The Playlist That Will Beat You Up.

The most intense workout songs are ones with high beats per minute.

A good workout playlist keeps your cardio on track.

It is springtime, well, at least the calendar says it is. Even though the weather in Southern Ontario is temporarily flip-flopping from day to day, that does not mean outdoor workouts should be affected.

The popular New Years resolution to stay fit may have failed but with the new season sprouts a new opportunity.

Jessica Martinez, a Goodlife Fitness trainer, says apart from January, spring brings in the second wave of new gym memberships.

“People are inspired by the beautiful weather after being kept inside all winter,” says Martinez. “It’s also a wake-up call that reminds people summer and bathing suit weather is near. They want to look good so they exercise to get a body they’re happy with at the beach.”

One of the most successful ways to burn fat and to maintain good health is to conduct regular cardiovascular (cardio) exercises. But just like with homework, cleaning, and all things good for you, exercising may need an extra boost of motivation in the form of music.

Cardio workouts exercise the heart and other muscles of the body. At the beginning of a run or any cardio routine, the body is filled with energy to burn, but near the end it is common to feel tired.

The solution to pushing through until the end of the workout is a great music playlist.

A great cardio workout requires fast paced songs because the body will move according to the beats of the music.

That is where the magic of beats per minute helps. BPM is used by DJs to find out how many beats there are in a minute of a song. This helps them with mixing songs without clashing.

In exercising, songs with high BPM will help maintain fast paced routines, which lead to a good heart workout. 

For the average 20-year-old the targeted heart rate zone is 100-170 BPM. Targeted heart rate depends on the health of the individual so this average is just a guideline and may not be suitable for everyone in his or her early 20s.

To calculate BPM, count the number of beats within 15 seconds of a song then multiply by four to get the count for 60 seconds.

Here are a variety of mathematically perfect cardio songs:

·      Hey Ya – Outkast (132 BPM)

·      Panama – Van Halen (152 BPM)

·      Nice Guys Finish Last – Green Day (187 BPM)

·      C’mon (Catch ‘Em By Surprise) – Tiëst vs. Diplo (136 BPM)

·      The New Workout Plan – Kanye West (118 BPM)

·      Getting’ Over You – David Guetta, Chris Willis, and Fergie (136 BPM)

·      Levels – Avicii (128 BPM)

·      A City in Florida – Deadmau5 (128 BPM)

·      212 – Azealia Banks (126 BPM)

·      Express Yourself – Diplo ft. Nicky Da B (108 BPM)

For faster remixes of multiple songs try any of DJ Bl3nd’s mixes. The young Los Angeles DJ makes music that guarantees sweat to drip off your body, along with any extra clothing.

Finally, for that extra push to finish the last three and a half minutes of a cardio workout, the best-paced song is Sandstorm by Darude (136 BPM). At around 1:26 minutes into the intense beats, the song has an appropriate one minute break down which can be used to catch your breath and prepare yourself for the next minute of intense physical cardio.

Good luck my urbs!

-Ashley