Heavy Metal: Sounds of the Weight Room
What’s your go-to workout song?
When dumbbells and plates are weighing you down, the right workout playlist can lift you right back up. Whether you throw on the first song that Apple Music suggests, or you have a perfectly curated queue in your Spotify, music can make or break your every gym sesh.
Some stick with a genre, never listening to the same song twice. Others hang on to the tried and true, with their favorite jam on replay. For many, the type of exercise makes all the difference. Leg day motivation is not the same as bench max motivation, of course.
But Swifties and metalheads can all agree, the perfect song is key to any good workout. So, to help you find that essential soundtrack, here are 17 songs, straight from the playlists of Rec Sports members and staff that we interviewed in the Strength & Conditioning room.
This jam is perfect for hitting the StairMaster like you’re on your way to the club.
Zach Top mixes country twang with slow burn for the ideal cool-down song after leg day.
A great choice for zoning in on those biceps with free weights, this song is mid-tempo and just moody enough.
Gritty and rock n’roll – queue this one up when you’re channeling all of your inner rage to hit a new max.
This song will get you pumped for any pump – an anthem for you to load plates like they’re weightless.
This classic will make every cardio sesh feel like a music video montage.
Tate McRae always brings that little bit of bite to our favorite pop hits, which we are so grateful for when we’re feeling the mid-crunch burn.
Dance vibes meet endurance in this song, perfect for keeping pace on a bike or rowing machine.
Feel-good and funky, this song is ideal for a long leg press set or jamming through some calf raises.
Intergalactic is wild and unpredictable in all of the best ways — best served with battle ropes or box jumps.
This high-energy swagger track is ideal for a personal record attempt or power set.
The Weeknd is moody with a beat – jam to this song during those late-night workouts when you want to disappear into your own world.
This nostalgic pop hit that made our childhoods pairs surprisingly well with high-intensity interval training or bodyweight circuits.
More mellow than muscle, this song hits during a warm-up or cool-down.
God’s Plan has been a staple in the gym since 2018, and it honestly hits for any lift.
This fierce anthem is perfect for refueling your strength and grinding through that last rep.
Noise Cancelling – AirPods
We’re not sure either, but Aiden Childress ‘25 said it’s calming.
It seems hip-hop and country top the charts in the weight room, but there are some pop hits and rock anthems in there to get your blood pumping. Whatever your style, check out one of these songs during your next workout at the Southside or Polo Road Rec Centers this summer.
