Gonna make you sweat: Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars & Michael Jackson make the most popular workout songs

Phil Dent/RedfernsSince many of us have been working out at home thanks to quarantine, it’s always key to have good tunes on hand for max motivation.  And in a new survey, the website FitRate found that when it comes time to sweat, only certain…

By ABC Audio on September 24, 2020

Phil Dent/RedfernsSince many of us have been working out at home thanks to quarantine, it's always key to have good tunes on hand for max motivation.  And in a new survey, the website FitRate found that when it comes time to sweat, only certain artists will do.

The website polled more than 1,000 people who'd recently exercised and learned that pop music is the most popular genre for workouts, followed by hip hop or rap, and then classic rock. The most popular artist to work out to was Lady Gaga, followed by Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars.

But it turns out that if you want to get an intense workout, you'd be better off switching to rap, heavy metal or punk rock. Those who worked out to pop mostly did weightlifting, Pilates and squats, but heavy metal listeners were more likely run a mile in less than seven minutes.  Punk rock listeners worked out the longest -- an average of 53 minutes per session.

And when it comes to setting personal records, listening to hip hop or rap produced the best results, and the most intense workouts.

But in addition to rap or hip hop, the artists who many people named as helping them set personal records during their sessions include The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and, again, Michael Jackson.

By Andrea Dresdale
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