Now that syllabus week has drawn to a close, it’s time to get back to the Student Recreation Center, run in the streets and do away with most empty calories in order to prepare your Spring Break body.
There’s nothing quite as motivating as a good playlist to get you in the zone for your workout. The right song can make or break the last quarter mile or final few reps — you really don’t want “Call Me Maybe” coming on as you sprint to the finish line. This prime workout playlist is just in time for your first full week of classes, and possibly your first foray back into the gym. Feel free to add at will, but these are the tracks to start with.
Meek Mill and Big Sean, “Burn”
If the bomb-warning sirens and Meek’s incendiary flow don’t get your heart pumping, you’re probably already dead inside. This G.O.O.D. Music and MMG collaboration, featuring two of the biggest rappers from the past few years, is the perfect way to start your workout. Meek and Big Sean jump straight into their verses, giving you little time to wonder “Why have I never listened to this before?” and more incentive to get working.
M83, “Steve McQueen”
Yes, M83 is French, and no, most of us can’t understand the songs, but the grandiose arrangements are perfect for cardio. “Steve McQueen” has a plodding beat and big builds written in a major key, which all add up to a great pick-me-up mid-workout.
Suicide Silence, “O.C.D.”
Maybe metal isn’t your thing and you’ve always found it too heavy for your tastes or you prefer to understand the lyrics. But when was the last time you found yourself singing along to a song while working out? This cut from Suicide Silence’s The Black Crown may go through tempo changes but is unrelenting nonetheless, and the late Mitch Lucker’s larynx-shredding vocals will push you into overdrive.
The Temper Trap, “Fader”
While you may know Australian alternative giant, The Temper Trap, from its once-omnipresent hit “Sweet Disposition,” 2009’s Conditions had the up-tempo gem “Fader” on it as well. While it’s just as saccharine as “Sweet Disposition,” “Fader” benefits from fuzzy guitars and a poppy organ melody played over no-frills drumming for an equally no-nonsense workout track.
Bruno Mars, “Locked Out Of Heaven”
This song is a blatant rip-off of The Police, but it’s infectious and it’s everywhere at the moment. Though pint-size Mars delivers candy-coated, R&B-ish crooning, “Locked Out Of Heaven” is a solid tune, from its driving groove to the emphatic “ooh’s” sprinkled throughout. It’s hard to hear this song and not think of Mars’ Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show performance, so let that run through your head as your workout motivation — guys and girls alike.
Survivor, “Eye Of The Tiger”
We’re kidding — you aren’t Rocky Balboa.
