Why the Right Music Means a Better Workout!

By BJ Gaddour, CSCS, YFS

www.WorkoutMuse.com

It was back in December of 2007 that I started to run into a real problem. My fitness bootcamp business was exploding and I found myself working with large groups of 15-20 plus people at each workout.

So what was the problem?

Well, like any sound group exercise program, each workout consisted of timed sets of various interval protocols that best allowed a wide variety of fitness levels to work at their own pace within the same workout. After all, 10 reps of squats can be completed by a well-conditioned athlete way faster than a sedentary, overweight, novice trainee. If you’re trying to run a professional program that starts and ends at the same time every time, interval training is the way to go for bootcamp-style workouts.

But interval training is a bit of a catch 22. Sure the program was running like a well-oiled machine, but I felt like I wasn’t able to provide as much client supervision since I was constantly having to look at the clock and be the human stopwatch announcing “go… halfway… stop.”

So, I knew I had to find a solution and I did so with the creation of interval workout music to automate my training program with the simple click of a button. I made a Craig’s List post to find a local sound designer to provide sonic support and the next day I met with Topher Farrell to discuss doing so. It was love at first sight and we created Workout Muse on the spot that very day and the rest is history.

Now, I don’t mean to make this just a promotional article for my company. But I felt it was beneficial to explain the evolution of my own program design and coaching systems. I must be honest- I am a much better coach today because the music tells my clients exactly what to do so I can do what I do best: coach, motivate, and supervise my clients.

But it’s more than just the extra supervision that drastically reduces the risk of injury from an intensive group exercise program (which is alone a huge improvement to any training program). It’s about the impact the right music can have on your workouts.

According to scientists at Dalhousie University in Canada, music not only motivates but it can make you stronger. These researchers recently discovered that people who listened to workout music during training showed significantly greater strength gains in 4 weeks time than those who wore noise-cancellation headphones. According to study author Jo M. Welch, Ph.D, the explanation for this increase in performance most likely lies in the music causing a reduction in perceived exertion during the workout thus allowing the trainee to work harder. Furthermore, she explained that the key was listening to the tunes that motivate you the most, whatever musical genre that may be. (more…)