Once You’re Motivated, Motivate More With Music

Motivation is a tough nut to crack sometimes.  I can’t count how many times I’ve reminded myself that its only an hour out of my life and surely I can spare an hour in my life for something so important as getting / keeping fit.  But once out there and picking up that iron, or putting one foot in front of another on that run or HIIT session, how do you get that intense energy and motivation to push it hard and not just ‘dial it in’??

One word:

MUSIC!!!!

YEAH BABY!!  Find the music that makes YOU want to move, dump it into your mp3 player, strap it on and turn it up and you’ll have what you need to get into it hard right there.

Personally, I find anything thrashy to be very motivating.  I like the angst filled lyrics with a hard rocking beat behind it for weight lifting. Anything full of raw emotion or anger works well for me (like punk rock, alternative rock… Rage Against the Machine for instance).  I find I can translate that angst or anger directly into strength and it helps me lift heavier and work harder.  For cardio workouts I can get a really hard run in with something that has a steady, hard driving beat (like Green Day).  I find these kinds of songs drive my feet forward.

However, I know people who like disco, house music, country… it’s all about personal taste.

I also question myself quite often, wondering if I would even BE a runner at all if I didn’t have music to run with.  I have run a few times without music (battery died mid-run or my walkman broke) and find that I’m so in touch with the sound of my footfalls and the sound of my labored breathing that I can’t tune my brain out.  However, with music drowning out all that noise, my brain goes places while I’m running that I can’t even describe.  I can only compare it to diving deep into my brain and floating into outer space at the same time.  It feels physically like I’m ‘taking a ride on my legs’… my brain has nothing to do with what my body is doing.  I do my best thinking running with music.  I’m in some other ‘zone’.  But if it wasn’t for music I’d be solidly aware that I’m running and unable to get to that awesome place in my head.

So, if your workouts need an extra shove to get you some extra intensity, dial in to the music that makes you feel what you need to feel to get that weight up, or those feet moving faster, whatever that may be.

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