I may live to regret this as I have received nasty comments before when I have dared to say something not in keeping with my signature tender posts, but here it is: my workout music is no holds barred. I don’t care about lyrics, or more specifically, I don’t care if the lyrics are PC or even intelligent. I am looking for music that is transformative, something that takes me to another place, see, the thing of it is, I am a worrier. A big, hand-wringing, brow-furrowing worrier. It can really blow.
The only thing that can truly chase the anxiety away is a hard workout. Don’t get me wrong, I love my girls and Sean, and, yes, they can soothe me, but it is working out that can erase everything. Sean gets this and has loaded our iPods with different playlists for me to use. I am sure that his cheeks burned as he waited for Christina Aguilera’s Stronger to download, but he did it, and damn if I haven’t had some incredible workouts as a result.
One of my all-time favorites is this one, not exactly the anthem for a mom of three daughters, but for working out I really, really love it. Once upon a time I told Sean that I liked LL Cool J. I think he might have choked on the Nantucket Nectar he was sipping. I think I probably give off more of a Hanson vibe than LL.
Lately I have been talking about how badly I want to work out again. He told me yesterday, “Hey, I downloaded an LL Cool J song for your workout playlist.” I didn’t give it another thought until he came up to me today after he’d taken the girls for a run.
“About that LL Cool J song? Aw, I didn’t listen to it until just now and let me warn you, it’s dirty.”
“Ok,” I said, not really worried.
“No, I mean like it’s so dirty it makes the Buckcherry song seem like something the Wiggles would sing.”
I haven’t stopped laughing at the expression he had on his face or the whole Wiggles thing. If only the girl I was back in the late 80’s/early 90’s had known she’d be hearing something like that from the father of her three children.
How about I want to sink my teeth into LL Cool J's left ass cheek?
Just sayin'.
I love Eminem's anthem from 8 mile, whenever I need to get pumped, I crank that UP
Oh do I hear you on this post, or what. Ok, my blog might be a leeetle more foul-mouthed than yours and it wouldn't be a strech for people to imagine that my work-out music is full of profanity.
Just some recommendations – Jay Z: Big Pimpin', 99 Problems, I Just Want to Love You. N.E.R.D.: Rockstar, Lapdance. Lil' Kim: The Jump Off. Snoop: Beautiful. M.I.A: Paper Planes.
If you're interested in getting away from the hip hop for a moment and want some hard rock stuff, System of a Down is great. There is swearing, but it's not dirty like the songs above because SOaD are political rather than sexual. Some recommendations there are BYOB, Chop Suey, Hypnotize, Spiders and Toxicity.
Phew. Typing that was a work out in itself. Sorry about the hijack.
like you, i need hard when i workout…none of that sweet, soft melodic for me.
hip-hop always does for me, but i usually go old-school like NWA (straight outta compton slays me) and Tribe Called Quest.
but what really gets me going is supa-rock – the hard kind of rock that most 14 year old boys like to bang their heads to.
i'd love to read or even better hear, your playlist. i'd be happy to share mine as well…
What Flutter said.
*chomp*
Her bikini? Small.
Heels? Tall.
She said? She liked?
The Ocean.
I'm goin' back to Cali
to Cali to Cali
I'm goin' back to Cali
MAN, I DON'T THINK SO.
Dirty and sweaty just seem to go together. Work hard, mama.
I totally get you! Hip hop and rap are awesome for working out- I ran to "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp" for a long time! Also representin' on my iPod: M.I.A., Outkast, Lady Sovereign, the Beastie Boys and Spearhead.
In the real world I'm a folk musician who plays the accordion, so I jog to hip hop and indulge my musical Mr Hyde…
Balls out music equates to a balls out work-out? Makes sense.
Im with ya! I like a little 50 Cent when I'm working out. Nothing like hearing a song about big fat asses to get you in the mood!
i wish i had the drive to workout … good for you!! of course you'll need good tunes to do it, i mean if you listened to "move like an emu" i don't think it would be as motivating.
maybe i'll pick it up after #2 pops out.
My problem is that my family knows all of those songs – and I'm about five years behind. So while loading, "Hot in Here", they laugh at me.