10 Best Songs To Work Out To

It only makes sense that every gym rat should have a playlist of the 10 best songs to work out to. Modern technology  puts all the best songs within ear shot no matter the activity. Here are some of the best songs for taking your work out to the next level:

1. "Destroy Everything You Touch" - Ladytron. Approximately three factors comprise the best songs to work out to: an upbeat tempo, a repetitive pattern and mood. "Destroy Everything You Touch," by electropop foursome Ladytron, hits on all three. The synthesized beat will make you feel like you could take on an army single-handed. Listen during any cardio exercise, or light weights exercise.
2. "Womanizer" - Britney Spears. Don't discount this song just because of the singer's teeny pop pedigree. The fast-moving beats and catchy verse give this song forward momentum, making it a great song to work out to on an elliptical machine or the treadmill.
3. "Bring the Pain" - Method Man. Never underestimate Wu-Tang Clan's ability to make you want to bust some heads, or bust out some reps. The aggressive lyrics and repetitive beat, matched with a slower pace, give this song a sense of toughness and confidence that can be carried into the gym. Perfect for hitting the power bag or pumping heavier iron.
4. "Hey Man Nice Shot" - Filter. This song opens with a whisper and quickly breaks into a howl that lasts to the end. Like many hard rock songs, it doesn't contain an upbeat tempo, so it is carried almost entirely on its recognizable verse and throbbing rage. Best for the weight room or outdoor sprints.
5. "Kashmir" - Led Zeppelin. Older Led Zeppelin veterans may associate this one with the kind of workout that happens in the backseat of a car. But the ascending strings, Robert Plant's wailing and eight-minute running time make this song a perfect fit for that most dreaded of cardio workouts- the stair machine. Put this in your ear buds and each step of mind-numbing torture will be magically transformed into progress on an epic journey.
6. "Lateralus" - Tool. This is another aural epic, clocking in at nearly ten minutes. But unlike "Kashmir," this Tool song's tempo rises and falls, giving the listener respite between bursts of testosterone-soaked guitar chords and vocals without losing the constant metronome of the drums. This is the best song to work out to during a weight room circuit training session, or a free run outdoors.
7. "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" - Nine Inch Nails. Let's face it: sometimes working out feels like... well, being on a treadmill. No one will accuse NIN's music of providing positive reinforcement to its listeners, but "Every Day Is Exactly The Same" has the strange quality of turning the monotony of exercise on its head and making you fight through whatever repetitive exercise it is you hate. This is a song to work out to when you don't want to work out.
8. "Party Up In Here" - DMX. Aggressive and fast-paced, DMX's motormouth won't give you room for any thought other than "move, now." Like many hip-hop singles, this works well for boxing staples like skipping rope, but it's a bit too fast for the power bag. Try it out in the weight room.
9. "The Pretender" - Foo Fighters. Like "Hey Man Nice Shot," this song starts slow and picks up the pace, but this is a speed demon to Filter's hulk. Run with it.
10. "Overdose (Lady Mix)" - Tomcraft. A good rule of thumb for selecting the best songs to work out to is: there's no messing around with techno. DJ Tomcraft's electrotrance song might as well be called "Overload." It hits on all three qualities of a good workout song and cranks them to full volume. The tempo is upbeat and unwaveringly repetitive, virtually squeezing adrenaline out of the listener. Therefore it's a good fit for just about every exercise you can imagine. It's not only one of the best songs to work out to, it may be the perfect song to work out to.