GOTTA HAVE MY TUNES.....

MUSIC (Part I)

Whether you are at One World doing a group session or training solo, there is usually someone there giving you support and coaching tips while you are in the middle of your workout. On numerous occasions during my personal workout time, I have thought: a) no one is watching me, and b) my technique and/or range of motion were good. It’s always very humbling to be in the middle of a squat rep and hear someone out of nowhere chirp in that you aren’t going low enough or you aren’t opening the hip all the way up.

Many people like to workout to music. Unfortunately, it sometimes gets so noisy at One World that we can’t crank up the stereo. Sometimes, people put on headphones during their workouts. Here’s the story.....as a coach, it’s very frustrating for me to coach you if you can’t hear what I am saying. If you are working out with a group or solo, and you don’t care what I or anyone else is saying, realize that you might be missing out on some new coaching cue that could make you much better at a movement or even a workout.

Now don’t get me wrong...I workout in headphones all the time. I usually workout alone or away from a group session. For the most part, there is no one around, but if there are folks around, I usually turn the headphones down so I can hear anything anyone might say to me. Quite frankly, to be in a room full of people or even just a few folks and turn your headphones up so loud that you can’t hear anyone is just rude!

If the workout has a lot of running in it, I love to wear my iPod, but in all honesty, I only hear the music when I am running or when my hands are on my knees as I gasp for air between reps (even then I only catch bits and pieces). My favorite song has yet to make me run faster, but I really wish it would! When I am working hard, and I am in the middle of a thruster, a pull-up, a push-up....whatever, I have no idea what is blaring in my headphones....nor do a I care. If you can hear the music when you are performing any movement at high intensity, you aren’t working hard enough.

 A good song can totally fire you up to workout, but I guarantee that your Fran time (or any other workout) improves based on your physical preparedness. It does not improve because you have your favorite song on.

So what am I getting at??? Get inspired, but don’t be rude!

Agree/Disagree? Post to comments.

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MUSIC (Part II)

What music motivates you? Got a favorite band(s), song(s), or a set of lyrics from a song(s) that gets you fired up?

My favorite "fire me up songs" right now are:
"Wars" by Hurt
"Broken Again" by Another Animal
"Renegade" by (Hed) P.E.
"The Bleeding" by Five Finger Death Punch

How can you not get fired up after listening to a band called Five Finger Death Punch?!?!

Post your favs to comments.

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One World closed July 4th and 5th. If any of you trainers plan on being at the gym during the weekend and don't mind training with others, post to comments.

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WOD   7/1/2009

Run 400m four times. Rest exactly two minutes between efforts.

Programmed by freddy c.

Coach's Corner: I hate this workout! The third attempt is just so damn brutal! The fourth isn't so bad because you know it is the last one! I am by no means an expert runner, but here is my strategy when I attempt this workout. I try to take long steady strides to start without going full tilt boogie, I step it up at the 200m and 300m marks. If you have a watch with a stopwatch function, make sure you wear it.

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Comments

[Will]

I fully admit that music does not improve my physical preparedness. However, to get amped up, I love my music, even if it is totally a placebo effect, I'll take it. If nothing else, it just makes it more enjoyable when I'm pounding the pavement or rowing to my personal soundtrack, I have more fun. If it truly didnt matter, then try putting on some Barry Manilow and watch how angrily someone will run over to turn it off. It may be purely cerebral, but it's still valid.
That being said, I'm leaving my headphone music off during instruction, and soaking in the knowledge and critique.
But the best sounds ever are dozens of scraming, rabid teammates while you're laying it on the line a la the NOR CAL QUALS.

P.S. I'll be in Sunday morning at 10am if anyone wants to swing by.

[j-ro]

I admit that when it comes to working out, I'm addicted to my ipod. It doesn't make me run faster or lift heavier weight, but music does help me shake any nerves and helps me focus on the WOD. Yes, I'm one of those who wears her headphones ALL THE TIME.

With that said, I do think canceling all background noise (e.g. instruction, your fellow CrossFitters cheering you on, etc.) is a safety issue, especially if you're running outdoors. This is why I use these headphones: http://www.airdrives.com/default.asp?contentID=5. I can listen to my music while still hear everything around me. Though I'm wearing my headphones, I'm also listening attentively to instruction:)

But that's just me. I need music because it just helps me function and focus.

In terms of my music list? Er. Um. I listen to a lot of pop and dance music. ha ha.

[Will]

Here's an article that addresses this debate on whether music is useful during workouts:
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=music.on.the.go&conitem=d9b85ae142396010VgnVCM100000cfe793cd____

[f00kie f00k]

"I say. Yeh buddy! Rollin like a big shot, Chevy tuned up like a nascar pitstop..."

Music distracts the mind from getting tired.

Although OW is closed Sunday, Me and Jimmy will be in at 6pm for anyone wanting to do the women's bjj class or open mat.

[Chris Stroud]

Will,

Here is the test that was done for the study that was done that 'supports' the 'reputable' Mens Health article.

"During the trial, 12 male college students rode an exercise bike as far and as fast as they could for 10 minutes. On one day, they rode with no music, on another they listened to music of their choice while riding and not while recuperating, and on another, they rode accompanied by the sound of radio static.

The investigators found that students traveled 11% further while listening to music than they did when they heard silence or noise, and also rated their levels of exertion while listening to music as the lowest of the three conditions. However, music listeners were no better able to recover their normal heart rates following exercise than when they listened to nothing or noise."

I would only take this study with a grain of salt.

[Dan]

Here's my two cents - the longer and more monotonous the workout (runnning/rowing etc.) the more beneficial music becomes.

Endurance exercise is more of a mind game. When lifting you can rep to failure and know you've done your max. But when you get into longer workouts how much you are willing to suffer becomes a bigger factor in success. Put simply music takes your mind off the suffering.

Personally I would not dream of wearing headphones during most crossfit workouts - like Freddy said they are so intense and require such concentration on technique that music would be a distraction. But maybe thats because my technique is totally bogus!

[Will]

Chris, a grain of salt indeed. However, the study is still a supporting argument for music during endurance, monotonous exercises such as running and rowing where intensity is not being pushed.

[Andy Hung]

Screw all the debating, nothing gets me more jazzed up than blasting "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. Nothing.

[dan]

Ha ha - nice one Andy.

For me nothing can top Eye Of The Tiger!

[Eric]

Music invokes certain emotions for me and I use those emotions to work harder. Lets say I have had a bad day and I want to punch someone right in the Fu@ken face or wish I had a 50 cal bolted to the hood of my jeep just so I can spray the car ahead of me that just cut me off with Hot Lead (you know you have had those moments), I take that energy to the gym and release it by kinetically linking the power though my arms or legs to push a 310 jerk or pull a 595 deadlift. Now the music it self may have not had a direct training affect to make me more fit but I would say that because of the amount of energy I was able to put out because of the aggression that the music fired up in me, I was able to push and pull more weight leading to a stronger more fit person. so in that case music had a secondary affect in creating a more fit person then I was before. :)

My fav bands while training ?
Lamb of God
Slayer
Megadeth
Motley Crue
Metallica

Now while relaxing ?
sting
the clash
the police
Men At Work
lol.....
The worst sound at the gym is the sound of silence! Grrrrrr

[Eric]

I think it is rude to wear headphones while you are doing the warm-up and we are going over movements. I think it is ok to put them on right on the 3-2-1-go time, but just not so loud you dont hear me saying "Lower" or "Chest up".

[Eric]

oh yeah a source has told me that Freddy used to play "Sexy MuthaFu#ka" by Prince when he was training for a fight..........lol

[Heather]

I'm a music junkie and consider it absolutely essential to any workout. But that said I have never worn headphones for a wod. I think the music during warm up helps me shake nerves and get my mind ready for what is to come. However I don't think I could ever tell you what was playing during the wod. My mind goes to a different place and I don't hear anything--including cheering and sometimes even corrections. I don't know if that would be different with headphones.
For runs, kickboxing or rowing any king of distance I can't imagine not having music though.
As for my favorite workout tunes...Cheryl's Ipod pretty much covers it :-)

[freddy c.]

No eric....that was my intro song as I walked to the ring...hahaha

[Anna]

I heard Neil's favorite song is "Purple Rain"...WAAAAA!!!!

[angela]

Eric's and Joe's kind and gentle words of encouragement (especially during the sprint exercises) are the uplifting boost that I need to persevere and are like music to my ears! ;-)

But seriously, I think Cheryl has good taste in trainig music to rev people up!

[Mo]

Have to admit to get hella fired up when Imran's Euro techno sh*t comes on . . . wait did I just write that :-)

[maria]

Angela, your right about cheryl's great music. But, I think her dance grooving with the music that gives everyone the biggest boost in fun and motivation factor!

Techno rules!!!

[Eric]

just not the dam "REHAB" song!!!!!!