Perhaps it’s because I’m getting major thigh envy by watching the Japan – Venezuela volleyball game during d’Olympics, but I’m getting a strange hankering to get my flabby derriere back to the gym. I’m also partly spurred on by Fatmammycat’s ‘motivational’ workout posts (she says she was in Belgium recently, but I’d sooner bet she went to Beijing…she’s in that gym like a fucking mad yoke!).
Like the wee Duracell bunny chubster that I am, I need some decent tunes to help me ‘break through the wall’ (that’s fitness speak, as far as I can tell. Ask a friend). All bets are off if I can’t bop along to a beat or two, and I get seriously irritated by my gym’s euro-disco-Lionel-Richie-ballad-madeover-with-a-techno-beat bollocks. So here is the latest workout rocking my iPod and (hopefully) shrinking my thighs…
Bat For Lashes – ‘Prescilla’
Not exactly a gym-centric stomper of a track, but channelling one’s inner Natasha Khan while doing weights is never a bad thing. The testosterone in my weights area would lift the feckin’ eyebrows clean off you, so I need some gentle female company while I’m in there.
Battles – ‘Atlas’
Seven and a half minutes of strangely hypnotic music with a fairly good tempo; get stuck into this and hey presto, half your time on the treadmill is taken care of. Thankyee, Battles.
Do Me Bad Things – ‘Time For Deliverance’
How this now-tragically-defunct English band didn’t become bigger than God, I shall never know. Pitched somewhere between Beyonce and AC/DC, this upbeat track is perfect for when you feel the need to pedal like fuck on the stationary bike. Or, if you’re a gym-phone, dance around to it at home; you’ll lose about 126,375 calories before you even get to the chorus. Yes, it’s that good.
Futureheads – ‘The Beginning Of The Twist’
Another high energy maniac of a song, and ideal for the elliptical trainer (if it’s on a criminally low resistance). Just don’t make the mistake I did of mouthing the chorus under your breath; the sight of a sweaty bird grunting ‘I can feel it/I can feel iiiit’ does no favours for anyone.
The Go! Team – ‘Bottle Rocket’
I’d gotten tired of working out to ‘The Power Is On’, so switched to the similarly kinetic track above. I adore its retro trumpet bit, and it’s just to darned uplifting. On the iPod for feelgood factor alone.
Kylie Minogue – ‘Come Into My World’
Frankly, this ‘pop pixie’ (arf) melts the jaw off me. Quelle headwreque. Still, I do like this disco/pop number, and not just because the heroic genius that is Michel Gondry directed the video.
Rocket From The Crypt – ‘On A Rope’
I should have a strained relationship with this song – for my 18th birthday I went to see them in the Mean Fiddler (now the Village) and proceeded to puke mightily all over my object of desire. Anyway, the song, still brilliant after all these years, is under three minutes long, so you can bump up the resistance on the bike and go like the proverbial clappers. Bye bye, saddlebags.
Sonic Youth – ‘Chapel Hill’
I always like to have a slice of Sonic Youth in the gym; ‘Drunken Butterfly’ was a workout playlist staple for a long time. It’s an angry track though, so I’m pretty sure that I would have had, as my mother would say, a right neb on me whenever I played it in the gym. Once those beefy guitars kick in, you really do end up putting your back into whatever you’re doing.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – ‘Tick’
A few weeks ago, when my romantique life was in something of a jocker (of which, more later) I was playing this song non-stop; it just seemed to match the mad, frantic, helpless mood I was in. Anyway, it’s also a great track for a short sharp burst on the elliptical. One day though, I was going so crazy on the machine that the whole thing started to edge near the wall. No mean feat, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Girls Aloud – ‘Something Kinda Ooh’
Arguably the only decent song that shower of perma-tanned knackbags ever put out. But seriously, this track is an inspired slice of sexy pop/disco. Another great one for the weights room, as I find myself inadvertently pouting like Nadine Coyle while lifting the paltriest of dumbells. Go me.
Because I’m the type who gets bored too easily, I estimate that I will probably get bored of this playlist by Tuesday (that’s factoring in one visit, but probably no more than two if I’m being honest). So if you have any workout tunes that you swear by, I am - as always - open to suggestion…
I’m absolutely adding that Rocket From The Crypt song to my running playlist. Genius. Although I fear I may start yelling along with the chorus.
I’ve also got The Go! Team, Bat For Lashes and Futureheads on my current playlist, funnily enough! Also on there are Moloko (Sing It Back), The Cure (In Between Days, perfect jogging tempo), Beck (Timebomb, relentlessly bouncy stuff), and Phoenix (Rally, classy French pop).
Now all I need is to actually get to the gym more than, er, twice a month.
Nice post. Oh how much better I feel for also having that Girls Aloud song on my gym playlist (for shame)
Oh and Catherine – kudos on the Phoenix inclusion (nobody else I know seem to dig them, damn music elitism!)
Loving this playlist, so much in fact that I may even copy it and try to run around the park. I tend to listen to talk radio if I ever do get round to jogging but perhaps that’s why I only ever last 15 minutes.
And Catherine and Econgirl I am in agreement Phoenix are awesome! I think perhaps bounciness is key to a good jogging playlist. Considering my current obsession, what about Fleet Foxes’ ‘Ragged Wood’?
I second ‘Something Kinda Ooh’ as an exercise track! It’s really good for walking into work in the morning, I was always too ashamed to admit it though
Call the shots is a permanent fixture on my workout play list. I love Nadine.
I also managed to throw shapes to Love Wars by Womack and Womack on the elliptical trainer yesterday.
I actually like Call The Shots better than Something Kinda Oooh. There’s a melancholy tinge to it not normally found in their songs.
Just a few for ya…you have some great ones there already!
LCD Soundsystem’s Sound of Silver has quite a few tracks that would be great for workouts- Get Innocuous!, Time To Get Away, Someone Great, All My Friends, and especially Us v Them. Actually it would have been faster to exclude songs off the album than include all the ones to get the energy going!
We Are Wolves- Total Magique- songs Fight and Kiss and Magique
Holy Fuck- LP- songs Super Inuit and Lovely Allen
YYY- EP- song Miles Away- short but my fav YYY tune.
Catherine – I have the same problem re: actual visits to the gym. I do more bopping at my desk to the workout playlists than actual jogging. Will absolutely be adding Timebomb to my desk-bop/workout soundtrack, nice one.
Honoria, I think FF are better for the gym ‘comedown’ if you get me. Bring ‘em into the sauna and pretend you’re high up in the Appalachians in a sexy cabin with…oh, I could go on…
Q – Womack and Womack – I’m intrigued man! Will definitely investigate. What’s the appeal about Nadine, though? I thought you had impeccable taste. What I would give to be afforded the chance to give her a boot up the fanny…
H – melancholia and Girls Aloud in the same sentence? For shame!
Tenacioustimothy – those recommendations are rocking the hell out of my world. LCD soundsystem is PERFECT for the gym, jesus. Thankyeeverymuch….
I never go to the gym, but I keep thinking that if I did, I’d listen to something by The Sisters Of Mercy — I walk in and out of work every day, and ‘This Corrosion’ and ‘Dominion’ both get me walking really fast and is really long, so by the time it’s finished I’m thinking, ‘Good lord, I’m in Grafton Street already! Thank you Andrew Eldritch!’
I also like walking fast to ‘Burning Love’ by Elvis, ‘Camions sauvage’ by Mariam & Amadou, nearly anything by The Go! Team, ‘Legal man’ by Belle & Sebastian etc etc
If I were to go to the gym, right now I would be taking Feed the Animals by Girl Talk. So much fun! Makes me want to dance every time I listen to it!
Kyle – Is this a whole album? I went to find this on Youtube and came up with a load of brilliant mash-ups. Police, Faith No More, Outkast and Busta in one track – genius. Could definitely keep a workout interesting, that’s fer sherrrrr.
Don’t know a whole helluva lot about Sisters Of Mercy Helen, must investigate. But cheers for those suggestions. Belle & Sebastian, eh? Liking the cut of your gib there…
Kyle – ooh yes, good choice, it’s on my iTunes at work and gets me through many a hard day, but I ain’t brought it home yet!
Also, this post is muchly responsible for me dragging my sorry arse back to the gym twice this weekend after a three month hiatus, so thank you.
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