Have you ever been in a particularly strenuous spin class—thought you were going to give up, sit in the corner and cry—when a song came on the loop that made you want to jumpstart and do a triathlon?

Fact is, music is instrumental motivation when we’re working out, and we never quite know which tracks are going to get our blood flowing.

Many of us have made our New Year’s resolutions to work out more, so in honor of this—and the difficulty of knowing which songs are the most adrenaline-inducing—I have made some suggestions that are guaranteed to amp up your playlist.

Hopefully these will encourage you to keep up your resolution well past the first couple weeks’ slump (myself included). Good luck!

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“Maneater” by Nelly Furtado

Between you and me, the biggest motivator behind my working out is the fellas. I want to have a rocking body so I can garner the maximum amount of attention from the opposite sex. Albeit fantasy, this song especially makes me believe that this can actually happen. I feel unstoppable and absolutely siren-like working out to Nelly Furtado’s rendition of “Maneater.” This has been making its appearance on my work out playlist for years, and that is why it has found its way onto this list, as well. The extra five, 10 minutes I commit to on the treadmill are directly attributed to this song.

 

“Raindrops” by SNBRN feat. Kerli

Love it, love it, love it. This song was featured on a body image video called, “Women’s Ideal Body Types Throughout History,” which so inspired me to love my body that I needed to know what the underlying soundtrack was. This song was on it, and it has since been added to my running playlist. It should offer you some bubbly sexiness, too, which will enhance your workout experience.

 

“Hurts so Good” by John Mellencamp

There are certain rules when someone comes into my car. One, I choose the music, and two, we can never ever change a John Mellencamp song if it has come on from shuffle, the radio, wherever. We never change it. Not ever.

This classic is a great track to get your body moving, because it is upbeat, while encouraging a little bit of pain (i.e. the lyrics, “hurts so good”). Doesn’t your body hurt so good right now? Feel the burn? Yes, yes you do, and that’s why this is a good song for your playlist.

 

“You’ll Find a Way” by Santogold (Switch + Sinden Remix)

There are some sexy undertones to this track that make it all the more motivating when working out. The lyrics state, “go ahead, you know you want it,” and while they refer to drugs, you can choose to envision sexy time instead of substances—as I do. Go ahead, let your day dreaming run wild.

 

“Dare” by Gorillaz

Well known for their song, “Feel Good Inc.,” the Gorillaz are generally overlooked for their other work. My favorite song by this band is “Dare.” The song is on the funkier side, on par with the Gorillaz’ style, but it has a great beat. It’s sure to raise your heart rate and give a welcome shake up to your normal soundtrack.

 

“Honey, I’m Good” by Andy Grammer

“Honey, I’m Good” is a song that is rhythmic and, let’s be honest, a little funny. A summer hit that came out this year, Andy Grammer’s single will get you rocking your whole body to the chorus. It’ll put you in a good mood, while working your bum off, and who could ask for more than that?

 

“Chemical Energy” by Will Sparks feat. Flea

Disclaimer: This song falls under the electronic category and may not be to everyone’s taste. I know the remix/dubstep/dj/house music genre is not pleasant to everyone’s ears. However, this song is an exception. It will sure get the sweat rolling if you listen to it on a treadmill. Don’t worry, it has an abundance of lyrics, so you won’t be just listening to noise.

 

“Sofi Needs a Ladder” by Deadmau5

Disclaimer: Again this falls under the electronic genre, but, it is so good. This is a personal favorite of mine, because it plays for a whopping six minutes and 46 seconds, which is hugely helpful when I just want to focus on the workout instead of song surfing. It sings, “I’ll be your new favorite waste of time, if you’ll be mine,” and boy does this get my mind a-running with the usual fantasies I am prone to concoct from these lyrics. It sure will help pass the time, which can be the hardest hurdle when you’re exercising.

 

“Confident” by Demi Lovato

You can hate on Disney Channel stars turned pop sensations all you want, but Demi is the best of the bunch. There are so many self-assurance-fueling lyrics in this song (duh, the song is titled, “Confident”) I can guarantee you’ll be feeling much more confident about yourself and your workout with this song as your background theme.

 

“You Shook Me All Night Long” by ACDC

There’s nothing like a good American rock ‘n’ roll song to get you pumped for your work out. Although Bon Scott’s voice may not be the most beautiful, I can’t get past the lyrics “knocking me out with those American thighs.” Need I say more? You’re definitely losing three pounds today—alone.

Fun and relephant:

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Relephant Read:

60-Minute, Fun & Inspirational Workout Playlist. {Videos}

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Author: Brittany Ann Bandemer

Editor: Toby Israel

Image: Curtis Mac Newton/Unsplash

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