Anyone work out to music unsuited for workouts?

Alex W

Pork and Beans connoisseur
I ran 3 miles listening to a mix of Counting Crows and Wallflowers. Most of my friends are running to Skrillex and Trap remixes. This is my usual workout listening fare.

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I have put on a Rush album riding a stationary bike. That's about it. My gym blasts headbanging cookie monster stuff most of the time.
 
Yeah, all the time. Steve Reich, Gillian Welch, Beethoven...

I use music to distract me, not to pump me up.

Although there are definitely exceptions - James Brown, Funkadelic, Sly Stone, etc.
 
Depending on who is teaching the class, we have some pretty crappy music on at CrossFit. Not horrible in comparison to what they play at Planet Fitness, but when I'm there I can simply put on Spotify and listen to my workout mixes that are primarily punk and metal. I need music to pump me up AND distract me.
 
When I listen to music on my runs I used to just have my MP3 player on shuffle and I got whatever came up. Probably at least half was not 'good' exercise music. Just a week ago I finally created a running playlist of mostly more uptempo music. I just need to get about 200 songs in it now.
 
I ran 3 miles listening to a mix of Counting Crows and Wallflowers.

Thats what I used to listen to all the time at the gym. Lately I've been using the time to research listen for school. This was today:

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This playlist was MOnday:

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That'll go on my list. I also got this one last week:


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That one is a bit dense. One of the early quartet records. Eric Dolphy plays with them and, as much as I love him, he's not a great fit. It doesn't gel.
 
Many years ago, I used a ski machine, and used to listen to Grand Funk Railroad's "I'm Your Captain/Closer to Home." Twice through was a nice workout.

Like Flamecology, I use the music to distract me from the workout. Sometimes, when I'm getting in a good walk, I'll talk to someone on the phone. When I do that, I'm always amazed at how quickly I accomplish my walking goal.
 
I guess that's it. I use music as more of a distraction when working out. I am not one of those guys that loves working out, I just do it out of necessity. Working in the medical field I am reminded every day of what happens (or could happen) if you get lazy and let yourself go.
 
I only use the music indoors to break the monotony of running and going nowhere (and questioning whether a moving running surface really gives the same workout as propelling myself and my weight over real ground). when I run or cycle outdoors I like to listen to nature and my breathing. But I used to teach spinning classes and used unconventional music that I would have the class double-time their pedaling to. Some ethereal music that gives you lift as opposed to the typical Earth,Wind & Fire or ZZ Top La Grange that drives in a more pedestrian one stroke per beat manner. My goal was for people to pedal in smooth circles rather than jerky squares.
 
When I used to work out, I listtened to whatever I wanted to hear. Some days it was Dream Theater, others Marley. I used to use songs to time rotations on different machines (bikes, treadmills, elliptical, etc), so Coltrane's My Favorite Things was frequent tune for the stationary bike. Neil's Down by the River or Cowgirl in the Sand, Queen's Prophet's Song, Zeppelin's Carouselambra or Achilles Last Stand (dubbed "loafers" as these long tracks are perfect for the old live AOR DJs to answer nature's most pressing call). Often, it was the perfect time to cue up the latest album purchase on the iPod and give and somewhat focused listen.

There should be no rules, just what your ears want to hear. That said, I know a bunch of folks use the music to get psyched up or stay psyched up...I find music can make the time pass and that's where my focus was while exercising. Similarly, now I listen to whatever tunes I want when I go cycling and will also bring up some acoustic stuff when kayaking with my son...pumping out of my iPhone as opposed to earphones.
 
I listen to what I normally listen to. I don't have some kind of workout music. I do have specific music for making out though.
 
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