Saint Patrick's Day is approaching, and you can jump-start the celebration with an Irish playlist, complete with Celtic folk, Irish rock classics, and contemporary hits. For good measure, I've thrown a recognizable Irish bar jig — I mean, an Irish playlist wouldn't be complete without one! So before you toss back your overflowing green beer, celebrate Irish culture by playing some famous tunes while engaging in a healthy, heart-pumping workout.
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!
Queen B released her fourth album — appropriately titled 4 — yesterday and, surprisingly, it's more slow-burning ballads than booty-shaking anthems. Still, the always-inspiring singer knows how to motivate us in the gym.
Beyonce, who has graced our cover no less than three times, has told us plenty about how she gets her bootylicious bod into shape. When she's gearing up for a tour (she killed it at England's Glastonbury Festival just this weekend), she works out five days a week with her trainer, and practices her choreography for nine hours a day, seven days a week--while wearing 5-inch stilettos. Her just-keep-going secret? The singer keeps a painting of an Oscar at the gym, so she's literally running towards her next goal. "I look at it, and I'm like OK, I have to stay in shape," she says. So download B's latest album, stick a picture of the chart-topper in your iPod case for extra motivation and hit the gym with this exclusive workout inspired by the singer.
Cardio
First, let's start with the cardio: for a quick, 15-minute warm-up that will get your heart pumping, kick off your jog with the Kelly Clarkson-channeling kiss-off "Best Thing I Never Had," followed by the percussion-driven "End of Time," the reggae-tinged, high-energy "Countdown" and, of course, B's new anthem, "Run The World (Girls)."
Something about Summer makes me think of country music and wearing jean short-shorts. It could be due to my Texan upbringing or the fact that I recently watched the Footloose trailer. While you're toning your legs for the Fourth, let Trace Adkins, Eric Church, and Luke Bryan take you to a romanticized countryside, complete with bluebonnets, a warm breeze, and a hot cowboy (aka Dierks Bentley). You'll feel like a sharpshooter when listening to sassy songs by independent women like Ashton Shepherd, Miranda Lambert, and Taylor Swift. So y'all, the next time you're sporting them shorts, you'll hear the fellows saying, "Bow chicka wow wow."
To see the full playlist, read more
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!
Lady Gaga has finally dropped her latest masterpiece, and Born This Way was born to inspire our workouts. The '80s-inspired opus is full of gym-ready grooves, from Eurodisco to Latin rhythms. Let's get moving!
Read on for the rest of this energizing hour-long workout after the break!
We are pumped to share one of our fave stories from Self here on FitSugar!
If her gangbuster stint on Glee had you convinced Gwyneth Paltrow was strictly into show tunes, think again. The avid exerciser keeps her heart pumping to remixes of Top 40 hits (and yes, her husband's band made the cut).
The actress, who's showed off her own musical chops on Glee and in Country Strong, works out with trainer Tracy Anderson. To amp up her sweat sessions, she chooses these beat-driven remixes of her favorite songs — the lyrics are familiar, but the dance-y effects give the tunes (and you!) extra oomph.
Get Paltrow's arm and ab moves from Tracy Anderson!
Kelly Clarkson — "Walk Away" (Craig J's Big Love Acapella Remix)
Lady Gaga — "Born This Way" (LA Riots Remix)
The Killers — "Read My Mind" (Pet Shop Boys 'Stars Are Blazing' Remix)
For me, it's pretty simple: the better the playlist, the better the workout. I use music to hype me up and push through, and Justin Timberlake is often what it takes to make it through the last five minutes of a workout. If a song has the right balance of beats per minute, I'm suddenly moving on the elliptical harder and faster than I thought possible.
Trainer Jackie Warner feels the same way, too. She recently shared a playlist with Shape, saying that changing up your tunes is a huge way to stay motivated. Here's what Jackie is listening to lately; it's a nice blend of high-energy pop and hip-hop — guaranteed to make you sweat!
Besides featuring Anna Paquin on the cover, this month's issue of Self also features a bikini workout from Vanessa Minnillo. Vanessa is big on fitness — she even participated in a charity triathlon with beau Nick Lachey, Kellan Lutz, and AnnaLynne McCord last year. To get beach ready, the True Beauty host is all about circuit training. Vanessa does a mix of cardio and strength training, paying extra attention to her abs.
Given how intense the workout is, it makes sense that the workout playlist Vanessa shared with Self is high energy. Besides fitness favorites like the Black Eyed Peas and Madonna, Vanessa gets old school by including 'N Sync. Although Nick may have her heart, it looks like he's lost the battle of the boy bands.
Take a listen to Vanessa's playlist here:
Since I'm always in search of new tunes, I was stoked to see that The City's Whitney Port shared a workout playlist on her blog recently. The reality star must still be relishing the time she spent at Coachella, because her playlist includes some of the standout acts from this year's festival, like Hot Chip, Vampire Weekend, and Yeasayer. I'm loving Whitney's inclusion of "Animal" by Miike Snow and "Dog Days Are Over" by Florence and the Machine. Take a listen to what Whitney's listening to below.
Nothing gets your heart rate up like dancing a jig on St. Patrick's Day. The Irish definitely have that down. This playlist contains no songs from Lord of the Dance or sea shanties, but it's chock-full of fun, rockin' Irish music to make you want to move.
To see the rest of the playlist keep on reading.
Music motivates movement, and if you need some ideas for what tunes to turn up for your next workout, here are some suggestions from fellow FitSugar readers.
To hear the playlist, click play after you read more
