Top 5s - Workout Songs

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Jillian Sykes

I think there are three properties that help create a good workout song:

1.       It’s shamelessly cheesy and ridiculous, making your headphones the only appropriate and safe place to listen to it. This is not (necessarily) the time to listen to good music. This is the time to GET SHIT DONE.

2.       There’s an outrageous amount of loud (sometimes annoying) synth-bass. It needs to make you feel like you’re doing the most epic thing ever by working out to the song. More bass = more badass.

3.       The slo-mo factor. The song should not be too fast, not too slow (just right). The result should give you the effect that you’re doing something cool in slow motion–even if it’s just another few steps on the elliptical.

With that in mind, here are my top 5 best workout songs:

1.       Your Man – Down With Webster

2.       Dangerous – Big Data

3.       Delta – C2C

4.       Fancy – Iggy Azalea

5.       In Person – Pussycat Dolls

$ack Murda

1.       Work Bitch – Britney Spears

I mean, obvs. She basically tells you to stop bitching about your life, get off your fat ass, and become a boss.

2.       Fergalicious – Fergie

This song makes you want to be a girl that “makes them boys go crazy”, have “my body stay so vicious, I be up in the gym just working on my fitness”. Also about becoming a boss.

3.       Bodywork – MSTRKRFT

This has been on my workout playlist since 2006, feels like my own personal cheerleader telling me to work it.

4.       I Don’t Fuck With You – Big Sean

This summer, when I was ghosted on, the guy who left posted on Instagram “Breakups make Bodybuilders”. I’m not a bodybuilder, but this song reminds me of him and I work harder knowing he’ll regret it.

5.       All I Do Is Win – DJ Khaled

For obvious reasons this song is a big motivator for me in athletic endeavors and in the rest of my life when I need a pump up.

Footnote: I read somewhere recently that listening to Eminem while doing any athletic endeavor will increase your performance. That being said, I don’t have any Eminem on my list. In the article, it cited “Lose Yourself” as being a good one.

Drew Sicola

1.       Holding Out for a Hero – Bonnie Tyler

            She puts so much passion into this song, it makes me want to mirror it in my workout.

2.       Prison Song – System of a Down

Best song to run to–the driving beat is great and the lyrics are better. The whole Toxicity album is awesome J

3.       Take on Me – A-Ha

This is just too fun, and brings a joyous and goofy side to the workout.

4.       Bad Religion – Godsmack

Fricken love the preacher talk at the start and end, and how heavy it is in the middle.

5.       Monster Hospital (Mstrkrft remix) – Metric

This has been a staple for years. Damn do I love her voice.

 

Lizzy Tonell

I have not worked out once yet this 2016, but I’m sure I will at some point…maybe? If it do, or if you do, here is a list of my top favourite workout songs. There is more than one Britney Spears song included in the list and for that I just ask, please don’t judge my character…

1.       Work Bitch – Britney Spears

My friend was the bride and I was the maid of honour. It was three weeks till her wedding in Cuba and we would meet every other day to get beach/wedding dress ready. We would start our (rather pathetic looking) workouts to this song, often turning to each other throughout and yelling, “You want a hot body? You better work, bitch!”

2.       Pump Up the Jam – Technotronic

It was high school basketball season, I was the only junior on the senior team, trying to prove that I earned my spot on the bench. We would start each game and tournament with this song which forever reminds me of a few select basketball girls who scared me, but in the end motivated me.

3.       Toxic – Britney Spears

This song is more of a ‘pump me up to do anything’ song, rather than pump me up specifically for working out. I was a teen on Saltspring island (three years in a row) with a car full of girls. We would pull up to the big rollercoaster hill, blast this song and drive as fast as possible up and down the steep and curvy island roads. So fun and so dangerous and so energizing.

4.       I Don’t Fuck With You – Big Sean

It was like four months ago, I’d be with some of the best girls on the planet either playing volleyball, driving in the car, listening to it at a house, or singing it with no background music. No matter what the purpose, this song makes me think of a particular, amazing group of girl friends and it makes me feel full; full of energy, feistiness, motivation and in an “I got your back” kind of way, love.

5.       Thunderstruck – ACDC

Yet another classic warm-up song. Elementary-me would listen to this in the car on the way to swim meets or basketball games and sing with my sisters the classic, “Na na na na na na na, Thunder!” My entire lanky and scrawny self would be vibrating with excitement after hearing this one

There are so many more I could list, but for now, enjoy! And if you do work out, kudos to you!!

Emily Statler

1.       Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You) – Kelly Clarkson

Own it, baby! It’s empowering and gives me a beat I can work with.

2.       Here It Goes Again – Ok Go

My relationship with treadmills is tenuous at best, but when I hear this song, I’m willing to give them another try.

3.       Physical – Olivia Newton John

Somebody had to say it. So much fun to sweat to!

4.       Push It – Salt-n-Pepa

How good? Real good.

5.       Get Down On It – Kool & the Gang

While it leaves a little to be desired intellectually, that’s not what I use it for. 
 

Subconscious association of working out with the 1980s? Maybe. They did do it best with the sweatbands, leotards and neon galore. Just try not to feel the groove, I dare you.