Lifting / Workout music - always has to come up sometime!

[VeganEssentials]

Okay, I can't believe that there hasn't been the usual discussion of everyone's favorite music to listen to either before or during workouts - I feel compelled to start this thread as I think we'll lose our credibility as a fitness board if we didn't discuss this!

Not that I have any choice other than the atrocities I'm forced to listen to while at the gym, I pretty much have to psyche myself up beforehand on the drive over. Top 10 favorites include:

Archers Of Loaf - Vee Vee
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Henry's Dream
Ministry - The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste
June of '44 - Tropics and Meridians
Pet Shop Boys - Disco II
Dr. Octagon - Instrumentalist
Sugar - Besides
Pixies - Trompe Le Monde
Big Black - Rich Man's 8 Track
Big Black - Songs About F'ing (not exactly the most PC title ever...)

Much of it follows a fairly identifiable pattern, though the Nick Cave and Pet Shop Boys definitely put a different spin on things...Not exactly what most would listen to before their heavy squat day, but it works for me. So, as this is the universal topic of discussion on all other such boards, put in your part for what gets you going!

Ryan

[xJimx]

Unfortunately in my gym I am subjected to the usual MTV/VH1-style dross. I see some people wearing walkmans whilst working out but this seems a bit dangerous to me, in case a weight gets tangled up in the wires or something.

On the way to the gym I like to listen to somethin heavy and 'moshy', like Until The End or Path of Resistance, or some fast vegan metal like Sunrise or Undying. There's nothing like a dose of the steel to get the blood pumping!

[dudeimhuge]

lately when i'm working out...

every time i die
converge
melvins
90 day men
fantomas
modest mouse

[prenna]

I have a few different thing I work out to. Sometimes I'll choose Black Flag and Rollins Band. The thing I listen to the most though is a Straightedge mix tape that has classic tracks from Chain of Strength, Minor Threat, Trial, Youth of Today, and plenty of other bands. I like the lyrical content for working out to, it being all about strength of mind and purity of body and all that stuff. It's very motivating.

[JO]

Yes, Ministry; yes, Rollins. I usually don't bring music with though. The stuff at the gym is adequate aural fuel usually, and if instead it's ballady muzak I consider it adversity training.

JO

[Tommy-Tofu]

Manowar all the way,haha and Maiden off course

[Frostfire]

What? No Metallica yet?! I'm surprised! I have a "disc-man" that has a clip that I wear while I do my cardio workouts. When I'm lifting, I have to tune out the country music or sports programing they have on at the gym, but I will usually listen to my Metallica before hand. For a change of pace, I'll listen to other hardcore/deathmetal bands that are lessor known.

[Malcolms Billy]

Hmmm, Metallica, brings back good memories I used to be a big fan of them, seen them play a few times too! What are your fav Metallica songs? I'm not really up to date on more recent Metallica stuff, but I've still got their Black Album (love that one!), and Justice For All.

I have to admit that I've moved away from metal since, but I'm sure I'll always have a bit of space for Metallica (and Iron Maiden!)

See ya,
Billy

[Oak]

When i'm working out all they seem to have on at the gym is mucic that reminds me of a washing machine as it's not completly audiable.

When i work out at home then i like some Metal ! Somthing with some big hairy guy growling.
I was at a gig of a band called kill switch engage and the Singer - Howard Jones - is huge!
So something if i had one of those little gadgity MP3 players or something would be Ill Nino - another Metal band.

....and completly different! Something sad or melancholy. Something like Tori Amos, natalie merchant or some REM (maybe even the Counting Crows).

When i go to this thing called a spinning class. (one hour of tour de france) they play some beaty mucic and the guy keeps on saying "get with the beat" but i'm suffering so much that all i can think of is pain.

Oak

[nanoking]

All hail Rollins fans. I wish he would stop ripping on vegetarians though (maybe he has, I haven't been to a show in over a year, but like clockwork in the last two I attended he said something stupid about eating flesh).

News flash...best band to lift weights to is in fact...CLUTCH...surprising, but true.

Recently I threw myself a curve and ipoded the more "driving" of The Cars' songs. Also put on the more workout appropriate of Lou Reed/Velvet Underground (No Nico goddamnit). I've been meaning to mp3ify more Fugazi and Clash. For some reason I gotta have vocals. Maybe I sing along. I don't know I have the volume turned up too high.

And for cardio I was exploring Quannum to keep things interesting.

$10 of free supplements to the first person to guess my favorite Rollins Band song. PM or post.

-NK

[Pim FB]

At the Gates - Slaughter of the Soul
The Haunted - Made me do it
(both great for cardio!!!!!!!)

Dead Prez - Turn off the radio

[i live in omaha]

Darkest Hour - Hidden hands of a Sadist Nation
Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armageddon
The Haunted - One Kill Wonder
In Flames - Colony
In Flames - Reroute to Remain

I got an MP3 player recently for the sole purpose of workouts. I love it. 128 megs = about 2 albums.

[JO]

I like the song "liar" best. Perfect pacing, perfect laughter, excellent breathing.

JO

[Pete]

At the moment I'm mainly playing "Burn my eyes" by Machinehead. Anything by Rollins is ok Pantera is another fav for gym. As long as it's hard & heavy that's fine. I use maiden & stuff to stretch to at the end .

[VeganEssentials]

Metallica, as long as it is "And Justice For All" or prior to that I can use it for my own evil purposes of getting fired up, and anything after that just conjures up images of wealthy old men who are cranky that file sharing is costing them a new ivory backscratcher.

Maiden - I'd be lying if I said I didn't rock out to Aces High more than a few times on my way to the gym. I've only got my tapes that I've owned since 1986, so you can imagine how terrible they sounds after nearly 2 decades, but still, they work!

For those who haven't given Big Black a listen, I'd hae to say that I find few things comparable for forcing the drive in me to lift hard as I'm on my way to the gym. Their CDs that I have are always in frequent rotation because they're just that good for focusing and getting myself riled up. Not overly fast, not long haired metal-types, but just some skinny little guys from Chicago who made their own heavy, angry sound that I still can't compare to much else. One of those bands I'd love to have seen live, but alas, they were gone before I was old enough to see them. Too bad...

Ryan