Music can have a profound effect on how you feel, as well as on your energy level. It can make you want to get up and dance, it can make you feel ready to take on a challenge, or it can have the opposite effect and make you want to chill out and relax. That’s why picking the top workout songs for your exercise playlist is key if you want to get to the gym and feel super motivated to work your muscles hard.

What are the top workout songs to consider? Check out the information below to learn more about the benefits of music for exercise, and to discover a helpful list of songs that you can begin to listen to while you work out.


Benefits of Adding the Top Workout Songs to Your Exercise Playlist

Making sure that you have the top workout songs on your playlist to match the intensity, speed, and power of your exercise program can make a big difference in helping you to keep up your motivation every time you head back to the gym, lace up your sneakers for a run, or start lifting weights. Knowing the right beats per minute of a song will help to define whether or not you have chosen the best tune for getting the job done.

Choose the Top Workout Songs Based on the Type of Exercise You’re Doing

It is important to recognize that while there are songs that are naturally great for exercising, and you may find many playlists online that suggest that they have the best workout music available, the top workout songs that you will need for different parts of your workout will not all be the same.

When building your lists, know that you should have different songs for warming up, for your peak performance, for weight lifting, and for cooling down. They don’t all cross over, so if you try to make one big generic playlist, you won’t get the most out of the music you’re playing.

Keep the Music Inspiring and Interesting

It is also important not to limit yourself to only a few songs or only the latest things on the radio. Mix it up with songs from today and from yesterday so that you’ll keep your mind a little bit more active and avoid boredom. Build a list that is long enough that you won’t need to listen to the same songs every single day. As you become bored with one song, replace it. Don’t keep putting yourself through it.

Consider the following top workout songs for each part of your workout, to help to get your list started:

Top 5 Warm Up Songs (130 to 144 beats per minute)

  • Three by Britney Spears
  • Escape Me by Tiesto
  • Heads Will Roll by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
  • Dollhouse by Pricilla Renea
  • I Know You Want Me by Pitbull

Top 5 Peak Performance Songs (142 to 160 beats per minute)

  • Body Language by Jesse McCartney
  • Scared Trickster by Sonic Youth
  • Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol
  • Best I Ever Had by Drake
  • Fergalicious by Fergie

Top 5 Weight Lifting Songs (116 to 124 beats per minute)

  • I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
  • Bad Romance by Lady Gaga
  • Half of My Heart by John Mayer
  • Break by Three Days Grace
  • Somebody to Love by Leighton Meester and Robin Thicke

Top 5 Cool Down Songs (122 to 132 beats per minute)

  • We are Golden by Mika
  • Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira
  • The Best Days of Your Life by Kellie Pickler
  • Uprising by Muse
  • It’s My Life by Bon Jovi

When Exercise Is Best Done Without Any Music

According to Psychology Today, there are times during which exercise is best done without music playing.

Anytime you need to put your complete attention on what you are doing, and anytime you need to really listen to your body, such as when you are working out at a really high intensity level and you need to avoid going past your limits, turn the music off.

It is also a great idea to turn the music off when you are learning a new exercise, and when you need to discover how to move through the exercise in a safe and effective manner with the proper form.

There you have it: some of the top workout songs that you can add to your playlist to take your workout sessions to the next level, along with some tips on how to use music to your advantage.