Does Anyone Have a Good & Diverse Workout Playlist?

[d's girl]

I go to a great Strength & Balance class a couple times a week, w/a lovely instructor.

But her couple of workout CD's are soooooooooooooooooooo boring. blek!

So, I've been trying to create a Workout Playlist for her on and off for a few weeks. I've learned a lot.

I've learned that my musical taste has a predictable beat that is WAY, WAY slower than is needed for a workout routine.

I've also learned that I don't know jack about developing a Workout Playlist & even when I spend hours working on it

I wind up with - diddly squat. AND I've learned that the playlists one can retrieve on-line are all very new songs - VERY

new, like just this year & last year. This class is pretty much an over 40 gang. I'd say members range from late 30's to

late 60's. I want a Workout Playlist that spans, you know, like the last 30 years. Or even more. Anybody out there have

a fantabulistic Workout Playlist they'd like to share w/me? 

[Bull]

Yeah...sure....you betchya Bawhahahahah. Guess I should just say not me.

[J Lee S]

What is your routine? Start to finish.

[d's girl]

A few minutes of Stretching warm-up; about 45 minutes of alternating light weights w/leg work; few minutes of cool-down stretching.
Workout looks something like:
typically 8 reps x 3 sets of each-
Light Weights/Shoulder Press
Knee-to-Elbow
Lt Wt/Shoulder Press ^2/v2
Squats
Hvy Wts/Side Shoulder Press
Static Squat
Lt Wts/Front Arm Raises
Leg Raises
Lt Wts/Side Arm Raises ^2/v2
Leg Raises
Lt Wts/Side Arm Raises
Side Leg Raises w/Pulse/Hold
Lt Wts/Side Arm Raises ^2/v2
Side Leg Raises w/Pulse/Hold
1 Lt Wt/Tricep Overhead Press
Rear Leg Raises w/Pulse/Hold
1 Hvy Wt/Behind Head Raise
Rear Leg Raises w/Pulse/Hold
Hvy Wts/Bicep Curls
Knee Raises
Hvy Wts/Bicep Curls
Knee Raises
Hvy Wts/Upright Row
Ballet Squats
Abs
Abs
Abs
;-p
Balance
Cool Down Stretches

[J Lee S]

So it looks like you start at the top (15-20 mins), then lower (another 15 ) then a mid/mix to finish up. So, a "calm",to "driving" to "pulsating" to "pulling" with a "calm". Does that sound about right? Did that even make sense? It did in my mind. Let me ponder, I just might come up with something interesting, it will be diverse ,I can just about promise you that. It sounds like a fun project. You did tucker me out just reading it though. :-) Curious, what is your BPM about halfway through this, if you know?

[d's girl]

That makes great sense J Lee, & is right on. Thanks for pondering it, & I will be delighted if you create a playlist for it!
Don't know my BPM during it.
But I will say this.... I've been attending this workout regularly, twice a week, since late January, along w/a couple other workouts a week. I was never into working out before this. This Strength & Balance Workout has noticeably increased my upper body strength, and toned me. Even though I've only lost about 12 lbs, a fraction of the 40 I need to lose, my shape seems to be changing more than the movement on the scales so far, you know? I elaborated on the description above, for me to start doing a workout at home on Sundays. If you'd like the one that's elaborated let me know & I can send it to you in a PM or an email. Thanks! ;-)
I

[J Lee S]

Cool. Some songs did come to mind, I had to take my notepad to bed with me. I will put them in the order that I thought might work, but you can always switch them up.
1- Astrud Gilberto- Girl from Impanema or Herb Alberts- Rise...these can be switched for the beginning stretches or the final cool down.
2- Tones on Tail-Go
3-Vicious Pink- 8:15 to Nowhere
4-J-Lo- Play (Sack international mix)
5-Abba- Money,Money,Money
6- Paula Abdul- Knocked Out (Pettibone 12" mix)
7-Ballroom Blitz- The Sweet
8-Strobelight- The B-52's
9- Janet Jackson- Rhythm Nation
10- Do you Wanna Dance- Bobby Freeman
Of note- If you can get the mixes that were mentioned that would be great, they are quite a bit different than the originals and a bit longer. Works well for the longer sets or mixed sets that you mentioned.If you have a youtube account you can find all of these I am sure and create a playlist off of it to see how you like it. Of course these are just ideas. Congrats on your perseverance with the workout, it does take a lot of drive to keep at it and it sounds like you are doing very well.

[J Lee S]

At roughly 3 minutes a song this 10 is of course 30 minutes, but the 2 extended mixes should give you another 7-10 minutes (not as tedious and repetitive as that might sound). Shoot me a PM of your adjusted Sunday work out and I will come up with a different compilation if you dug this one. If you have a genre or two that you would like to hear just let me know. I went with older club pop and some "alt" on this one, but I would have a blast accommodating whatever you had in mind.

[d's girl]

Awesome, J Lee, thanks! I hadn't been on tbd since you posted this until just now, & was thinking about you & your possible playlist this morning as I was listening to my wonderful instructor's (I really love her; just not her music) playlist of oh-sos-sugary/give you cavities/bubblegum/60's covers....... for the umpteenth time! I will definitely create a YouTube playlist from your songs here. Our workout is just shy of an hour; about 55 minutes, usually. But I can repeat the primary bit to add time to it.
THANK YOU!!

XOX

a genre.... see, my musical tastes just do NOT fit a workout playlist.... I like....
Anna Nalick, Amos Lee, John Mayer, Ben Harper, Jason Mraz, Norah Jones (& The Little Willies), Corinne Bailey Rae, John Legend, Bob Marley, Sarah McLaclan, Joe Cocker, Van Morrison, Colbie Callait, The Black Crowes, Brandi Carlile, Natalie Merchant, Maroon 5, Rachael Yamagata, Joss Stone, Keb Mo', Tracy Chapman, Santana, Citizen Cope, Brett Dennen, Coldplay, Percy Sledge, Rufus Wainwright, & did I mention Amos Lee & Amos Lee & Amos Lee? '-) So... what would you call that genre? Pop w/an r&b flavor? Not workout material, I'm afraid.

[J Lee S]

Oh there are some gems in there. Definitely Black Crows, Maroon 5,Santana, Sara McLaclan. I can usually find something that has been "mixed a bit" by most artist. Mashups are fun too. Amos Lee you say? Just checking. LOL! Thanks for the project, you have given me some artist that I am not familiar with as well, always fun to check out new to me stuff.

[d's girl]

You're welcome. I'm thrilled that you're working on it.
Some of my faves are
Amos Lee - Arms of a Woman
Percy Sledge - Fall Inside Your Eyes
Anna Nalick - Drink Me
Citizen Cope - Sideways
John Mayer - Gravity
Joss Stone - Right to be Wrong
TBC - She Talks to Angels
Joe Cocker - You Can Leave Your Hat On
It's ridiculously obvious what the music I'm drawn to is good for.
And it ain't a Strength & Balance workout in public. hahaha '-)