Knock Out Work Out Songs

With many people trying to keep up that perennial New Year's resolution to lose weight/work out/get in shape, they're hitting their computers (or CDs!) to create the perfect soundtracks for their workouts. The other day, the NY Times chatted with a number of experts - physicians, life coaches, workout music producers - to figure out what makes a good work out song.

Of course, different music rhythms work better for different levels of activity. If you're doing high-intensity workouts, you'll want a song with more beats per minute than if you're just walking at a slow pace. A number of songs and artists are mentioned: Rihanna's "Umbrella," Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" and Snoop Dogg's "Drop It Like It's Hot" for more casual workouts, The Killer's "Mr. Brightside" and Green Day's "American Idiot" album for running, waltzes for swimming (that's what Oliver Sacks does!).

Flex magazine senior writer Shawn Perine said he liked hip-hop for his workouts, "Let’s say you’ve done a grueling set of squats. You’re out of breath, and L. L. Cool J’s ‘Mama Said Knock You Out’ comes on. Your energy won’t flag.” (Video for "Mama Said Knock You Out" above.)

But writer Steven Kurutz finds that there is one champ, no matter the musical taste or type of workout: "Gonna Fly Now," better known as the Rocky theme (video above). A sports psychology professor explained it "evokes a state of optimism and excitement in the listener" and it's been played by a Brooklyn high school band along the NYC Marathon route for 30 years!

Do you have a favorite workout song?