Tag Archives: workout playlist

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Black Friday Workout Mix

It’s Black Friday. And while it’s a happy, if not frantic, time of year when many of us start our holiday shopping duties, it’s also the day after Thanksgiving. Since Thanksgiving is one of those few days when we give ourselves a free pass on eating as much as we want, it’s a good idea to get a good workout in this weekend to help make up for it.

No special themes this time around (at least not intentionally), aside from “Black Friday” by one of my all-time favorite bands, Steely Dan. These are mainly songs that have struck my fancy in recent weeks and just happen to be a good fit for a little extra motivation in your next cardio routine: (more…)

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: The Beatles Workout Mix

I’m about as big a Beatles fan as they come. I mean, I don’t do crazy stuff like dress up like them or think that John and George are speaking to me from beyond the grave. But I do go a little cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs when people express their ambivalence towards them. When I hear someone who is a fan of rock music say that they don’t like the Beatles, or worse, that the Fab Four were overrated, I am puzzled, to put it mildly.

I don’t think everyone has to love them, but if you don’t get that they ushered in guitar-driven melodic music as we know it today, well, then you aren’t paying attention.

Complaints aside, there is no group that has crafted so many timeless classics than these four lads from Liverpool. And even if you are more of a Rolling Stones person (that’s a question often posed), it was the Beatles who started the ball rolling.

Now, off my soap box… (more…)

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Guilty Pleasure Workout Mix

As I always say, if music puts a smile on my face, why on earth should I feel guilty about it? But such is life in the music world, where certain artists are deemed bad, but somehow they find legions of fans… even the ones who claim to have superior taste.

The tempo on these selections are generally upbeat, so while this isn’t really for your more intense workouts, if you’re up for a brisk walk around your neighborhood while sporting a sheepish grin (which may or may not creep out unsuspecting onlookers), here are some great not-so-guilty pleasures: (more…)

Posted on November 12, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Classic Rock with a Groove

Halloween has come and gone, and maybe you’ve snagged a little – okay a lot – of your child’s candy for yourself. Before you know it Thanksgiving will be here and you’ll have another couple days of overindulging. Let’s try to counter some of the inevitable holiday dietary mishaps with some regular cardio workouts.

This week, I’ve put together a classic rock workout mix. But what sets these songs apart is that they all have one thing in common: a groove. There are many things in a song that can inspire me. Maybe it’s the lyrics, or the energy of the band. But sometimes, if the rhythm section locks in and chugs along at a steady pace, I get lost in it. And before you know it your 30+ minute walk or run is over.

So, get ready to lock into the groove and burn some calories!

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Classic Rock with a Groove (more…)

Posted on November 5, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Halloween Workout Mix 2

The Misfits

Last week I put together a Halloween workout mix, which included mostly fun novelty songs. For this week, let’s continue the Halloween theme, but this time around it’s a collection of artists who actually dress up in Halloween-like costumes as their stage persona.

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Halloween Workout Mix 2

Click to download!

The Misfits – Monster Mash

The inventors of the so-called horror punk genre, The Misfits blended punk rock with horror film themes and imagery. So it’s only natural that they would consider covering the classic “Monster Mash.” (more…)

Posted on October 29, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Halloween Workout Mix

Why is it that human beings derive such pleasure from being scared? As is the case everywhere I’ve lived, my neighbors can’t wait to put up their Halloween decor. It seems before I even realize that the holiday is coming up, there are make-shift ghosts and goblins on people’s lawns. We love being spooked and making other people scared!

I’m sure there are very plausible psychological explanations, but every time I hear that three note theme from the classic ’70s slasher flick, “Halloween,” it gives me the creeps. Part of that stems from seeing glimpses of the film when I was 13, of course, but that’s another story…

Just as we can derive pleasure from fear, so too can we feel satisfaction after a grueling workout. With Halloween just around the corner, I figured why not put together a collection of workout songs for the holiday?

This isn’t meant to be a mix of the scariest songs. Some are novelty songs from the 50’s and 60’s. Nor is it meant to be “up to date.” I’m sure there are plenty of spooky songs from more current acts that I either overlooked or don’t care for. (more…)

Posted on October 22, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Kids Workout Mix

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of obese children 6 to 11 years old has increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to an astounding 19.6 percent in 2024.

Even if your child isn’t one of the millions of American kids who are overweight or obese, they still need exercise to stay happy and healthy. While they can get much of it playing outside with their neighborhood friends or at school, there’s no reason you can’t corral your kids for a half hour in front of your stereo to do some form of aerobic exercise. Besides, it could be fun and you’ll get your exercise in, too! (more…)

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Funk Up Your Cardio

Parliament

I was an Army brat, as they say. And during my impressionable tween years, I was in Germany where I not only made German friends, but had military friends with diverse cultural backgrounds. It’s one of the few positive things about attending 18 schools before graduating high school. (I know that number sounds impossible, even I had to confirm it with my mother before writing it.)

During my time in Germany, an African American friend of mine suggested a few musical Christmas gifts to my mother. It was at that moment, at the age of 12, that I became a fan of funk and ’70s and ’80s soul/R&B.

Funk music makes me happy. And, how can’t it? Those steady beats, the heavy low-end bass riffs, and lyrics that don’t get much deeper than “Tear the roof off the sucka” or “We need the funk. We gotta have that funk.” (more…)

Posted on October 8, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Hair Metal Mix

I am a record collector (yes, actual records), and in the midst of my rabid accumulation of those glossy platters, I have come to fully accept the fact that I am thoroughly enjoying a renewed interest in my ’80s teenage metal years.

I could be accused of going through a mini mid-life crisis, and who knows, maybe it’s true. I have no intention of breaking out the old acid washed jeans and high tops. But I am enjoying a trip down memory lane.

I’ve gone through the music snob thing over the last 20 years, rejecting my metal past. But, even though I still love much of the music that gets drooled over by people in the highfalutin music criticism world, I’ve found that the care-free unpretentious music of my youth is a blast to revisit. (more…)

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Sports Anthems

Besides music, football is one of my biggest passions. So, why not marry the two in this week’s workout playlist?

The NFL preseason has kicked off, and it’s a nice little surprise that I get to watch my Pittsburgh Steelers open their preseason on my birthday tomorrow afternoon. While I’ll have a few “official” birthday celebrations this weekend, when you turn 40, with two kids and a wife, something as simple as a football game and firing up the grill is a real treat! (more…)

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Jason

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: A Decade of Top Workout Songs

Music has come a long way over the years. The music of today is filled with new beats, new and upbeat lyrics, and story lines from the life-changing events of the decade.

The wide range of music below is there to get you through the long battles of your strenuous workout routine, all while mixing it up with different genres. The alternative rock songs are there to motivate you during your cardio phase of the workout and the upbeat rap and hip hop songs give you momentum during the weight training portion. Good luck with your workouts!

Top Workout Songs Of Today (2000-2024): (more…)

Posted on August 6, 2023 by Matt