( Note: I’m not listing the obvious ones here. If you like Bruce, or that old-fashioned classic rock sound (real instruments, live vocals, and minimal “studio magic”), put these tunes on your workout playlist, ranked from my 10th-best pick down to my top one. Self-improvement? Making progress? Escapism? Isn’t that what we all train for? To rise up, be better than yesterday and what you’ve been handed, take a chance, and escape without losing sight of reality or where you came from.

You can’t find more passion in music or in a single artist than you can in Bruce.Īll of his songs feature-both sonically and lyrically-what I call the “signature Springsteen ache”: a deep, almost painful, rumbling desire to change one’s circumstances in life. His name NEVER comes up on lists of music to play in the gym, and I’ve never understood why. I’m a big fan of classic rock, and my favorite rocker of the 70s and 80s (although he remains every bit as vibrant and relevant today) is Bruce Springsteen. I listen to a wide variety of music in the gym. So, really, any music that makes you feel something powerful within can be appropriate.Ĭonsider that Henry Rollins, one of the roughest-sounding punk rockers on the planet-and also a recreational powerlifter-listens to ballads when he trains. You have to be somewhat emotional and worked up emotionally to train hard and purposefully. I think the real purpose of training music is to bring out your passion. However, these aren’t your only options, and if you train consistently throughout your life, you’re going to crave a change eventually. For guys, it’s natural to turn to rap and metal (and, of course, rap-metal), to evoke this condition. Good training music has to make you excited, alert, and even a little bit angry.

Guest Post by Renegade Inner Circle Coach, Sean Hyson

Spinning warm up songs