Workout Music

We have several new subscribers this week, so welcome to the Fit Tip Friday newsletter!Two weeks ago I announced that Fit Tip Fridays will transition from a weekly newsletter to a bi-weekly newsletter.So to kick off the first-ever bi-weekly Fit Tip Friday newsletter, let's talk about music.  

Some type of audio is always playing when I am exercising. Music motivates me through the harder sets. Beats keep me on task and lyrics that exalt Christ keep me spiritually awake and focused. For lengthier sessions with longer time in between sets (like a workout walk), I play a podcast. I don't consider myself a music snob. You won't find me on Friday nights at some obscure concert, sipping a cold brew while surrounded by hipsters. But I am very selective about the type of music I listen to. Especially when I workout. Let me try to explain. I want my workout music to be energizing but not sloppily built just for radio hits. I want the lyrics to be creative with flow but not drowned in expletives or secularism. I want songs that exalt God explicitly but not at the expense of trimming creativity and craftsmanship. And I want a fresh set of songs every now and then (for me it's a new playlist ~1-3 months) to prevent the overplayed songs to stale the music and stale my workouts. Fine. Maybe I am a music snob. But using discernment and applying creativity with music goes a long way toward feeding the soul. Last year I wrote a brief blog post about music and built a playlist. But a new playlist is long overdue. So, this new playlist is housed on Spotify. It's built to accompany a 30-40 minute workout, which is about how long my sessions last. And hopefully, my snobbish selectiveness can serve you in your workout sessions as you seek to steward your body for God's glory. 

If you have any recommendations on additional songs to add to future playlists, please send them my way! I have a repository of ~80 songs that I am slowly building for future playlists, but I would love some additional recommendations.If you're asking what genre of music I like to listen to while exercising... it's all over the place. But it's a mix of rap, pop/rock, and alternative/rock from primarily Christian artists. My favorite workout songs are those that can communicate sound doctrine with creative lyrics and an energizing sound. Whatever genre can accomplish that, I'm in. #Blessed beats.  

Blessed Beats - Playlist #1This playlist is called "LF Workout Playlist 1" and it's housed on Spotify. You can access the playlist by clicking the link or click the Spotify icon at the bottom of this email.  

• Bring You War - KB

• ...Lost - Andy Mineo

• Felix Culpa - Kings Kaleidoscope

• Light After Darkness - Kings Kaleidoscope

• Yes Song - KB

• Lincoln - KB

• Feel Invincible - Skillet

• I Miss the Days - NF

• White Horse - Skillet

• BZRK - Family Force 5

This is a 10 song playlist that takes ~41 minutes. Enjoy!

The Minimalist Home Gym

Last month I put together a list of my recommendations for starting a home gym. This month, I put these recommendations into a new blog post.  

Quick Summary:Bodyweight training is the ultimate home gym methodology. It's free and you carry it around with you everywhere.However, if you want to diversify your training beyond bodyweight but want to start a home gym without breaking the bank, here are my 6 recommendations and 10 accompanying workouts to help you construct a "minimalist" home gym.Start with a simple space, simple equipment, and a simple plan. But get started!