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Summer Saturday: Music to Move To
Lately I’ve been trying to bring my workouts outside as much as possible, because we FINALLY are having some decent weather in Chicago. I’m still getting to the gym to lift and swim (a little), but otherwise, it’s been walking, running, and biking around my neighborhood. I’m just so happy breathing fresh air while working out, and my music definitely changes with my mood and reflects that. Here are the feel-good summer tunes on my iPod right now:
This one make me feel so happy and positive. I like to warm up to it because it’s not super fast, but it gets you going. And because ‘Everybody’s Got Their Something’…
This next one I like for a steady run (I JUST started running again and oh so slowly), because it doesn’t ever get crazy, and I can kind of zone out and reminisce about college. Not that I was waking up with strangers in my bed or breaking the law, but I was in a sorority and had my fair share of fun, inebriated nights, and I can remember just what it was like to wait for next Friday night because of the last ridiculous Friday night.
Oh, Gaga. You can always count on her for good workout tunes, no matter what you think of her as a pop personality. This one is oddly uplifting, and always makes me think I’m running toward something or going strong to get to the end of a set. I don’t think that’s what she’s talking about at all, but it inspires me to keep it moving, so I turn it on right at the beginning of a workout to get me excited or right as I feel my energy waning so that I can bump the intensity back up.
I’m on a major Joss Stone kick, because I think she and her music just both SCREAM summer. That hair! That bass! That voice! Summer jams at their finest. This song reminds me of summer crushes, and I would love to just dance around to it, but I guess it would work for a run or bike ride too. Just try not to stop and bust a move out in public. It’s allowed, but you’ll get some funny looks.
Snoop cracks me up. Don’t ask me why. It might have something to do with the fact that my sister is super creeped out by him ever since ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot.’ Either way, I really like his music, and this is no exception. This song also makes me laugh because it’s just kind of ridiculous. But it has a great steady beat for strength training, and it makes me want to get a really good workout in, and then go home and get dressed up to go out on a hot summer night. (It’s amazing how much less of a homebody I become when we get decent weather around here.)
I just love pop music. Especially in the summer. I can’t help it, and I’m not afraid to admit it. My personality is quirky and awkward enough that I really don’t need to be alternative in any other way. Mainstream, top 40 radio music makes me happy, and it makes me want to move. Just like this song.
Another Joss Stone jam, this one is perfect for a cooldown and stretch. I love the positive message, and I can just imagine rolling down the windows and cruising around the city on a sunny day (if I had a car in Chicago, that is).
These are my picks for the summer, but I’d love to hear yours! I’m always looking for new suggestions, so lay ‘em on me! Spill!
Workout Jam of the Week and Group-Ex Tunes
So I’ve decided to add a new title to my ever-growing list. Personal trainer, writer, gym rat, assistant manager, resume expert, non-stop talker…and group fitness instructor? I’ve been thinking about trying it out for a while, despite my previous reservations about classes (and, uh, my subsequent retraction). But then last week, we needed a last minute sub for a core class, so I took it on and… LOVED IT. Of course I totally adore my regular gig training my clients, but this was just fun! A little scary too, because I felt like I was on stage performing or something, since I was the only one talking (and probably awkwardly telling jokes). But in the end people were sweating and I got good feedback, and it was kind of a rush.
I’m going to be taking more classes at work to learn as much as I can, and hopefully, slowly I’ll be able to add more classes to my repertoire. Either way, I’ve been bitten by the group-ex bug, and in addition to thinking about every song I hear in terms of my own workout, I’ve been considering how it would work for a class. My current fave? This Kelly Rowland song, ‘Commander.’ Crank it up and tell me you don’t want to start moving.
What about you? Which songs have you loved hearing in your classes or at the gym lately? And instructors, which songs have been pumping up your classes lately? Spill!
Hey DJ! Guest Playlist
So while I was gone playing maid of honor and then trying to get the rest of my life pulled back together, my friend, sorority sister, and HG Fitness Challenge participant, Betsy sent me her cardio playlist! I had been on the hunt for good music to sweat to — new or not — and she came through!
In honor of said challenge, I created the following cardio playlist (watch out, it’s super poppy haha) with new tunes to get me motivated. I thought I would share in case you are looking for new jams as well! -Betsy
Without further ado, here are her picks!
Canned Heat – Jamiroquai
Love in America – JTX
Letting Go (Dutty Love) – Sean Kingston (ft Nicki Minaj)
Higher Taio Cruz (ft. Travie McCoy)
Who Dat Girl (feat. Akon) – Flo Rida
Crazy Little Thing Called Love -Michael Buble
Stutter – Maroon 5
Stop! In the Name of Love/Free Your Mind Mashup – Glee Cast
More – Usher
Bang Bang – K’naan & Adam Levine
Turn on the Radio – Reba McIntire
Virtual Insanity – Jamiroquai
Thanks for the new tunes, Bets! I especially love ‘Bang Bang,’ and I’m going to have to revisit Jamiroquai on my iPod a little more! What do you all think? Are any of Betsy’s picks your faves too? Got any other ones to add?
This Week
This week has felt all over the place, and it’s only Wednesday! Either way, I’m trying to figure out what’s going on. So this week I…
Have felt like I worked a lot, even though I’m not working any more than normal.
Put off finishing my maid of honor speech for my sister’s wedding about 20 times. And it’s this weekend.
Delayed two workouts earlier this week and am now trying to frantically cram them in before I head to Michigan for the wedding. Probably not ideal.
Have not posted anything, and have been fairly MIA from Twitter and Facebook.
Ordered Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet — Recharged! from Amazon since this past week a few not-so-hot foods have snuck into my diet, and I need to really get focused after the wedding this weekend for the competition!
Drank way too much coffee.
Started the 30 for 30 fitness challenge with my readers!
Jammed out to this Auburn song about 80 times since I downloaded it Sunday.
How’s your week going so far? What have you accomplished? And what are you working on?
HG Fitness Workout Jamz: Cardio
So last night as I was sweating away, doing my cardio (yeah, my Friday nights are super exciting), I was thinking about which music pumps me up to push another mile or another 5 minutes and why. And I must have been inspired by Angela and Bess because I wanted to share some of my workout tunes with you. Here are some of the songs that kept me moving yesterday when I almost skipped the gym:
This Keri Hilson song goes along with that whole vanity thing. But hey, I like being cute, which is one of the reasons I work out. The song’s a little cocky, but I love that about it. I also love that she doesn’t necessarily relate being ‘pretty’ with being a certain size (so many female artists do this, and it drives me nuts), and she tells all the ladies to do the ‘Pretty Girl Rock’ because we all should know we’re beautiful. Amen, girl. This song totally makes me do a little hip pop every now and then on the treadmill or elliptical. Good thing I go to the gym at off hours.
This song is NOT new, but it came on last night, and I was jamming at the gym. Again, such a good thing I go to the gym at weird times. I love JLo, her dancing, her gigantic fly girl hoops, her ridiculousness, and her confidence (mostly about her ridiculousness). And I can’t help but rock out to her stuff because she’s a fellow lady with a behind. I can’t help it! I totally have a girl crush on her — along with Kim Kardashian, Nicki Minaj, and Jessica Biel. I’m sensing a theme!
Just good for sprints or if you’re angry. Nothing else to say about it. This song never fails me.
Yes, I know she’s like 9. Yes, I’m completely serious. This one warrants a hip swivel (as long as I’m not running –disaster!) instead of a pop. You know what I mean.
This one makes me feel like a BA chick in a completely different way. Also good for sprints. Or imagining yourself wearing black eye liner, sneering, and strutting around with hair that belongs in a White Snake video.
For some reason, this song was my go-to running jam for a while (while I was still running a lot). I would turn it on for timed half miles, knowing that if I wasn’t almost done with 800m before Jeezy was done rapping, I had better pick up the pace. “No pain is forever. Yup, you know this” always pushed me on when I was thinking of how much I didn’t want to run that day. And this song still wakes me up every morning! (That’s more out of laziness though, since I just haven’t changed the CD in my alarm clock in a year. The ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’ at the beginning apparently isn’t quite annoying enough yet.)
This one seriously makes me want to dance during cardio. And I am slowly revealing myself as that crazy person at the gym right now.
Speaking of the Gaga, this one is amazing for intervals. Stay steady on the verses and go all out on the choruses. I usually pick up the pace even more on the bridge.
Equal parts anger, defiance, and optimism. I like it. I feel a little invincible (maybe even… bulletproof?) when working out to this song. Get ‘em, girl.
You know what this sampling of my cardio tunes has shown me? a) That I totally know why people pick the treadmills farthest from me, b) that I’m all about the girl power (OK, like that’s a revelation), and c) that I need some new music since nothing on this list is even remotely new. (Still working on uploading some of the awesome suggestions I got a few weeks back!)
What tunes do you rock out to for cardio? Do you share any of my favorites? Do you think I desperately need to update my iPod? Spill!
