Does Listening to Music Make You Lift More?

[xKKx7]

I heard some guy said there was a study that said people who listened to music lifted 15% more weight or something. I haven't been able to find anything that confirms this and was wondering if any of you knew? I usually don't listen to music and I think I get pretty good focus on my workouts. However, if music is going to help me, I'm definitely willing to use my iPod more.

[PirateFace]

15% definitely sounds like broscience to me, but I'd be crazy to say it doesn't help me get into the mood and stay motivated for a workout.

[Bkrazy]

I guess I need 30 posts to link so here is the article in its entirety-

Submitted by: Dr. C. I. Karageorghis, Ph.D.
This article has been inspired
by six years of doctoral research in which I found that the "right"
music can have a very positive impact on sport and exercise performance.
I am grateful to the Academy for cultivating my interest in the
area of psychophysical responses to music during my master's
programme in 1991/92. I am also pleased to be invited to share
my findings with you, the coaches and fitness professionals.

How Does Music Aid Athletic
Performance?

A review of this area (Karageorghis & Terry, 1997) based
on a meta-analytic study I conducted at the Academy, revealed
four main ways which music may aid performance in sport and exercise.
First, during submaximal repetitive exercise such as running,
music can narrow a performer's attention and as a consequence,
divert attention away from sensations of fatigue. This is a technique
which many marathon runners and triathletes refer to as dissociation,
i.e., focusing on stimuli unrelated to the task such as the surroundings
or conducting mental arithmetic. Effective dissociation tends
to promote a positive mood state through the avoidance of thoughts
that relate to the fatigue component of mood.

Second, music alters arousal levels and can therefore be used as a form of stimulant prior
to competition or as a sedative to calm over-anxious athletes
(see Karageorghis, Drew, & Terry, 1996). One of the interventions
I often use involves the production of audio cassettes containing
stimulative music combined with verbal suggestions as a psych-up
strategy. Similarly, I use sedative music as a backdrop for relaxation
techniques that are administered via verbal instruction.

Third, music is beneficial
as a result of the similarities between rhythm and human movement;
hence, the synchronization of music with exercise consistently
demonstrates increased levels of work output among exercise participants
(see Karageorghis & Terry, 1997, for review). Fourth, in
relation to the previous point, the rhythmical qualities of music
also emulate patterns of physical skills; therefore, music can
enhance the acquisition of motor skills and create a better learning
environment. There is evidence from both gymnastics and swimming
in support of this (Chen, 1985; Jernberg, 1981).

Selecting the "Right"
Music

Our recent work (Karageorghis, Terry, & Lane, 1997) indicates
that there are four key factors that influence the motivational
qualities of music. First, owing to the fact that people have
an underlying predisposition to react to rhythmical stimuli,
the Rhythmic Response to the music is the most salient factor.
Second, the melodic and harmonic aspects of music shape the listener's
interpretation and influence mood state. I refer to this factor
as Musicality. Third, the Cultural Impact of music will influence
the listener's response through socio-cultural upbringing and
previous exposure to music. Fourth, the Association factor which
relates to the extra-musical associations evoked by music, i.e.,
sound can promote sounds that inspire physical activity. The
Rhythmic Response and Musicality factors are internal to the
composition of music, whereas the Cultural Impact and Association
factors are external to the music relating to personal interpretation
of music (see Figure 1). Our research shows that the internal
factors are more important in predicting how a person will respond
to a piece of music than the external factors.

We have developed and validated a questionnaire to rate the motivational qualities of music which
is called the Brunel Music Rating Inventory (BMRI: Karageorghis
et al., 1997). For a piece of music to truly inspire the listener,
it must have strong rhythmic qualities that match the activity
at hand and also a tempo which matches the predicted heart rate.
The melody and harmony of the music should promote a positive
mood state; that is, they should energize the listener and increase
vigor. The music should also stem from the listener's socio-cultural
background and comply with their preferences. Finally, it is
ideal that for the music to be associated with physical activity
either through the lyrics, e.g., Work Your Body!, or its association
with other media such as film or TV. A classic example of such
a track would be Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", which
was a theme from the Rocky series.

There are three additional
considerations when selecting music: a) Variety in the music
tends to maintain athletes' interest in the activity; b) the
volume of the music should not be obscured by the noise of the
exercise environment; and c) if synchronizing music with exercise,
the tempo must concur with the preferred work rate. For example,
if you are swimming using the breast stroke at a rate of 100
strokes per minute, it would be sensible to use music playing
at 100 beats per minute (bpm). Alternatively, breast stroking
at a rate of 60 strokes per minute a tempo of 120 bpm can be
used as the swimmer can take one stroke every two beats.

Music and Flow State

Our most recent research (Karageorghis & Terry, 1998) has
revealed an interesting link between music and the attainment
of flow state during aerobic dance exercise. Flow involves an
altered state of awareness during physical activity in which
the mind and body function on "auto-pilot" with minimal
conscious effort. Some coaches refer to this as being "in
the zone"; it is an almost trance-like or hypnotic state.
Flow has been associated with optimal psychological state and
represents complete enjoyment of and immersion in physical activity.
Our study involved 1,231 aerobic dance participants who were
asked to rate the motivational qualities of the music used during
a class on completion of their workout using the BMRI. They also
rated flow using the Flow State Scale, a 36 item questionnaire
developed by Jackson and Marsh (1996). The results revealed a
very significant association between ratings of music and ratings
of flow. We concluded that music may have a considerable effect
on enjoyment levels during exercise an selecting the "right"
music may be a key factor in maintaining adherence to exercise.

Conclusion

Music is an often untapped source of both motivation and inspiration
for sport and exercise participants. One important point to remember
is that musical preference is very personal indeed; that is the
reason for which I have avoided suggesting which music you should
prescribe for your athletes and exercise participants. That is
entirely your decision. However, you should now be aware of some
factors that make listening to music more rewarding in sport
and exercise settings. Happy listening!

Dr. Costas Karageorghis is
a BASES accredited scientific support and research sport and
exercise psychologist. He is a member of the British Olympic
Association Psychology Advisory Group and lectures in sport psychology
at Brunel University's Department of Sport Sciences. Further,
Dr. Karageorghis is an alumnus of the USSA MSS program and acts
as the United Kingdom academic representative

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what a quick search brings up. I read another study somewhere that said it was beneficial as well. Something to the effect of music with a 120 BPM (beat per minute) would increase the heart rate and therefore help with a better workout.

[BIGNHYOOGE]

It makes me ask myself.. What are you waiting for/ What is your excuse?

[xKKx7]

I guess I need 30 posts to link so here is the article in its entirety-

Submitted by: Dr. C. I. Karageorghis, Ph.D.
This article has been inspired
by six years of doctoral research in which I found that the "right"
music can have a very positive impact on sport and exercise performance.
I am grateful to the Academy for cultivating my interest in the
area of psychophysical responses to music during my master's
programme in 1991/92. I am also pleased to be invited to share
my findings with you, the coaches and fitness professionals.

How Does Music Aid Athletic
Performance?

A review of this area (Karageorghis & Terry, 1997) based
on a meta-analytic study I conducted at the Academy, revealed
four main ways which music may aid performance in sport and exercise.
First, during submaximal repetitive exercise such as running,
music can narrow a performer's attention and as a consequence,
divert attention away from sensations of fatigue. This is a technique
which many marathon runners and triathletes refer to as dissociation,
i.e., focusing on stimuli unrelated to the task such as the surroundings
or conducting mental arithmetic. Effective dissociation tends
to promote a positive mood state through the avoidance of thoughts
that relate to the fatigue component of mood.

Second, music alters arousal levels and can therefore be used as a form of stimulant prior
to competition or as a sedative to calm over-anxious athletes
(see Karageorghis, Drew, & Terry, 1996). One of the interventions
I often use involves the production of audio cassettes containing
stimulative music combined with verbal suggestions as a psych-up
strategy. Similarly, I use sedative music as a backdrop for relaxation
techniques that are administered via verbal instruction.

Third, music is beneficial
as a result of the similarities between rhythm and human movement;
hence, the synchronization of music with exercise consistently
demonstrates increased levels of work output among exercise participants
(see Karageorghis & Terry, 1997, for review). Fourth, in
relation to the previous point, the rhythmical qualities of music
also emulate patterns of physical skills; therefore, music can
enhance the acquisition of motor skills and create a better learning
environment. There is evidence from both gymnastics and swimming
in support of this (Chen, 1985; Jernberg, 1981).

Selecting the "Right"
Music

Our recent work (Karageorghis, Terry, & Lane, 1997) indicates
that there are four key factors that influence the motivational
qualities of music. First, owing to the fact that people have
an underlying predisposition to react to rhythmical stimuli,
the Rhythmic Response to the music is the most salient factor.
Second, the melodic and harmonic aspects of music shape the listener's
interpretation and influence mood state. I refer to this factor
as Musicality. Third, the Cultural Impact of music will influence
the listener's response through socio-cultural upbringing and
previous exposure to music. Fourth, the Association factor which
relates to the extra-musical associations evoked by music, i.e.,
sound can promote sounds that inspire physical activity. The
Rhythmic Response and Musicality factors are internal to the
composition of music, whereas the Cultural Impact and Association
factors are external to the music relating to personal interpretation
of music (see Figure 1). Our research shows that the internal
factors are more important in predicting how a person will respond
to a piece of music than the external factors.

We have developed and validated a questionnaire to rate the motivational qualities of music which
is called the Brunel Music Rating Inventory (BMRI: Karageorghis
et al., 1997). For a piece of music to truly inspire the listener,
it must have strong rhythmic qualities that match the activity
at hand and also a tempo which matches the predicted heart rate.
The melody and harmony of the music should promote a positive
mood state; that is, they should energize the listener and increase
vigor. The music should also stem from the listener's socio-cultural
background and comply with their preferences. Finally, it is
ideal that for the music to be associated with physical activity
either through the lyrics, e.g., Work Your Body!, or its association
with other media such as film or TV. A classic example of such
a track would be Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", which
was a theme from the Rocky series.

There are three additional
considerations when selecting music: a) Variety in the music
tends to maintain athletes' interest in the activity; b) the
volume of the music should not be obscured by the noise of the
exercise environment; and c) if synchronizing music with exercise,
the tempo must concur with the preferred work rate. For example,
if you are swimming using the breast stroke at a rate of 100
strokes per minute, it would be sensible to use music playing
at 100 beats per minute (bpm). Alternatively, breast stroking
at a rate of 60 strokes per minute a tempo of 120 bpm can be
used as the swimmer can take one stroke every two beats.

Music and Flow State

Our most recent research (Karageorghis & Terry, 1998) has
revealed an interesting link between music and the attainment
of flow state during aerobic dance exercise. Flow involves an
altered state of awareness during physical activity in which
the mind and body function on "auto-pilot" with minimal
conscious effort. Some coaches refer to this as being "in
the zone"; it is an almost trance-like or hypnotic state.
Flow has been associated with optimal psychological state and
represents complete enjoyment of and immersion in physical activity.
Our study involved 1,231 aerobic dance participants who were
asked to rate the motivational qualities of the music used during
a class on completion of their workout using the BMRI. They also
rated flow using the Flow State Scale, a 36 item questionnaire
developed by Jackson and Marsh (1996). The results revealed a
very significant association between ratings of music and ratings
of flow. We concluded that music may have a considerable effect
on enjoyment levels during exercise an selecting the "right"
music may be a key factor in maintaining adherence to exercise.

Conclusion

Music is an often untapped source of both motivation and inspiration
for sport and exercise participants. One important point to remember
is that musical preference is very personal indeed; that is the
reason for which I have avoided suggesting which music you should
prescribe for your athletes and exercise participants. That is
entirely your decision. However, you should now be aware of some
factors that make listening to music more rewarding in sport
and exercise settings. Happy listening!

Dr. Costas Karageorghis is
a BASES accredited scientific support and research sport and
exercise psychologist. He is a member of the British Olympic
Association Psychology Advisory Group and lectures in sport psychology
at Brunel University's Department of Sport Sciences. Further,
Dr. Karageorghis is an alumnus of the USSA MSS program and acts
as the United Kingdom academic representative

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what a quick search brings up. I read another study somewhere that said it was beneficial as well. Something to the effect of music with a 120 BPM (beat per minute) would increase the heart rate and therefore help with a better workout.

Wow thanks for the link, repped

[slyninga269]

yes it does. get some good ear phones (i mean good ones) and play different music to see what helps you get in the zone. when you listen to music with your headphones on it phases out all the unnecessary noise you here around you, makes your sense better(in my opinion)

[SmNolasco2012]

I believe there was study done in Fitness Mag and it was proven that music can help you lift more

[colin715]

my ipod helps me lift more for sure.
its better than the lame music they play at my gym (sirius xm top forty BS). if i have to hear "stereo hearts" again im gonna f'n snap.

if i listen to metal like metallica or 5FDP i lift a ****load, i also like hardcore rap stuff like nas and big L, yelawolfs good too,

[remythefrench]

fuakin pre pump gym ... dont need napalm jacked or other just progressive house 30 min before each work out

[JaFoste]

Listening to music changes your mood. You can be more focused or relaxed by listening to it.

If you are focused, you lift more.

[risingcougar]

I always listen to music when I'm lifting. I mix it up depending on what I'm doing i.e. squat = explosive and brutal metal, hammer curls= good ole Curren$y. Def works for me. Keeps me focused.

[chobar22]

it absolutely helps keep me motivated while lifting. i can't lift without it, or, i highly prefer not to

[hexbinary]

Helps me focus.music like Nine Inch Nails keeps me pumped.

[dxmt]

wish it helped me. I always wind up trying to lift to the beat of the music and end up going too fast and ****ing up lol, so most of the time I just do it without music. So boring though.

[UaPhckaHoryJit]

I guess I need 30 posts to link so here is the article in its entirety-

Submitted by: Dr. C. I. Karageorghis, Ph.D.
This article has been inspired
by six years of doctoral research in which I found that the "right"
music can have a very positive impact on sport and exercise performance.
I am grateful to the Academy for cultivating my interest in the
area of psychophysical responses to music during my master's
programme in 1991/92. I am also pleased to be invited to share
my findings with you, the coaches and fitness professionals.

How Does Music Aid Athletic
Performance?

A review of this area (Karageorghis & Terry, 1997) based
on a meta-analytic study I conducted at the Academy, revealed
four main ways which music may aid performance in sport and exercise.
First, during submaximal repetitive exercise such as running,
music can narrow a performer's attention and as a consequence,
divert attention away from sensations of fatigue. This is a technique
which many marathon runners and triathletes refer to as dissociation,
i.e., focusing on stimuli unrelated to the task such as the surroundings
or conducting mental arithmetic. Effective dissociation tends
to promote a positive mood state through the avoidance of thoughts
that relate to the fatigue component of mood.

Second, music alters arousal levels and can therefore be used as a form of stimulant prior
to competition or as a sedative to calm over-anxious athletes
(see Karageorghis, Drew, & Terry, 1996). One of the interventions
I often use involves the production of audio cassettes containing
stimulative music combined with verbal suggestions as a psych-up
strategy. Similarly, I use sedative music as a backdrop for relaxation
techniques that are administered via verbal instruction.

Third, music is beneficial
as a result of the similarities between rhythm and human movement;
hence, the synchronization of music with exercise consistently
demonstrates increased levels of work output among exercise participants
(see Karageorghis & Terry, 1997, for review). Fourth, in
relation to the previous point, the rhythmical qualities of music
also emulate patterns of physical skills; therefore, music can
enhance the acquisition of motor skills and create a better learning
environment. There is evidence from both gymnastics and swimming
in support of this (Chen, 1985; Jernberg, 1981).

Selecting the "Right"
Music

Our recent work (Karageorghis, Terry, & Lane, 1997) indicates
that there are four key factors that influence the motivational
qualities of music. First, owing to the fact that people have
an underlying predisposition to react to rhythmical stimuli,
the Rhythmic Response to the music is the most salient factor.
Second, the melodic and harmonic aspects of music shape the listener's
interpretation and influence mood state. I refer to this factor
as Musicality. Third, the Cultural Impact of music will influence
the listener's response through socio-cultural upbringing and
previous exposure to music. Fourth, the Association factor which
relates to the extra-musical associations evoked by music, i.e.,
sound can promote sounds that inspire physical activity. The
Rhythmic Response and Musicality factors are internal to the
composition of music, whereas the Cultural Impact and Association
factors are external to the music relating to personal interpretation
of music (see Figure 1). Our research shows that the internal
factors are more important in predicting how a person will respond
to a piece of music than the external factors.

We have developed and validated a questionnaire to rate the motivational qualities of music which
is called the Brunel Music Rating Inventory (BMRI: Karageorghis
et al., 1997). For a piece of music to truly inspire the listener,
it must have strong rhythmic qualities that match the activity
at hand and also a tempo which matches the predicted heart rate.
The melody and harmony of the music should promote a positive
mood state; that is, they should energize the listener and increase
vigor. The music should also stem from the listener's socio-cultural
background and comply with their preferences. Finally, it is
ideal that for the music to be associated with physical activity
either through the lyrics, e.g., Work Your Body!, or its association
with other media such as film or TV. A classic example of such
a track would be Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger", which
was a theme from the Rocky series.

There are three additional
considerations when selecting music: a) Variety in the music
tends to maintain athletes' interest in the activity; b) the
volume of the music should not be obscured by the noise of the
exercise environment; and c) if synchronizing music with exercise,
the tempo must concur with the preferred work rate. For example,
if you are swimming using the breast stroke at a rate of 100
strokes per minute, it would be sensible to use music playing
at 100 beats per minute (bpm). Alternatively, breast stroking
at a rate of 60 strokes per minute a tempo of 120 bpm can be
used as the swimmer can take one stroke every two beats.

Music and Flow State

Our most recent research (Karageorghis & Terry, 1998) has
revealed an interesting link between music and the attainment
of flow state during aerobic dance exercise. Flow involves an
altered state of awareness during physical activity in which
the mind and body function on "auto-pilot" with minimal
conscious effort. Some coaches refer to this as being "in
the zone"; it is an almost trance-like or hypnotic state.
Flow has been associated with optimal psychological state and
represents complete enjoyment of and immersion in physical activity.
Our study involved 1,231 aerobic dance participants who were
asked to rate the motivational qualities of the music used during
a class on completion of their workout using the BMRI. They also
rated flow using the Flow State Scale, a 36 item questionnaire
developed by Jackson and Marsh (1996). The results revealed a
very significant association between ratings of music and ratings
of flow. We concluded that music may have a considerable effect
on enjoyment levels during exercise an selecting the "right"
music may be a key factor in maintaining adherence to exercise.

Conclusion

Music is an often untapped source of both motivation and inspiration
for sport and exercise participants. One important point to remember
is that musical preference is very personal indeed; that is the
reason for which I have avoided suggesting which music you should
prescribe for your athletes and exercise participants. That is
entirely your decision. However, you should now be aware of some
factors that make listening to music more rewarding in sport
and exercise settings. Happy listening!

Dr. Costas Karageorghis is
a BASES accredited scientific support and research sport and
exercise psychologist. He is a member of the British Olympic
Association Psychology Advisory Group and lectures in sport psychology
at Brunel University's Department of Sport Sciences. Further,
Dr. Karageorghis is an alumnus of the USSA MSS program and acts
as the United Kingdom academic representative

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is what a quick search brings up. I read another study somewhere that said it was beneficial as well. Something to the effect of music with a 120 BPM (beat per minute) would increase the heart rate and therefore help with a better workout.

intredasting

[dab0yech0]

it actually helps alot i just bump alot of waka flocka in the gym n it gets me goin

[Fr4me]

Music from such artists like Korn, Coal Chamber, The Prodigy, Slipknot, Disturbed is pre and intra workout supplement for me It really helps me to do more reps that's for sure, might not affect all people tho, might be cause I'm crazy or something

[cyilmassive3]

I think having the right type of music that you like, there is a better chance that its more that 15% that it motivates you to lift more without having an problems....It works for me so might work for u too

[Eatotronic3000]

It depends, like pre going to the gym, I'll listen to something fast/hard/etc, to get me ready for the gym. But at the gym oddly enough, I've been finding as far as performance goes, I need basically quiet music. I do mostly Olympic lifts and low rep sets of squats and deadlifts, both of which need concentration. So in the gym I've set PRs listening to like, Michelle Branch or something, because it calms me down and makes me less anxious about the weight I'm about to lift, whereas something basically with a lot of noise going on, sure it excites me, but the emotional rush or whatever doesn't translate to actually lifting the weight.

[paulzee]

Definately does, helps put me in the zone and just keep wanting to push there are a few songs that once they kick in I just don't want to stop. Makes it a bit more exciting and want to go harder with music that you like playing imo.

[Pilgrimage]

I used to think music was necessary and that I'd be weaker without it, but I'm not. Lifting is easy - you can either do it, or you can't. With heavy sets to failure on squats and deadlifts, it can be hard to push yourself 100%, and it might be mentally a little bit harder to do without music , but you're still physically able to.

[Ksilviu]

Listening to music changes your mood. You can be more focused or relaxed by listening to it.

If you are focused, you lift more.

Agree

[radioali101]

Yaaaaaaaa it works, at least for me. I don`t know about others.

I heard some guy said there was a study that said people who listened to music lifted 15% more weight or something. I haven't been able to find anything that confirms this and was wondering if any of you knew? I usually don't listen to music and I think I get pretty good focus on my workouts. However, if music is going to help me, I'm definitely willing to use my iPod more.

[CheeseHead90]

Absolutely!

[dnixon]

I don't like lifting with music. It is boring without but I seem more focussed without it.

[AdamTrue85UK]

Sod studies dissecting the "science". It's as simple as this. If you feel like trying to work out to some music thinking it will help pump you up and get you going through the distance, then get it on dude. If it doesn't, don't bother until you feel like trying again. Whatever takes your fancy, your mindset/mood will soon dictate.

Some days I like to have music on. When I'm feeling pumped up and full of energy or when I need something brash to motivate me I'll whack on some Slayer. Some days I fancy something much less frenetic and just play random playlists on Youtube. Just standard radio friendly stuff, something more akin to "background" music when training needs to be more fluid and more focus is required on new exercises for instance. I still want some form a beat to keep me company but nothing distracting. And some days I just enjoy some peace and quiet when I train.