Workout CD: 30 Top Songs for Strength Training & Cardio

A special workout CD is a great tool to have in your exercise motivation arsenal. The main reason people quit exercising is because they just get too lazy and/or they’re completely unmotivated. The music you listen to during a workout can either really make you want to workout or make you wonder why you’re working out. The music really does make a big difference and various studies have proven just that.

How to Pick Music that Motivates

•    Choose upbeat tempos for cardio activities.
•    Listen to music that you like and enjoy. Don’t just throw a bunch of songs together that you aren’t sure that you like.
•    Use an MP3 player to make song selection and playlist making easier.
•    Visit iTunes to listen to previews of songs before you download them.

Workout CD for Weight Lifting

Rock music is a popular genre to listen to while weight lifting. Since the movements are at a slower pace than cardio and there is more resistance, lifters find rock songs to be the perfect choice to help pump them up and get the adrenaline rushing.

Rock songs for a lifting workout CD

•    Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N Roses (This is very popular for professional football games because it gets people pumped up)
•    Metalingus – Alter Bridge
•    The Way you Like it – Adema
•    Thunderstruck – AC/DC
•    Lit Up – Buckcherry
•    Down with the Sickness – Disturbed
•    Liberate – Disturbed
•    Bodies – Drowning Pool
•    Mindless Self Indulgence – Fear Factory
•    Keep Away – Godsmack
•    Great Milenko – Insane Clown Posse
•    Somebody Someone – Korn
•    My Generation – Limp Bizkit
•    This is the New [****] – Marilyn Manson
•    Enter Sandman – Metallica

Workout CD for Cardio Exercise

Through personal experience of my own and reading about studies that have actually been performed on this, songs with an upbeat tempo help those who are doing cardio exercise to perform longer and at a quicker pace than without the use of this type of music. The faster the activity is that you’re doing, the faster the tempo should be on each song.

Fast tempo songs for a cardio workout CD

•    Girlfriend – Avril Lavigne
•    Sexy Back – Justin Timberlake
•    Stronger – Christina Aguilera
•    Lose Control – Missy Elliott
•    Maneater – Nelly Furtado
•    Excuse me Mister – No Doubt
•    Final Countdown – Europe
•    99 Problems – Jay Z & Linkin Park
•    LaLa – Ashlee Simpson
•    Unwritten – Natasha Betingfield
•    B.O.B. – Outkast
•    Pussycat Dolls – Wait a Minute
•    Stupid Girls – Pink
•    Stronger – Britney Spears
•    Eye of the Tiger – Survivor

Whatever you choose to use as workout music, be sure you keep a variety. This is one reason why an MP3 player is a great idea. If you don’t have an MP3 player, then just make multiple workout CDs with different songs on them. It’s a great idea to have separate workout cds for strength training and cardio.