Music That Moves Your Athletes
January 10, 2022 | Words by Colleen Fleming
Have you ever been to a basketball game and arrived early enough to watch warm-ups? It’s like a choreographed dance routine.
Both teams have their formulas, patterns, and systems. Oftentimes, the drills are perfectly mirrored on either side of the court. And there’s always one unifying rhythm: Music. You watch as the athletes start to move perfectly to the beat. They aren’t even trying to move in tandem, their bodies just flow and groove.
Music is powerful. It’s universal. It can make or break an important moment. So why shouldn’t coaches use music to their advantage? We plan our warm-ups, our progressions, and our workouts down to the millisecond; I argue that music should be planned just as meticulously. Some people think that music makes no difference, that athletes tune it out as soon as the workout starts. But next time you’re coaching a class, look at your athletes’ bodies. Watch as the music subconsciously controls them and impacts the workout.
So how does one curate the perfect workout playlist? Well, that’s easier said than done. Here are a few quick tips to help make that magical, musical moment.
1. Ask your athletes what music they like to listen to while they work out.
This one is pretty simple. Every six months or so, I use my Question of the Day to ask athletes about their favorite workout jams. The benefits of this trick are two-fold: First, it will help you create an internal inventory of music genres that you know your athletes will love, and second, when you do play your athlete’s favorite song, they’ll know how much you care.
2. Different parts of your class should utilize different types of music.
No one wants to listen to Skrillex during the warm-up, and no one wants to listen to smooth jazz during the workout. I use music throughout my classes to set the tone for what the stimulus should be.
During warm-ups, I typically play slower, softer music. Oldies are always a crowd favorite. This way, athletes aren’t overwhelmed from the jump and they won’t race through their prep work.
During strength sessions, I’ll increase the intensity of the music but not the speed. This means hip hop, rap, 90s & 2000s jams, or classic rock. This type of music will pump people up to hit big lifts, but the BPMs won’t influence them to rush the technique.
During the workout, I play high-BPM, high-intensity music. This is the time for EDM, Big Booty Mixes, and pop hits. This music will always be palatable enough for everyone and keep the athletes motivated to move.
3. Don’t just play the music you like.
I used to have a coworker—let’s call him Bob—who only ever played heavy metal, screamo music. Don’t be like Bob. Music that’s too niche or too aggressive isn’t going to motivate the masses and will probably deter most athletes.
4. Don’t play explicit music.
I used to think this wasn’t that big of a deal. We’re all adults, we all listen to explicit music in our free time, so it’s not a problem, right? Wrong. In practice, music with a lot of swearing tends to make people uncomfortable. A couple of f-bombs here or there isn’t the end of the world, but too much of anything is never good. The gym is still a professional environment and we should treat it as such.
5. Have a plan for your musical odyssey.
As I mentioned before, each part of your class should have a different musical tone. Plan out the types of music you want to utilize based on the workout of the day. Have your playlists and transitions ready to go. You don’t want to be the coach who keeps switching the mix once the workout has already started.
Hopefully, these tips help you build the workout playlist of your dreams. Music is an integral part of coaching a good workout. Never underestimate the power that a good playlist can have on your athletes..
