Build a Workout Warm Up- Tyler Bates – Returns a King

My warm up run started off slow. It had been a while since I heard this song so after the initial choir section, I thought it would pick up immediately. My body felt ready to spring but the music was still chugging along in a second louder choir section. Just when I was ready to accept this song as a failure of a warm up,  the song burst forth letting me pick up the pace. Use this as long as you’re prepared for and extended walking period for the first two minutes.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 10

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

For my tenth successful mix, I’ve changed things up significantly! The worst enemy of working out is of course: not wanting to work out. And the number 1 reason for me: Its boring!

That means I have to change up my methods from time to time. Its all well and good to run 7 days a week but if by day 3 you hate it, you’re not doing it right. If you cant make exercise new and exciting, you WILL give up. It happens to me all the time. In an effort to stop that, this week I’ve added a serious workout section in-between to short runs. When it comes to lifting weights, just find some music that gets you pumped. Here, I’m going to focus on those 2 small runs that go hand in hand.

10 Minute Warm Up Run

1. Returns a King – Tyler Bates

2. J-E-N-O-V-A – Nobuo Uematsu

3. Those Who Fight Further – The Black Mages

The main idea here is start off you pre-workout with a ten minute warm up run. The format here being Warm Up – Stride – Burnout, and then heading into your physical workout.

10 Minute Burst Run

1. Start Something – Lost Prophets

2. Jesus Walks – Kanye West

3. What’s the Use of Wond’rin? – Amanda Palmer

The burst run has no warm up! In fact, it starts with a Burnout, then Stride and Cool Down. At the end of a workout I always have pent up energy. I think its adrenaline do to the fact that I just used my body to its full potential. The first few minutes of this burst run are meant to be met at full speed to drag out any left over energy in your body before a final rest.

My warm up run started off slow. It had been a while since I heard this song so after the initial choir section, I thought it would pick up immediately. My body felt ready to spring but the music was still chugging along in a second louder choir section. Just when I was ready to accept this song as a failure of a warm up,  the song burst forth letting me pick up the pace. Use this as long as you’re prepared for and extended walking period for the first two minutes.

Something about boss battle music in Final Fantasy games is just perfect for running. While most end up as burnouts, “J-E-N-O-V-A” has a more steady pace that lends itself well to a stride.

Speaking of Final Fantasy… This excellent reworking of the Final Fantasy VII boss battle theme by Nobuo Uematsu’s prog metal band The Black Mages is a great burnout. I think it succeeds for me mostly on the merits of the organ part at 0:24 that repeats throughout the song. My feet land with such conviction when that organ plays.

All in all a great warm up run that got me ready for the heavy lifting and woke my body up from a lazy slumber.

My warm up run was more soundtrack oriented so I decided to make my burst run full of modern influences.

 

I knew I wanted to run full speed for this section so I pulled out the insanely rageful “Start Something”. That guitar riff that leads into the “1 2 3 4!” combined with some pretty heavy rhythm guitars turn this into a great burnout as long as metal and screaming motivate you. And it gives you a bit of respite at the end with some beautiful piano.

The marching nature of “Jesus Walks” provides the perfect momentum for a relentless stride. I cranked up the intensity on this one when the rest of my body was begging for rest and it got me to keep going full power. Not to mention, as a christian, being reminded that “Jesus walks with me” while on a difficult walk… You get what I’m saying. Empowering.

I’ve always wanted to use this really out there almost unrecognizable Amanda Palmer number for a cool down and I finally got a chance. It did not disappoint! As long as you’re a fan of AFP.

So there you have it! Another successful run that brings something different to the table to keep things interesting. Thanks again to anyone who reads these. I hope they help and inspire you to create your own workout mixes!

 

 

Build a Workout Cool Down: Ennio Morricone – Farewell to Cheyenne

Ennio Morricone for a cool down. Seriously what more needs to be said?

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 9

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

This mix is a reworking of Successful Mix 8 which you can read about HERE

First, the tracklist:

1. Demon God – Joe Hisaishi

2. Angel of Salvation – Galneryus

3. Corpus Christi Carol – Jeff Buckley

4. 24 – Jem

5. Dynomite – Ima Robot

6. Farewell to Cheyenne – Ennio Morricone

This mix, like the last one is really focusing around my new additional song type: The Monster. That track here is “Angel of Salvation” which I kept in the mix since it worked so well. Instead I basically changed around all the rest of the tracks.

I started things off with Joe Hisaishi’s “Demon God” from the film Princess Mononoke. Unfortunately the song was pulled off of youtube so I dont have the link. I think the song worked ok as a warm up. A bit slow on the build and it never gets quite fast enough but it does the job. I think it works better if you’ve seen the film.

Next come the monster “Angel of Salvation” which worked just as well as last time.

I followed this up with another cool down just like last time since “Angel of Salvation” is basically a 14 minute burn out. Jeff Buckley’s “Corpus Christi Carol” works perfectly as a cool down with its quiet music and colossal falsetto vocal work by my favorite vocalist of all time. This is actually the first song by Jeff Buckley I ever heard. Seriously consider this one!

There is just something about the strings in “24” that scream: GET READY FOR BATTLE! “24” served as an excellent warm up as instruments are continually added until you reach the bouncy chorus and you body goes into full on power mode.

I chose “Dynomite” for my burnout because I wanted something that only lasted a few minutes. The song has this really wild nature to it and it just gets crazier the longer it goes on. I dont think its a burn out for everyone but it will definitely serve if youre in the right mood.

Ennio Morricone for a cool down. Seriously what more needs to be said?

Not my best run for sure but nothing really fell apart either so I’m still naming it a success.

 

 

Build a Workout Cool Down: Nobuo Uematsu – Yakusoku no Chi

This beautiful choral piece off of the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children soundtrack is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard. What a great way to cool down for the final three minutes of your run.

 

Build a Workout Burnout: Verdi – Requiem – Dies Irae

I wanted one final burst of energy for the end of my run so I selected this piece from Verdi’s “Requiem” which for me brings up memories of Battle Royale. There is this sheer intensity to the strings and choir that brings out whatever you have left for one final lap. Great when you only have a minute or two left of burnout in you.

Build a Workout Warm Up: Ennio Morricone – The Ecstasy of Gold

Listening to “The Ecstasy of Gold” while trying to accomplish anything comes with insane results. Just walking down the street while listening to this song will provide you with an uncanny ability to shoulder other people out of your way as you slow motion bad ass walk to your next destination, oblivious to all those around you. The song works very well as a warm up when you really need to get your mind in the proper place for an extended workout. It didnt make me run too fast but it did set my mind in the perfect place for the rest of my run.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 8

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

To keep things fresh, I decided to create a completely new mix today.

1. The Ecstasy of Gold – Ennio Morricone

2. Angel of Salvation – Galneryus

3. Interchange with Ohmu – Joe Hisaishi

4. Arco Arena – Cake

5. Naruto Main Theme – Toshiro Masuda

6. Requiem, Dies Irae – Verdi

7. Yakusoku no Chi – Nobuo Uematsu

With this mix comes a new structure that is mostly based around a new mix component: The Monster. The Monster is any song that is over 6 minutes though the time value is not set in stone. Basically this type of song serves to take over a large section of your workout and may include warm ups, strides, burnouts and cool downs within it’s massive length. Todays example is “Angel of Salvation” toping in at a whopping 14 minutes and 42 seconds.

Listening to “The Ecstasy of Gold” while trying to accomplish anything comes with insane results. Just walking down the street while listening to this song will provide you with an uncanny ability to shoulder other people out of your way as you slow motion bad ass walk to your next destination, oblivious to all those around you. The song works very well as a warm up when you really need to get your mind in the proper place for an extended workout. It didnt make me run too fast but it did set my mind in the perfect place for the rest of my run.

When I say that I had to create a new mix category just to add this song, I hope you get excited. This may be the single best song to run to I have discovered yet! This Monster of a song tops in at 14:42 and contains some of the best fast paced melodic electric guitar I’ve ever heard that. Liquid Tension Experiment quality guitar combined with Dragonforce levels of epicness and the sexiness of X-Japan makes up this absolutely fantastic mega burnout. I would say I was running at top speed for almost 10 minutes of its 14 minutes length, resting for a couple minutes during the middle extended guitar solo and during the final two minute finale. A Monster is a song you should only add to a mix with special preparation as it is designed specifically to push your body to its limits over an extended period of time. Each Monster must be used with very specific purpose since each one may allow for a different amount of warm up, stride, burnout and cool down. In the case of “Angel of Salvation” it is probably 80-90 percent burnout! This song will destroy your body in the best of ways. I cannot recommend it enough.

I followed up this Monster of a track with Joe Hisaishi’s “Interchange with Ohmu” as a cool down. Unfortunately I cant find a version on youtube so I wont be able to share this under two minute break I took.

After my short rest I went right into this brief warm up psyche myself back up. Cake’s “Arco Arena” is a short mesmerizing fury of dancing guitars and chilling beats and builds at just the right pace to get my body pumped up again.

The original Naruto anime has a ton of great music in it. Case in point with this main theme which works great as a stride. The song combines old school japanese drums, flutes and shamisen with modern drums and electric guitars to create a perfect blend of motivational strengthening music. Tell me this song doesnt make you want to rise above adversity and save the world with your friends.

I wanted one final burst of energy for the end of my run so I selected this piece from Verdi’s “Requiem” which for me brings up memories of Battle Royale. There is this sheer intensity to the strings and choir that brings out whatever you have left for one final lap. Great when you only have a minute or two left of burnout in you.

This beautiful choral piece off of the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children soundtrack is one of the most beautiful I’ve ever heard. What a great way to cool down for the final three minutes of your run.

So there you have it. I highly recommend this mix for those with a soft spot in their hearts for epic music and who really want to push their body to the limit.

 

 

Build a Workout Warm Up: Vangelis – Chariots of Fire

This song was literally made for running to! I mean thats what the movie is about right? I will say that I still associate this song most with Will Ferrell doing is acrobatics in Old School. It’s a perfect Warm Up because not only does it build at a soft slow pace, it motivates your psyche. Its very important that you listen to music that almost forces you to want to win and succeed because otherwise theres nothing stopping you from quitting. To be honest, making this your alarm when you wake up the mornings you plan to run couldnt hurt.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 6

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

This mix is an altered version of Successful Mix 5 which can be found HERE

1. Boom Boom Pow – Black Eyed Peas

2. We R Who We R – Ke$ha

3. Crazy In Love – Beyonce

4. Poison – Bell Biv Devoe

5. Chariots of Fire – Vangelis

6. IT’S SHOWTIME!! – B’z

7. Du Hast – Rammstein

8. Gone Away – The Offspring

Its been a MONTH since my last workout post! The lesson here is that sickness is the absolute enemy to working out. I actually ran this mix a month ago, then got sick before I could write about it. Ran the mix again a few weeks later and then again was sick. I finally ran this mix for a third time last night and I’m finally getting a chance to sit down and write about it after throwing “A Feast for Crows” across the room to stop myself from reading it long enough to work this up. (See my Current Obsession)

Obviously if you remember Successful Mix 5, much here has changed. If things are working, I’d like to add lots of new stuff so that the lists will continue to build and you in turn will have more tools to work with. The only songs that remain are “IT’S SHOWTIME!!” and “Du Hast” which have been moved to the latter half of the mix.

We start off with Warm Up “Boom Boom Pow” which worked perfectly for me. Each verse adds a bit to this ever changing futuristic beat. My body was constantly being pushed to run a little bit harder and a little bit faster which is EXACTLY what you want from a Warm Up. Plus that moment where Fergie asks Will.I.Am. to drop the beat pushed me into a frenzied dash. And excellent warm up for anyone more interested in electronic sounding music. I’ll also point out that I used the 4 minute radio edit rather than the 5 minute album version.

Continuing with the electronic theme, I rolled right into “We R Who We R” for my first stride. The song just has this pulsing driving beat that works perfectly. Ke$ha is definitely a hate it or love it kind of pop star so if you dont like Ke$ha, definitely dont add this to a mix. If you love Ke$ha, this song could actually work as both a Warm Up (cause it will get your blood pumping) or as a Burnout (cause Ke$ha love has an huge intensity about it! 

Rounding out the electronic theme of this opening fast paced mix is Beyonce’s “Crazy In Love”. Just like Ke$ha, I think a love for the artist goes a long way in making her songs work for Burnouts. That being said, the horns that make up the back bone of “Crazy In Love” should propel anyone forward for that extra push. I ran to this a couple times and every single time, the horns shamed be into running that extra mile. How can you slow down with those blaring in your ears?

My second stride for the run is the amazing “Poison”. I absolutely cannot listen to this song and not picture Mac from Always Sunny doing karate chops in the Dance-Off episode. Seriously go find that video if you’ve never seen it. The repetitive drum beat kept me moving at a constant place for its entire four minute length while the different vocalists and playful nature of the song keeps your mind occupied along with your body.

This song was literally made for running to! I mean thats what the movie is about right? I will say that I still associate this song most with Will Ferrell doing is acrobatics in Old School. A perfect Warm Up because not only does it build at a soft slow pace, it motivates your psyche. Its very important that you listen to music that almost forces you to want to win and succeed because otherwise theres nothing stopping you from quitting. To be honest, making this your alarm when you wake up the mornings you plan to run couldnt hurt.

“IT’S SHOWTIME!!” and “Du Hast” I’ve already spoke about and each song still served me well near the end of my run.

Finally, I selected “Gone Away” for my cool down. I really wanted to use this song for a stride or burnout but it wasnt well paced enough for the former and not energetic enough for the latter. I think it works well as a cool down because it has that end of the movie feeling to it. There’s an element of exhaustion in the delivery that coincides well with those final walking minutes after a long run. If you still have breathe, feel free to sing along!

So thats it for this long delay mix post! Hopefully the next one wont need another month to go up. Im sure my belly is hoping the same.

 

 

Current Obsession 07/02/13: Game of Thrones

Lets all be honest here, I havnt really blogged about anything recently. Theres a couple reasons for that. The first is that I got terribly sick for a week, completely throwing off my workout schedule and deading my workout mixes for the time being. Then of course there was the release of Yeezus which occupied a lot of my music listening time. Was also dealing with some personal issues.

At the end of the day though, all of those things have come and gone and I’m still having a hard time coming back to write. This brings us to the real perpetrator. George R.R. Martin. If you didnt know, I’m a huge fan of the Game of Thrones T.V. Show and I’ve seen each season multiple times. When this past season finished airing, I decided to take up the books. I found that in trying to understand some of the background characters, I was accidentally delving too far into wikipedia pages and getting things spoiled for me. The only logical solution was to read the books. Have you seen those thing?? So long! It was totally worth it though and Im now halfway through “A Feast for Crows”. Since the story has finally started to slow down and now I’m well ahead of the shows plot, I think its time I start coming out of my Game of Thrones bubble and start writing some more here! So… here’s to more Game of Thrones… I mean… music! In the mean time, just know that this theme song is constantly running through my head. If you havnt succumbed to Game of Thrones yet… seriously get on that. I’ll sit down and watch the whole first season with you in one sitting.

Build a Workout Cool Down: Alison Krauss – Down by the River to Pray

My mix had ended and my legs just weren’t ready to stop walking. They were really tensing up and cramping and I needed another couple minutes to walk it off. Thankfully I always pack some spares so I simply pulled out this wonderful acapella spiritual that I first heard on the O’Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack and walked off those extra couple minutes in peace. This song is the perfect way to cool down after a long and tiresome run.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 5

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

This mix is an altered version of Successful Mix 4 which you can find HERE

1. One-Winged Angel (orchestral version) – Nobuo Uematsu

2. Du Hast – Rammstein

3. IT’S SHOWTIME!! – B’z 2003

4. Aaj Ki Raat – A R Rahman

5. My Body Is A Cage – Arcade Fire

6. Totalimmortal – AFI

7. Baby Boy – Beyoncé

8. Path Vol 2 – Apocalyptica

9. Aint No Sunshine – Bill Withers

10. Down to the River to Pray – Alison Krauss

The first thing you’ll notice about this mix is that it is LONGER! It’s a good idea that you constantly push yourself to run further and faster. To run longer, obviously you want to add more songs but you also want to have more strides since this is the portion where you can gain some steady productivity. Faster requires more burnouts to encourage you to run your hardest. Lets look at the changes.

I started off with a new warm up. Most people who know “One-Winged Angel” would immediately think of burnout. The final boss music for one of the most beloved videogame villain of all time. I chose the lighter orchestral version specifically so that I could use it as a warm up. The song does have a slowly progressive nature as it spins and winds toward something grander. This allowed my body to start off at a gentler pace and slowly work my way faster. It never got me running at top speed but it definitely prepared me for the additional ten minutes on the end of this run.

Industrial Metal and specifically Rammstein music lends itself VERY WELL to the stride. Strides are all about keeping a steady pacing which is most easily found in dance music. Metal rhythms are also great because a good guitar riff works much the same way. “Du Hast” works to combine these two elements into something great. The metal side adds lots of little guitar flourishes to keep your brain occupied and the dance side adds little digital noises like at 2:04. I must also mention that the drums are beast!

Continuing this so far all new mix, we have a new burnout in the form of B’z’s all caps “IT’S SHOWTIME!!” How can a song with a title in all caps and two exclamation points not be a burnout? This song was used a lot in Japan for national sporting events and even the 2004 Olympics. The song was specifically made to ramp you up and thats exactly what it does!

I was then treated to ANOTHER new stride! Here’s another from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack. “Aaj Ki Raat” is a monster of a stride topping out at over 6 minutes! It kept me going with its simple danceable beat and trance inducing singers mesmerizing me for the entire time. So pretty!

We finally get to some familiar ground with the newly located “My Body is a Cage” warm up which I absolutely loved in my last run and couldnt bear to part with yet.

This was followed by two other recent staples, the burnout “Totalimmortal” and the stride “Baby Boy” which both continue to succeed completely. I was definitely getting tired by the time I got to “Baby Boy” and thought I’d slow to a walk. The beat was so good I had to keep running for another four minutes!

“Path Volume 2” by Apocalyptica is one of the rare occasions where the band is accompanied by a singer. This song blew my mind the first time I heard it years ago and I knew it would work perfectly as a burnout. I mentioned how tired I was at the beginning of “Baby Boy” and this point I was ready to collapse. The haunting vocals and insane chugging cellos made it impossible for me to slow down and there I was off sprinting all over again!

Wow. What a beautiful cool down! Bill Withers sexy voice and thumping guitar slowed me way down so that I could stretch out my sore muscles walking the last couple minute of my workout in perfect bliss.

“Aint No Sunshine” was originally intended to finish off the mix. This leads to another lesson for a successful mix: ALWAYS CARRY SOME BACKUPS! In this case, my legs just werent ready to stop walking. They were really tensing up and cramping and I needed another couple minutes to walk it off. Thankfully I always pack some spares so I simply pulled out this wonderful acapella spiritual that I first heard on the O’Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack and walked off those extra couple minutes in peace. This song is the perfect way to cool down after a long and tiresome run.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 4

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

I didnt have much time to reorganize my mix tonight and the gym was closing in 25 minutes so I had to shorten it too! But it was still a success. Heres the tracklist:

1. My Body Is a Cage – Arcade Fire

2. Fuckin’ In the Bushes – Oasis

3. Alive & Amplified – The Mooney Suzuki

4. Baby Boy – Beyonce

5. The Dragon Boy – Joe Hisaishi

6. Totalimmortal – AFI

7. Intergalactic – Beastie Boys

8. Invocation – …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

As you can see I had to remove “…To Die For” near the end in order to finish on time. Mainly everything stayed the same and worked just as well. The two changes were both successes.

I knew “My Body is a Cage” would be a PERFECT warm up! The song has this natural build that slowly adds instruments over the first couple minutes. By the time the drums are crashing and the organ is blaring, your body can go into a full on run!

Beyonce’s “Baby Boy” just has one of those BEATS!! So addictive! It could keep me occupied for hours so obviously it kept my body in full stride for its entire four minute length.

Build a Workout Warm Up: Joe Hisaishi – The Dragon Boy

If you dont know the composer Joe Hisaishi, he is responsible for the soundtracks of all of Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli animated films. This one comes from the wonderful “Spirited Away”. Stop reading this and go watch the movie if you’ve never seen it. The song is a bit soft but still served as a good warm up. It must be pointed out that “The Dragon Boy” is only the first 2:13 seconds of the youtube video I posted.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 3

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

I did run yesterday but I skyped with my fiance and didnt have time to post this. This mix is built off of successful mix 2 which can be found HERE.

Lets start with the new tracklist. Lots of updates on this one.

1. Lose Yourself – Eminem

2. Fuckin’ In the Bushes – Oasis

3. Alive & Amplified – The Mooney Suzuki

4. Seventeen Years – Ratatat

5. The Dragon Boy – Joe Hisaishi

6. Totalimmortal – AFI

7. Intergalactic – Beastie Boys

8. …To Die For – Hanz Zimmer

9. Invocation – …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead

Like I said, almost a complete overhaul. I figured that if the mix is successful, I should switch out more of the tracks so that I can introduce new ones to add for your own mixes.

The mix starts off the same with the excellent warm up “Lose Yourself”

I complained last time that “I Get Around” didnt fit in mood wise after “Lose Yourself” so I replaced it with the new stride “Fuckin’ In the Bushes”. This Oasis gem is a perfect stride with its repetitive guitar riff. I first heard the song during the climactic scene in the movie Snatch(Seriously if you havnt seen that movie, its a must!) and fell in love with it!

Next up comes a new burnout “Alive & Amplified”! I cant remember when I first discovered the Mooney Suzuki but this song got stuck in my head almost immediately. Like its name implies, this song will get you amped!! I was feeling extra tired since I was coming off a nine hour work day for my run tonight and when it was time for my burnout I couldnt remember what song I had picked. I just kept thinking, this thing better be BIG or else I’m giving up. Needless to say I did NOT give up!

“Seventeen Years” has returned for one more run but I’ve finally replaced its companion with the more mellow “The Dragon Boy” by Joe Hisaishi. If you dont know the composer, he is responsible for the soundtracks of all of Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli animated films. This one comes from the wonderful “Spirited Away”. Stop reading this and go watch the movie if you’ve never seen it. The song is a bit soft but still served as a good warm up. It must be pointed out that “The Dragon Boy” is only the first 2:13 seconds of the youtube video I posted.

Another amazing burnout! I have no idea what the leader singer of AFI is saying most of the time but this song amps me up like nothing else. Everytime he says “This! Rage I! Cannot! Let! Go OH!” The bass line is mesmerizing and the guitars provide this perfect intensity that forces your body to give its hardest effort. And when he starts yelling at like the 2:05 mark?? I just wish there was anything else in AFI’s catalogue as amazing as this song.

I also finally retired “Ringa Ringa” replacing it with the very fun stride “Intergalactic”! The song as a great shuffling beat that keeps perfect pacing while each of the emcees provides plenty of funny lines to keep you entertained throughout.

“…To Die For” spins again as both a burnout motivation and a cool down

And finally another new cool down in the form of “Invocation”.  I’m gonna be honest, you CANNOT go wrong placing this song as either an intro or an outro on ANY mixtape. The perfect subtle beauty of the piano works to either build tension towards the first powerful track on an album, or build towards a moment of rest as it does here at the end of the mix. Wonderful Wonderful music! For some reason the original version isnt up on youtube!! I had to settle for this cover which does a fairly good job of conveying the beauty of this song. Find the original if you can!

Build a Workout Cool Down: Ennio Morricone – Una Pistole Per Ringo

Ennio Morricone is a soundtrack king mostly because all of his songs make you feel like the coolest person on the planet. Even his slower music can be used on runs because a good cool down should always make you feel like the hero at the end of a movie.

Build a Workout Burnout: Hanz Zimmer – …To Die For

Anyone who didnt think the stampede song was going to end up here as a burnout really doesnt know me very well. One of Hanz Zimmer’s masterworks, this emotional and powerful song accompanies one of the saddest deaths in all of movie history. I seriously cant hear this song without getting crazy emotional. Thankfully it also works to make me run like theres a herd of wildebeests chasing me! Now there’s two ways to go with this one. The second half of this song is clearly a cool down so you can either skip ahead to the next song once the intense part ends or you can do what I did here and place it near a cool down to give you a bit of extra time to rest your body and mourn the death of Mufasa.

Build a Workout Mix: Successful Mix 2

If you’re not sure what this is about, start by heading HERE and reading the introduction to this section of my blog.

This is a reworking of Successful Mix 1 which you can read about HERE.

Here is the new tracklist:

1. Lose Yourself – Eminem

2. I Get Around – The Beach Boys

3. Prayer of the Refugee – Rise Against

4. Seventeen Years – Ratatat

5. Toreador – Apocalyptica

6. Misirlou – Dick Dale

7. Ringa Ringa – A R Rahman

8. … To Die For – Hanz Zimmer

9. Una Pistola Per Ringo – Ennio Morricone

I’m happy to announce that another successful mix has been made though today, my body tried to give out on me at multiple points. I cant wait until my legs become accustomed to running and theres less pain and ache for the rest of the day after a run.

“Lose Yourself” turned out to be PERFECT as a warm up! The soft piano eases you in and then once the beat starts to build, there is no stopping this engine. Even Eminem’s flow and lyrics are dead set on getting your body pumped up and ready. I think the song really proves the effect of mood on a work out. Starting out a running mix with this song adds a layer of context to your run. It gets your brain thinking seriously about making things happen. The run becomes more important and that sense of duty moves your body along effortlessly. 

Unfortunately the mood created bu “Lose Yourself” was pretty much killed by “I Get Around“. It wasn’t bad enough to ruin my mix and I did keep moving through the whole song but it does point out the importance of constructing a mix with a theme for it to be perfect. At some point I do plan on putting out some much more calculated mixes that come with high recommendation. These will definitely focus on setting a mood that stays steady through out. It may be serious like “Lose Yourself” or all for fun like “I Get Around” but blending them can cause a hiccup if not done correctly.

“Prayer of the Refuge” brought the mood back down to a more serious place and it still kept me going as a good burn out. I must also again point out that the combination of “Seventeen Years” followed by “Toreador” works extremely well together and will definitely be combined again in an advanced mix.

You’ll notice that I finally switched out “Liberi Fatali” for the new burnout “Misirlou” which you may recognize from the amazing Pulp Fiction! The Beach Boys surf rock encouraged me to try again and Dick Dale does not disappoint with this fast paced guitar party with horn accompaniment. Crazy that I can no longer think of this song without hearing The Black Eyed Peas “Pump It”

The stride staple “Ringa Ringa” helped ease me through a tough cramp during this run and I was thankful that it allows you to keep the beat at a slower pace if need be.

Anyone who didnt think the stampede song was going to end up here as a burnout really doesnt know me very well. One of Hanz Zimmer’s masterworks, this emotional and powerful song accompanies one of the saddest deaths in all of movie history. I seriously cant hear this song without getting crazy emotional. Thankfully it also works to make me run like theres a herd of wildebeests chasing me! Now there’s two ways to go with this one. The second half of this song is clearly a cool down so you can either skip ahead to the next song once the intense part ends or you can do what I did here and place it near a cool down to give you a bit of extra time to rest your body and mourn the death of Mufasa.

Ennio Morricone is a soundtrack king mostly because all of his songs make you feel like the coolest person on the planet. Even his slower music can be used on runs because a good cool down should always make you feel like the hero at the end of a movie.

Overall I didnt think the ruined mood was enough to mark this as a failed mix but it did teach me about the importance of mood for creating the best running mixes so be sure to keep that in mind when you make your own.