The gym I go to plays THE worst fucking music for motivation, soft sounds, modern chart music and chill out sounds, in fact you might even call it estroegen music. My gym caters for the joe-public, u know businessman on thier lunch break, women trying to loose weight and mostly posers who don’t really like to train hard, a social meeting place. It makes my fucking blood boil but it’s the only gym in town so what I do is plug in my discman put on the hard motivation sounds and completly isolate myself from the fucking morons, go to war inside as corney as it sounds but for me it’s the only way to train.
Anyway the point of my rant is to ask what music u guys use to motivate yourselves and drown out the crap they play in the more commercial gyms. Laugh if you want but I downloaded some of the tunes from Rocky 4 when he was training and sort of mentally put myself in his shoes, V. inspiring. Any further suggestions guys would be welcome.
When I’m at the gym, I’m a businessman on my lunchbreak.
There was a similar post to this not too long ago. Anyways, it’s funny that you brought this up as I just recently compiled a mixed CD of the music that I like to workout to consisting of: Drowning Pool, Otep, Slipknot, Stone Sour, Coal Chamber, Korn, Papa Roach, Incubus, Mudvayne, American Head Charge, and Disturbed. What can I say? I love the heaviness with a small pinch of mellowness. Notice, Dawg on the Porch, that I didn’t include System of a Down this time… but just this time 
Hard rock works the best - ac/dc, motorhead
hard metal is also good - slayer, pantera
Ice cube, the predator is a great album for a change of pace.
I personally hate most nu-metal, doesn’t sound real to me.
I feel your pain with what the gym plays, I’m in the same situation. I don’t know what dashoard confessional or shakira have to do with training, but my gym sure seems to think it’s crucial to play the same 10 tampon-rock songs again and again.
Adam Marshall
in flames, ill nino, testament, sepultura, hed pe, slipknot, pantera, deftones, brujeria
sweet cd!!! That sounds almost like mine. Except mine DOES include System of A Down. Also on mine are Godsmack, The Lost Prophets, Quarashi, The X-ecutioners, Linkin Park, Staind, Hoobastank, Live, and Taproot.
I’ve had my best workouts ever listening to this. Meanwhile, in the background, I can hear “Layla” on the gym stereo. I’m huge Eric Clapton fan, but while working out? Blecchh…
Sounds like an awesome CD! I totally neglected some Godsmack and Staind. System of a Down will DEFINITELY make an appearance next time. The other bands are cool too so now, at least, I have some idea of what my next compilation may contain. Sorry to hear about the “Layla” (no pun intended). =)
The System of a Down track I used was called “Metro” off of the Dracula 2000 Soundtrack. It’s also on the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack. Great track. Not a lot like their other stuff.
It’s cool to hear other people listen to Otep. I think I posted in another message here, that people who like Slipknot should check them out.
Another band who I think deserves more credit for working out is Static X
This bloody topic comes up once a month.
Seriously, I really need to start digging into my old CD collection - it really seems like I’m leaving out more and more awesome bands that I used to love listening to in the gym. Static-X being one of them among others like Spineshank, Marilyn Manson, Deftones, Union Underground, Boy Hits Car, Powerman 5000, Rob Zombie… damn the list gets longer and longer. I’d better start looking for these CDs soon…
It probably does, but at least it gets different responses every time. The music scene is constantly changing. I like hearing of new bands from other T-maggers. At least I know I probably won’t be wasting my time checking them out.
You don’t need any of the hard crap. If you were hard, you would listen to Chicago. If you were really hard you would listen to classicals such as Mozart. If you were an absolute stud, you would listen to no music. You would demand total silence. Now that’s tough.
I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not, so I’ll just say HAHA and take it for what it is. People are certainly entitled to their own preferences…
Haven’t gotten around to making any CD’s lately. The only thing I do like about the music at the gym is it is almost always around 120 beats a minute, so I use it to help me with my lifting tempos (I know, typical musician).
Last time I made a CD, it had a lot of Black Flag, Descendents, John Zorn, some of the heavier Fishbone, ‘Mars’ from Holsts’ Planets, and even some ritual african drumming music (no lyrics, just intense beats)
Testament rules!!! In Flames rules!!! Iced Earth rules (something wicked this way comes)
INTO THE PIT!!!
p.s. nu metal sucks!!!
As soon as I wander into the varsity weightroom at school (Georgetown) I’m forced to hear Puff Daddy and ashanti. Coincidentally there’s only been 1 championship team here in the last 10 years. I need to listen to music that’ll drown out “I need a girl”, and the field hockey team whining about not wanting to power clean cause they’ll get too big.
I like no music in the gym. I don’t want to listen someone elses’ crappy tunes. I’d rather hear the sounds of plates clanging and people groaning as they try to make a lift. If you guys need the “right music” to get motivated than I don’t think you are very focused. I don’t even hear the noise once I’m in the groove. Although I like Godsmack, Typo O Neg and the like I also listen to Mahler, Patsy Cline and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. You guys need to expand your musical horizons, you can’t go to eleven all the time. I’m guessing you guys are all in your twenties, right?
Just curious, which Mahler?
Symph. 1, Mvt IV would be pretty intense
Other good orchestra music I’ve preferred has included:
Verdi Requiem
Barber Knoxville 1915
Brahms 1
Fortuna from Carmina Burana (cliched, but good)
Baal Shem (specifically Nigun)
Scherzo from Dvorak Sym. 9
Being an Orchestral musician in training, I do find that sometimes playing certain music makes me feel more ‘testosterone’ than most rock music (actually… most of it… it takes a lot more to be loud on a double-bass than on a bass guitar… I have tension issues to show for it.)
Franks I agree on you Mahler pick. #1 is my fav by him. Have you seen the Mahler movie? I saw it about ten years ago, but I can’t remember who starred in it. Great opening scene. My goal is to hear #1 performed in the Concertgebow. I heard some modern music performed there on a short visit in '87 and it was incredible. The acoustics are unbelieveable. I swear I was in a trance-like state. I kinda “came to” after it was over, A-mazing. Mars definately has that kick as well. Also agree with Carmina Burana, that’s great piece and hey it was used in the first Conan. In the same vien I like the Mountain King piece by Greig, although it is rather short. I guess you play bass, Cool always been my favorite instrument. I will always go for music with a good bass line as I feel for the most part it’s the foundation of any piece.