Like most people, I've found that music (or lack of) has a profound effect on my training. I think of this today, as when I was leaving the house to walk to work (It's 3kms, takes about 25 minutes and I count this as my cardio of the day, low impact and just hard enough to get my heart rate up) and I couldn't find my beloved ipod shuffle. I checked my gym bag, my handbag and all the regular spots around my house. I know I had it last night! I checked my hoodies and pockets but still no luck :(
Now I know it's not the most superior of the ipod technologies, and my iphone is actually better, but I love my shuffle because it's small and clips to my clothes, so when I'm training I don't worry about it getting in the way, dropping it, or crushing it while training. It's my trusty companion, and I'm a little lost without it when I've forgotten it or its battery is flat. It really did get my day off to a bad start, compounded by me leaving my protein shaker on the roof of my car after I was looking for my ipod under my seat... see, it threw off my whole morning.
I use music not only to block out the Extreme gym music (some of which is pretty awful, but better than my old gym at least, it's hard to lift to jazz music or the Monkees) but to block other people out around me. As a lady who lifts, it can be a little intimidating hanging out on the floor with the big boys, so I prefer to be plugged in and allow myself to be absorbed in what I'm doing, rather than worried about whether anyone is watching. I usually train alone and don't really need to engage in conversation while working out (it's nice and if one of my friends is there I'll chat between sets) but while I'm lifting it's all about me.
For normal lifting, I don't really worry too much about what's playing, I usually don't recognise the songs as I go and have no particular favourites, as long as something is going on in my ear that's ok.
When I'm lifting heavy though, it needs to be a song that suits my mood, what I'm lifting, and has the right beat. I tend to lift on a particular crescendo or passage in each song, and I've found that talking to others they do the same thing. I'm not sure why, just seems to help me concentrate and get the setup for lift just right. It also helps me keep my breathing in sync for each rep and helps me time my rest so it's not too long and not to short. The shuffle is perfect and I can clip it to the side of my clothes and I don't have to worry about it falling out off my pocket.
For cardio, well something upbeat and poppy usually does the trick for this, I tend not to go too hard out on that at the moment, so can be something a little more gentle as well.
So after this in depth contemplation of how much I love my music and my shuffle while walking to work on my own, I made one last, desperate attempt to empty my gym bag before calling the gym and reporting it missing. there would have been posters on the wall of the gym and all....so you'll be glad to know I found it, wrapped in my gym towel, when I emptied my bag out at work. We both breathed a sigh of relief and we'll be training together at lunchtime! Hooray!
Now I know it's not the most superior of the ipod technologies, and my iphone is actually better, but I love my shuffle because it's small and clips to my clothes, so when I'm training I don't worry about it getting in the way, dropping it, or crushing it while training. It's my trusty companion, and I'm a little lost without it when I've forgotten it or its battery is flat. It really did get my day off to a bad start, compounded by me leaving my protein shaker on the roof of my car after I was looking for my ipod under my seat... see, it threw off my whole morning.
I use music not only to block out the Extreme gym music (some of which is pretty awful, but better than my old gym at least, it's hard to lift to jazz music or the Monkees) but to block other people out around me. As a lady who lifts, it can be a little intimidating hanging out on the floor with the big boys, so I prefer to be plugged in and allow myself to be absorbed in what I'm doing, rather than worried about whether anyone is watching. I usually train alone and don't really need to engage in conversation while working out (it's nice and if one of my friends is there I'll chat between sets) but while I'm lifting it's all about me.
For normal lifting, I don't really worry too much about what's playing, I usually don't recognise the songs as I go and have no particular favourites, as long as something is going on in my ear that's ok.
When I'm lifting heavy though, it needs to be a song that suits my mood, what I'm lifting, and has the right beat. I tend to lift on a particular crescendo or passage in each song, and I've found that talking to others they do the same thing. I'm not sure why, just seems to help me concentrate and get the setup for lift just right. It also helps me keep my breathing in sync for each rep and helps me time my rest so it's not too long and not to short. The shuffle is perfect and I can clip it to the side of my clothes and I don't have to worry about it falling out off my pocket.
For cardio, well something upbeat and poppy usually does the trick for this, I tend not to go too hard out on that at the moment, so can be something a little more gentle as well.
So after this in depth contemplation of how much I love my music and my shuffle while walking to work on my own, I made one last, desperate attempt to empty my gym bag before calling the gym and reporting it missing. there would have been posters on the wall of the gym and all....so you'll be glad to know I found it, wrapped in my gym towel, when I emptied my bag out at work. We both breathed a sigh of relief and we'll be training together at lunchtime! Hooray!
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