabello
Album: Camila (2017)
Genre: Pop-Latin
Exercise style: Weightlifting, CardioDance, Cool down
2.
Song Name: Back in Black
Artist: AC/DC
Album: Back in Black (1980)
Genre: Hard Rock
Exercise style: Weightlifting
1.
Song Name: Lemon
Artist: N.E.R.D., Rihanna
Album: No One Ever Really Dies (2017)
Genre: Hyphy
Exercise style: Weightlifting
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