Hi guys (and ladies),

For as long as I can remember, music has been a huge part of my life.
Growing up I remember listening to everything from Marty Robbins, to Elton John, to Alice Cooper to The Platters.

My mom, (my gosh I miss her), was a fan of all types of music. If it had a beat she could listen to it.

Well once I started working out, I decided that music was something that would certainly help the boredom, (pain), of lifting and cardio so I put a stereo system in my home gym and now listen to music during each and every workout.

Over the years I've found that there are certain songs that really bring out the best in me while doing my workouts. Of course this list changes depending upon what mood I find myself in, but there are a few staples that I've had on my Mp3 player since 2003, that I just can't do without.

Here is a small sample of the music that gets my heart beating and that makes me push a little harder, be it on the stairmaster, stationary bike, treadmill or weight machine:

You Oughta Know - Alanis Morissette
Sinners Welcome - Cadillac Sky
Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
Bodies - Drowning Pool
Joe's Garage - Frank Zappa
Amos Moses - Jerry Reed
Look Into the Future - Journey
Fly Away - Lenny Kravitz
Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen ( know, a little strange for a workout song)
Lifehouse - Hangin' by a Moment
Come to My Window - Melissa Etheridge
Enter Sandman - Metallica
Little Lion Man (really anything by Mumford) - Mumford & Sons
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana
Give it Away - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Circus - String Driven Thing
Don't Call Us - Sugarloaf
Green Grass and High Tides - The Outlaws
Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
Cherry Bomb - The Runaways
Emerald - Thin Lizzy
My Way - The Sex Pistols
I Hate Everything About You - Ugly Kid Joe
Fall to Pieces - Velvet Revolver
Werewolves of London - Warren Zevon

Thanks to my mom I love pretty much all types of music. I'm not a huge fan of country, (although I do like some of it), and I also don't listen to rap or hip hop. For some reason it just doesn't do anything for me although some might argue that the Chili Peppers is at least a form of this style of music.

Do the rest of you find that music makes your workouts go more smoothly and if so, what types of music really "do it" for you?

I'm always looking for new music to add to my collection so give me some ideas.

Dave