THE JOURNAL
Illustration by Marcos Montiel
We’ve all been there – the new-year gym rush, “the summer body is built in winter”, mantra, etc. Some gym groups (cough cough, Equinox) have even made headlines for their anti-resolutions campaigns by not accepting new memberships on 1 January. And though that’s quite the business strategy, no one actually talks about how hard it is to stay motivated once the enthusiasm wears off and it’s time to stick to whatever fitness plan you devised at the start of the year.
However determined you may be to stay fit, we could all do with a little push in the right direction, right? So a month in, we’ve asked some of our favourite athletes – yogis, boxing coaches and Hiit experts – to pick an album that, without fail, gets them through each session. Just read on.
For calisthenics
Reason To Smile by Kojey Radical
“For me, calisthenics has always been just as mindful as it has been physical,” says Mr Sobhan Madadi, coach at London fitness studio Blok and part of calisthenics competition squad Cali Kulture. “The hardest skills often require a mind at peace so that the body can deliver effortless intensity. So the music has to match. Reason To Smile oozes such confidence, that it’s impossible not to absorb and apply the same energy to the workout.”
For yoga
Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. by Moby
“I’m so sensitive when it comes to music during yoga,” says Mr Matt Penman, a yoga teacher at London holistic wellness mecca Bodyism. “I move quite dynamically, but mindfully, so the playlist must have a slow beginning – a pulse to breathe to and get into my headspace; an uplifting middle – something with an encouraging or intense beat; then a super indulgent heavy end – some Max Richter or Moby to collapse into the mat. I curate my own playlists, but If I had to pick one album and listen to only that for the whole practice it would be Moby’s Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep. The tracks are long and really carry you. They often build in intensity throughout and then die down at the end – perfect for relaxing after whatever style of practice you have done.”
For trail running
Timewave Zero by Blood Incantation
“For trail running, I’ve been listening to Timewave Zero by Blood Incantation lately,” says Mr Ryan Willms, a holistic life coach and creative director based in Los Angeles. “A friend put me onto this ambient soundtrack that I love to take with me. I really enjoy music that I can feel, and which also calms my nervous system. I find this album invites a softening while also an exploration without time.”
For Hiit
Magna Carta Holy Grail by Jay-Z
“When I’m doing a Hiit workout I need big energy, and when the going gets tough, Magna Carta Holy Grail by Jay-Z doesn’t fail to keep you going,” says Mr Warren Whitely, celebrity personal trainer and founder of Hiit workout club Shred With Woz. “It’s straight out the blocks – from track one, ‘Holy Grail’, then ‘Picasso Baby’ and ‘Tom Ford’, it carries you through your workout with ease. Opt for the clean version if any kids are about.”
For long-distance running
Actual Life 3 by Fred Again
“The perfect long distance running album has to keep you engaged and focused as you get deeper into your run,” says Mr Jay Revan, long-distance runner and coach at Third Space. “Actual Life 3 by Fred Again is perfect as it has a nice blend of slow and fast tempo beats. During marathon training, I tend to add threshold intervals into the majority of my runs – this album works well as it has slower tempo beats for when I am in recovery and faster tempo beats for when I am pushing the pace or holding onto that threshold.”
For boxing
Rocky IV: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
“The soundtrack album of Rocky IV gets me through any boxing training,” says Mr Ramon Perez, combat coach at BXR London and founder of Camp Lion Fitness. “Picture sixth round on the bag, heart rate at 170bpm, ‘No Easy Way Out’ by Robert Tepper comes on, the opening lines – ‘We’re not indestructible, baby, better get that straight…’ – give me a burst of energy and at that moment, the bag doesn’t stand a chance against me.”