Thank you for this great article. It shows me one more reason why I work out at home.

In the mid-1980's, I was partial to heavy metal music for working out. Trouble was, I was working out at the UC Berkeley's new state-of-the-art facility which played shitty top-40 music.

To make matters worse, the assholes who managed the gym wouldn't allow people to wear Walkmans so they didn't have to listen to that shit.

Several years later, I trained at a gym at a college here in Florida. I had to throw down with a steroid jockey who insisted on changing the music to top-40 over the objections of everyone else in the place.

Turned out, he wasn't even a student, so the cops arrested him after I punched his lights out.

I got sick of the music situation (and other gym politics) and decided to buy what I needed for my home.

Today, I workout with no music. I got into the habit from one of my martial art instructors who stressed the importance of putting your focus on whatever you're doing right at that moment, whether working out or writing a letter to Salon.com.

I find I have the best workouts and I'm stronger and healthier than everyone else I know who works out.

You can keep your yuppie health clubs. Give me my own carport gym/dojo.

I listen to audiobooks, same as in my car. I read too slowly on the treadmill--I listen faster. I have to pause it while actually lifting, to concentrate better. But, that's a lot of time between sets or anything with cardio. I've found I get a REALLY lot more "reading" done since discovering audiobooks, though it doesn't work as well for the hard to read stuff--because I'd have to read too many portions again.

My gym tends to play crappy music from the radio, but that's my opinion of the radio, in general. Tends to be rock, I think. I think it tends to be the most popular radio station. They change it on request, which basically means the regular hardcore members usually control what gets played.

The reason they play metronomic electronica is because (a) it's metronomic to maintain a constant beat and cardio pace and (b) because it typically falls in the 120 - 140 bpm range. Much of rock is faster than that. And lots of other music is too slow. I for one welcome our techno overlords.

music for working out is either of Babatunde Olatunji's Drums of Passion CD's: The Invocation or The Beat. Beautiful, steady rhythms, long tracks, virtuoso playing. Drums are the closest natural sound to the human heartbeat, and I find these albums warm and inviting as well as physically invigorating.

Also, I really like C&C Music Factory's Gonna Make You Sweat. It's an older one, but it's perfect for physical exertion. Plus, it's funny too!

"I love driving, and the sounds coming in the window, and listening to the traffic. Playing music just takes away from the Here and Now of it all."

AGREE!!! Same thing on the beach; why would you want to play music when there's the sounds of waves, kids, breezes and birds?

I've put together the perfect workout playlist on my iPod. The problem is, my gym plays crappy R&B and hip-hip so loud that I have to crank my iPod to hear my music over their crappy music. I've complained a couple of times about the fact the gym music competes with the headphone music, only to have them ask if there's something wrong with my headphones. On the chance there was, I bought new headphones. It's not my headphones. It's the fact that I like my music at a reasonable volume - that is, one that won't cause permanent hearing damage - but at my gym, one must listen to the iPod at a volume that causes ringing in the ears for the rest of the day.

I'd love to switch gyms but the only other affordable gym in my neighborhood seems to have the same loud music policy.

...not because I have one (or want one), but because others at the gym can wear them, listen to whatever they dig listening to while working out, and not bother anyone else. Communication can sometimes suck (you gotta tap on people if you need a spot), but overall it's cool with me. That said, I'd be a happier worker-outer if there was no music played at the gym, period. I love my current gym (Planet Fitness), and I don't even minde their music station (old stuff, new stuff), but I'm there to work out, and don't need music to light a fire under my ass. Hell, I can just look at my ass and the fire lights itself!

I know the idea of a no-music gym will never happen, but a man can dream. My wife, by the way, wants to strangle me on a regular basis because I'm the same way about driving. I love driving, and the sounds coming in the window, and listening to the traffic. Playing music just takes away from the Here and Now of it all.

Half the people own iPods or (like me) old cd Walkmans. Taste is so different that there is no way a gym can cater to everyone. My guess is that they play the kind of music they play because the hardcore regulars like it. The big guys and buff gals who do tons of lifting and talk regularly with the staff. I doubt the opinion of anyone else matters to them.

Personally, I listen to opera, and I listen to a lot of cast albums. I particularly like the latter because more recent shows tend to have 7-10 minute opening numbers which are very up tempo, and that pushes me at the start. Usually a couple of "up" numbers of shorter duration follow, after which comes a ballad. That fits my own energy cycle perfectly. But what are the chances that anyone else there at a given time has the same taste? Or the same pattern?

It makes the most sense for people to bring their own music to suit their own needs.