How to Make a Workout Playlist

The performance benefits of working out to music are well established (read all about it here). But you can’t stick on any old track and hope for the best, listening to the right music is crucial in reaping the benefits and optimising your training.

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WHY THE RIGHT MUSIC MATTERS

Creating the perfect playlist for working out is more scientific than simply throwing together your all-time favourite tracks. A number of studies now show that while choosing the right tracks can significantly boost your performance, the wrong type of music can actively hinder your workout.

During their decade-long study into the effects of music tempo and exercise, Dr Costas Karageorgis and researchers at the University of Brunel found that listening to well selected music could reduce perception of exertion by 12%, voluntary endurance by 15% and movement efficiency by 7%. The upshot? A significant improvement in performance and endurance that makes it well worth putting some thought into your workout playlist.

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THE SCIENCE OF BPM

A huge body of research suggests that the tempo of the music we listen to is the major determinant for our response to exercise. Mapping the effect of musical tempo on exercise over a number of years, Dr Karageorgis and his team at Brunel concluded that the BPM (beats per minute) of a track is the key factor in boosting performance - to the extent that raising the tempo and pace of your playlist can significantly boost workout intensity. This corresponds with a study by researchers at Liverpool John Moore’s University who found that fast paced music elicited greater motivation and effort from subjects and boosted endurance.

Researchers at Brunel identify a “sweet spot” of 120-140 BPM for optimum results (with the lower end working best for low/medium intensity, for example a steady jog, as opposed to 140 bpm for all-out effort) and a ceiling level of 145 BPM after which results plateau. Selecting your playlist within these parameters means you can’t really get it wrong, but to get the most from your workout and increase intensity, set the tempo just above your comfort zone.

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WHY YOU SHOULD PICK A CONSISTENT TEMPO

Music and movement are intrinsically linked in the brain and we are instinctively programmed to move to music – called our “rhythm response.” Coordinating our work rate and syncing our pace with the musical qualities of background music may make our workout and energy expenditure more efficient with one study from the University of Sheffield Hallam finding a 7% increase in exercise efficiency in subjects who synchronised their workouts to music. Not only does allowing the body to move to a rhythmic beat have positive effects on the rate of energy expenditure, it can also help us to maintain a consistent pace. It follows from this to select music with a strong, consistent rather than uneven tempo that allows us to easily sync to the beat.

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CHOOSE MUSIC WITH POSITIVE ASSOCIATIONS

Music helps boost our performance by distracting (or “disassociating”) the brain from pain, exhaustion and other negative physiological effects of exercise, while elevating mood and reducing our perception of effort. It follows that if you have a strong positive association with a piece of music, this dissociative effect is increased by the stronger emotions and feelings associated with it. So, selecting a song that makes you feel positive and upbeat will have a corresponding effect on your performance, whether those are motivational or cultural associations – for example songs associated with athletic achievement such as the Olympics - or simply music we associate with positive happy times.

Top tip: It is a wise idea to change up your playlist regularly to avoid the positive associations becoming blunted and losing their emotional impact and motivation.

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PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR PLAYLIST

So, with all the above considerations in mind, how do you go about creating your perfect playlist? It’s important to tailor your music to your exercise activity and physical state. So, the tracks you might listen to during a HIIT session when you’re working at maximum effort, won’t be the same as for your cool down when you’re aiming to lower your heart rate.

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WARM UP | 90-115 BPM

Tracks that gradually raise your heart rate, warm up the body and loosen the muscles, as well psyching the brain into a positive, motivated state, building momentum into the main part of your workout e.g.

1. In Da Club – Fifty Cent: 90bpm
2. Chemical Brothers – Galvanise: 104 bpm
3. Kanye West – Stronger: 104 bpm

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STRENGTH TRAINING | 120-140 BPM

Strong, fast rhythms with a consistent, strong beat that’s easy to pick out while you’re lifting e.g.

1. The Killers – Somebody Told Me: 138 bpm
2. Good Feeling – Flow Rida: 128 bpm
3. Bruno Mars – 24K Magic: 134pm

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Cardio requires fast, high tempo tracks with a strong, regular and consistent beat e.g.

MODERATE INTENSITY CARDIO | 125-135 BPM

1. Salt n Pepa – Push It: 127 bpm
2. Black Eyed Peas - Don’t Phunk with My Heart: 130 bpm
3. Madcon – Beggin: 133 bpm

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HIGH INTENSITY CARDIO – 135+ BPM

1. Pharrell Williams – Happy: 160 bpm
2. Basement Jaxx – Good Luck: 154 bpm
3. Taylor Swift – Shake it off: 160 bpm

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COOL DOWN | 80-90 BPM

Listen to a steady tempo to help you gradually bring down your heartrate e.g.

1. Katy Perry – Roar: 90 bpm
2. Kanye West – Flashing Lights: 90bpm
3. Mariah Carey – Almost Home: 87 bpm

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Find out the bpm of your favourite tracks using online tools such as:

• https://songbpm.com/

• https://www.bpmdatabase.com

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And for more inspirational tips to become stronger, better and happier, then check out our Motivation category. Because it’s no fun standing still.