Have you ever been listening to music while running and realize your speed has slowed down? That is because our music has a certain tempo—a certain number of beats per minute (BPM). The higher the BPM, the faster the music will be. Studies have shown that if your want to improve your results while exercising, listen to music. Knowing the BPM of your music can help you create playlists.
Studies have shown that the ideal BPM for a walker is between 120 to 140 BPM. The ideal BPM for a runner goes up to 145-160 BPM. The music genre that will consistently have a BPM in this range will be dance music. The best workout songs must have a high BPM and a rhythm you can synchronize your movement to. If the running and the movement don’t match up, it is hard to stay running.
How do you count the BPM of your songs? Using a stop watch, count the number of times you hear the main beat of the drum, whether it is the kick or the snare, or both in 30 seconds. Then double this and it is your BPM. If you are having problems counting the BPM, here are a few tips. Nod your head to the beat. We often naturally move our head to the beat without even realizing it. Or for the musically illiterate, ITunes and other programs will show the BPM of different songs.
Even though most of the research has been geared towards cardio workouts, the same principle applies to weight training. Certain types of music with a certain beat can be a big motivator when it comes to lifting weights. Sports physiologists recommend that we use music that gives us confidence and stimulation. Think of a popular song, when you hear the song it gives you confidence and stimulation; you want to lift more and run longer.
When creating your playlist, experts say to pick a few songs that have slow tempo to warm-up with. The cardio/training section of the playlist should have songs with a faster tempo. If you are interval training, mix fast tempo with slow tempo. For the cool down section, again pick songs that have a slower tempo to slow your heart beat down. If you are adding a stretching sequence to your workout, pick songs that are even slower than the cool down. If you don’t have the time to go through your music library to create a playlist, iTunes has a new feature called Genius. You pick a song that you like and the program will pick 24 more songs that have a similar BPM and create a playlist for you. There are also websites that have Playlists already created that you can download.
There is a free exercise mix podcast from Podrunner. There are two different workout mixes. One is called Podrunner, which has a fixed BPM. The second is called Podrunner Intervals. This mix has a varied BPM. If you exercise at home, you can listen to the mix on line at their website. If you already have an extensive music library, there are free applications you can download that analyze the BPM of your music to create custom playlist for exercising.
Just like having the proper music to exercise with, you must use the correct supplements to achieve the results you want. A whey protein is a supplement that helps build the lean muscles for burning calories. The more lean muscle you create, the more calories you will burn after your workout. Whey protein isolate is dairy based, so it is easier to digest, and it has 90% pure protein in the mix. Isolates have fewer carbohydrates and fats.
Adding music and a good dietary supplement like whey protein can really enhance your workouts. When you are training do everything you can to be the most efficient, so you will be happy with the end results of weight loss and physical happiness.
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