While I don’t claim to be a fitness guru or even someone in their fitness prime, I have experimented with so many diet and exercise philosophies that I know what works to achieve different goals. Perhaps the most important thing I have learned is that our lives and bodies are always changing. Schedules change, priorities change, goals change, our food allergies change, and our muscles plateau. Therefore, we have to adapt our health “routine” to those changes. Even if I know what to do to reach my fitness goal, it doesn’t mean that I can just do it. This girl requires extra motivation, and playlists are the best way to give it a little kick. Here are the types of music playlists that cover all the workout bases.

1) A High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) Playlist

If you’re into high intensity workouts, then you need the right playlist to shift gears. I do my HIIT on the treadmill. I prefer to run with outdoor scenery, but living in Florida means I have to run with subtropical climate, bugs, snakes, pitbulls, panthers, and horrible tan lines. Instead I stare at the same thing indoors for a long time, so I always use playlists to stay entertained. Experimenting with different music has allowed me to discover the way varying expressions and tempos affect my run. This led to the “High Intensity Intervals” playlist. Songs that are rippling with allargandos and crescendos fuel bursts of energy that shift me to the next gear. The variation heard in dubstep, breaks, and trap are more motivating than straight up hardstyle. I even have an emergency fuel supply in my “Hit the NOS Button!” playlist, which contains the elite group of most powerful HIIT songs.

Skrillex’s “Recess” is an older track, but still the perfect prototype for HIIT. In almost all of these songs, the beat starts to drop right around the one minute mark. Never judge a track by the first sixty seconds. Most of these take a surprising turn, and that’s what keeps the athlete going.

2) A STEADY CARDIO PLAYLIST

It’s not easy to do high intensity workouts everyday, therefore I sometimes use the elliptical or recumbent bicycle. This type of endurance cardio does not require bursts of energy like interval training does, so I like to play the “Keep On Spinning” playlist. It’s a nice mix of melodic house and trance to keep those legs moving, especially if I am tired. With this workout playlist, I can attain my Cardio Utopia. It’s similar to a runner’s high, and you can read more about it in this post.

3) A Fist Pumping Workout Playlist

If you’re a stair climber, burpee master, or ab crusher, then you need club stomping tunes for your workout. In the “Stairclimbing Anthems” playlist, you’ll hear mainstage DJ house music to keep your feet marching, reps cranking, and blood pumping. These types of workouts require a lot of strength and motivation, so be sure that you have the playlist to match what you need.

4) A Happy Toning Playlist

When you’re stretching or doing callisthenic type of workouts, you can really play anything that makes you happy! You simply just need to send positive energy to your muscles so they can release the lactic acid, prepare for smooth growth, and recover nicely. The two happy playlists I like to use are “An EDM Lift” and “Afternoon Jams.” This music works great with Alexa Jean’s fitness program. I love her workouts because they don’t require a gym membership, and the majority don’t even require equipment. You simply just need clothes, workout shoes, a mat or rug, and twenty to thirty minutes out of your day.

5) A Weightlifting Playlist

Last but not least, you need to lift if you want to gain muscle and metabolism. Hand raised, I am one of those girls who wears headphones the entire time that I lift. I’m not looking to socialize and meet new people at the gym. I am just there to get the job done. Therefore, I have lots of experience finding what music works best for weightlifting, and it is simply rock. Heavy rock. The heavier the rock, then the heavier I lift. My beast mode instantly comes on when I listen to Alice In Chains or Disturbed, so my playlist is appropriately named “Lift Like A Beast.” However, I have days when it is hard to stay positive and I need to stay away from death metal. This is where my “Rock Against Enemy Attack” Christian playlist comes in handy. Both playlists equally rock hard, but the lyrics and faith behind the rock are very different. You can read more in my Playlists For Weightlifting post.

When choosing your workout, you should first assess your own goals, priorities, and schedule, then select the playlist that corresponds with the right workout. Evaluate your responsiveness and you will find what works for you. I really love Hayley Christine’s philosophy on fitness. Experiment with different workouts, nutrition, and playlists, and you will discover your own fitness formula.