Workout Music

On the heels of that last post about how much fun exercise is for me, and all that boring/weepy stuff about being a fat kid, blah blah blah, I want to have a little fun. I really, really enjoy music. I am actually more artistic than athletic, as I've won many more accolades for artwork than I ever have with sports. Taking an ipod to the gym is something I didn't used to do, but I do now and really feel that it enhances the experience overall.

I have to step on some toes, first though. There is no way I can get any kind of a boost from Drake, Usher, Justin Timberlake, anything Adam Levine sings, techno, country or most rap. Those musicians have their place, but for me they are just too quiet and/or polite for what I need. Obviously, if you don't feel this way, then that's your prerogative completely and that's totally fine. However, if you like a little (or big) kick in the pants when you are doing work, I think I have the perfect songs for you. These always get me through the grind.

In no particular order, here are some songs guaranteed to give you a big time shot of adrenaline, or at least scare you into working hard for fear of punishment.

Pantera - Mouth for War



No other song I have ever heard combines the attitude, the groove, the swagger and the lyrical power of this song. The following is an excerpt from one such verse:

Possessed
I feel a conquering will down inside me
Strength
The strength of many to crush, who might stop me
My strength is in number
And my soul lies in everyone
The releasing of anger can better any medicine under the sun

I promise if someone is yelling that at you in the gym you will step away from the pink dumbbells with the rubber coating.

For what it's worth, most any Pantera song from their first two albums will suffice in the gym.

Metallica - Fight Fire with Fire



I am a huge, huge Metallica fan. They are not the band they once were (and it's taken me a very long time to admit/realize that) but their old stuff is second to none. This song is a huge shot in the arm and the speed and intensity is the perfect backdrop to setting a new PR. This song is especially useful on one of those days when everything is just making you mad and you need to blow off some steam. As always, Kirk Hammett's guitar solo is a shredder, too.

Volbeat - Rebel Monster



This is one of my new favorite bands, but I have to warn you, their hybrid Johnny Cash/Metallica/rockabilly sound take some getting used to. Rebel Monster is short, fast and aggressive and has a surprising amount of power for a band that is not typically going to shout at you. The lyrics aren't as ominous as Fight Fire with Fire or as in-your-face as anything Pantera put their name on, but this is an outstanding song to workout too.

Rollins Band - Starve



I have to include this song because lead singer Henry Rollins is a meathead. Also, this song is all about intensity and, if you've ever listened to Rollins Band, you know that is pretty much their modus operandi. It's lyrics scream a basic, minimalist approach that beckons to the very simplistic nature of pick up heavy object and place heavy object down. This is also an effective song when knocking out some aerobic work and you just don't know if you can make it.

I stay out late
I go alone
I needed sleep
I go without
I go along

I go all night
I go all night
I make the colors go
I push my senses out
I push my senses out
I keep my existence lean

After all, you have to make some sacrifices to get to the top, right?

Living Sacrifice - Nietzsche's Madness



This might be the hardest song on the list, so beware. This is a really good song when you are working at a real low repetition effort (i.e. 92% of your 1-rep max) and know it's going to be an all-out war to move the weight. This song to me is the coach that is standing over you, barking at you and the last thing you want to do is let him/her down. This song hits a new level of intensity at about the 2:40 mark as well, and the double bass drumming pounds you into submission. I usually try to time it so that I need a little extra gas during that portion of the song. Head banger.

Sepultura - Refuse/Resist



This defiant song definitely competes with Nietzsche's Madness for the list's roughest, and might beat it. To be honest, this song is probably more than most want to stomach, and I can definitely see how it could be. However, the riffs on this song are absolute monsters. This song means business from start to finish and is unrelenting. You definitely will not hear this in a Zumba class.

Metallica - Damage, Inc. & Battery





Told you I was a Metallica fan, didn't I? For those with short attention spans, both of these songs have lengthy, dramatic intros that you may choose to skip past, but if they really add to the drama and intensity of the tracks. The whole Master of Puppets album works great during a workout, but Damage Inc. and Battery are the highlights, to me. These songs will make your heart rate increase even if you are sitting on the couch. I think they can make you 10% stronger by association with them.