This post originally appeared on the warm up.
We all know that familiar feeling when you’re in the middle of a workout and that song comes on, the one with the beat that perfect matches your tempo. Whether you’re out for a run, riding in the saddle or pulsing in a barre class, suddenly your movements come with greater ease as you match the music. It may seem obvious that a dance class is set to the beat of the music, but truly any workout can match a tempo. Pushups? Definitely. Burpees? For sure. Here are some ways to incorporate music into your routine to help create a killer workout.
Get yourself to the gym
Motivating yourself to just get your workout clothes on can sometimes seem like half the battle in a fitness journey, especially early in the morning. Set your alarm to a song that inspires you to take action toward your fitness goals as a way to automate your motivation as the sun is coming up. If you’re an evening exerciser, create a playlist of go-to motivational songs that you can play when your work day is winding down. Take a minute to zone out to the music and visualize your goals—no way you are skipping that cycle class for happy hour now!
Motivate yourself to go harder
When sweating through a grueling workout, it’s easy to give up those last few seconds of plank or shave off one last impossible pull up rep. When you know you are entering a tough part of your work (a two-minute plank, 50 burpees), pick a song that inspires you to crush the next few minutes. Squeezing out those last few reps will help you achieve muscle fatigue, which is the most important factor in achieving muscle definition regardless of how many reps you are executing.
Use BPM to push your tempo
One of the easiest ways to set a new PR running on the trail or in the gym is by picking a playlist with songs that have a BPM (beats per minute) slightly faster than you usually run. Studies have shown that listening to music while running can actually improve your performance by up to 15%! It’s easy to search online to find what BPM matches your typical pace, and then create a playlist with songs that speed or faster. Don’t know a song’s BPM? You can download apps onto your phone to help identify BPM, or search online.
Incorporate interval training
By now, most of us know interval training is a fast and efficient way to boost fat loss and is great for your heart. One easy way to incorporate interval training into your workout is by choosing a playlist that includes songs with a chorus that is upbeat and motivating. Hop on that bike or treadmill and take it easy during the verses and hit it hard during the chorus! “Sweet Nothing” by Calvin Harris is great for interval training—start with a slow jog or ride during the verse and then sprint when the beat drops. It’s impossible not to have fun and rock out while sweating!
Music is such an important part of our lives, and it truly can help you take your workout to the next level. With these tools, every workout can become a killer, sweaty workout with just a little effort on your part. At uforia studios, we make it our mission to blend the best music with heart pounding workouts. This guarantees our clients a workout that flies by and leaves them looking forward to the next sweat sesh!
This blog was penned by our own Michelle McGovern, Chief Operating Officer and Rockstar at uforia. When she’s not sweating it out to the beat of the music, she’s spending time with her husband, son and two crazy dogs. You can follow her on Instagram for daily tips on balancing fitness, mom-ing and girl boss-ing!