Thunderstruck: Music in the Weight Room
By John Moore | NMPreps Football
Many years ago, at coaching school, a respected coach taught us about the importance of the weight room. At the end he threw in this line, “...and you should have loud music playing in the weight room, preferably with hard rock music.” He offered no reason for the hard rock music, just that hard rock music was important. Many coaches nodded along, including those from my school. I was not, nor am I now, a fan of hard rock. Oh, sure I listened to a lot of AC/DC in the day and I think there was a law that all 1984 graduates listened to Def Leppard and Scorpions, but otherwise, the music did nothing for me.
Years later, as an administrator, I walked by the weight room on my way to a meeting at the admin. building. Athletes were working out while loud rap music blared from the speakers. I couldn’t name the artist or the song, but the lyrics were explicit. I will wager that the music in weight rooms across the state have speakers blaring hard rock or rap most of the time. Hard rock and rap are edgy styles with tough mentalities – logical for football teams, but do we really understand what our students are listening to? What is the message in the songs that play? Does the music really provide a benefit to the workout?
One Italian study found a group listening to music gained one rep more at 60% over a group lifting in silence, but no gains were found in one rep max lifts. A second study showed similar small gains when athletes listened to their preferred music over those lifting while music played over speakers. These studies are limited in scope but music has its benefits. Logically, fast paced music (120 -140 beats per minute) tends to increase cardio output. Anecdotally, music makes us feel good. When we hear a song we like, endorphins increase, and the task does not seem so tedious. Music is a distraction to make the tedious task more enjoyable. But if coaching is necessary, we don’t want distracted athletes.
With all the noise in our lives, silence is underrated. Athletes not only need to listen to coaches’ instructions but need to listen to their own internal dialogue (Music and Weightlifting, Archibald). The fact is, kids don’t perform because a song came on, they perform because of an intrinsic motivation. We as coaches might enjoy an AC/DC song but consider this. If, when I was in high school, a 40-year-old song came over the speakers, I would do a set to “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” by the Andrews Sisters.
Coaches have much better things to do than to censor the music played in the weight room, but the messages in the weight room are crucial. Do you have rules of the weight room posted? And are they specific to your program? Do you have goal boards? Do you post records and personal gains by athletes or position groups? Do you post positive, motivational messages? We should do these things. We also need to eliminate negative, dark, messages often integral to music, especially in rap or hard rock music. Take the time to read what “Down With the Sickness” is about or what “Rock Bottom” says. I am not pearl clutching here, but would you play the weigh room playlist for parents or administrators? There is so much positive music in the world, we should use it.
So here is a proposal. Students enter the field house. Music is playing. A whistle sends athletes to the line. Coach makes an announcement, “Today’s music is courtesy of the O-line who showed the highest improvement on testing last week. Great job.” Players increase heart rate and go through stretching routine with music. Another whistle sends them to one of four stations. Music stops. Coaches are active during lifting stations, encouraging athletes. On the fourth station the music plays again at high volume. Coaches observe.
Some may scoff at playing different types of music in the weight room but why not expose athletes to great music. Do they know who Muddy Waters is or who Tchaikovsky is? A world champion Turkish power lifter famously listened to Willie Nelson for motivation. With the internet and young coaches being savvy about creating appropriate playlists, staffs can easily ensure using that music is a positive for our kids.
Sources
The Case for Working Out Without Music | The Art of Manliness
It's official - listening to music makes you lift heavier weights | JOE.co.uk
Does Listening to Music Help You Lift More Weight? - stack
Music and Weightlifting Don't Mix (Or Do They?) - Breaking Muscle
By John Moore | NMPreps Football
Many years ago, at coaching school, a respected coach taught us about the importance of the weight room. At the end he threw in this line, “...and you should have loud music playing in the weight room, preferably with hard rock music.” He offered no reason for the hard rock music, just that hard rock music was important. Many coaches nodded along, including those from my school. I was not, nor am I now, a fan of hard rock. Oh, sure I listened to a lot of AC/DC in the day and I think there was a law that all 1984 graduates listened to Def Leppard and Scorpions, but otherwise, the music did nothing for me.
Years later, as an administrator, I walked by the weight room on my way to a meeting at the admin. building. Athletes were working out while loud rap music blared from the speakers. I couldn’t name the artist or the song, but the lyrics were explicit. I will wager that the music in weight rooms across the state have speakers blaring hard rock or rap most of the time. Hard rock and rap are edgy styles with tough mentalities – logical for football teams, but do we really understand what our students are listening to? What is the message in the songs that play? Does the music really provide a benefit to the workout?
One Italian study found a group listening to music gained one rep more at 60% over a group lifting in silence, but no gains were found in one rep max lifts. A second study showed similar small gains when athletes listened to their preferred music over those lifting while music played over speakers. These studies are limited in scope but music has its benefits. Logically, fast paced music (120 -140 beats per minute) tends to increase cardio output. Anecdotally, music makes us feel good. When we hear a song we like, endorphins increase, and the task does not seem so tedious. Music is a distraction to make the tedious task more enjoyable. But if coaching is necessary, we don’t want distracted athletes.
With all the noise in our lives, silence is underrated. Athletes not only need to listen to coaches’ instructions but need to listen to their own internal dialogue (Music and Weightlifting, Archibald). The fact is, kids don’t perform because a song came on, they perform because of an intrinsic motivation. We as coaches might enjoy an AC/DC song but consider this. If, when I was in high school, a 40-year-old song came over the speakers, I would do a set to “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” by the Andrews Sisters.
Coaches have much better things to do than to censor the music played in the weight room, but the messages in the weight room are crucial. Do you have rules of the weight room posted? And are they specific to your program? Do you have goal boards? Do you post records and personal gains by athletes or position groups? Do you post positive, motivational messages? We should do these things. We also need to eliminate negative, dark, messages often integral to music, especially in rap or hard rock music. Take the time to read what “Down With the Sickness” is about or what “Rock Bottom” says. I am not pearl clutching here, but would you play the weigh room playlist for parents or administrators? There is so much positive music in the world, we should use it.
So here is a proposal. Students enter the field house. Music is playing. A whistle sends athletes to the line. Coach makes an announcement, “Today’s music is courtesy of the O-line who showed the highest improvement on testing last week. Great job.” Players increase heart rate and go through stretching routine with music. Another whistle sends them to one of four stations. Music stops. Coaches are active during lifting stations, encouraging athletes. On the fourth station the music plays again at high volume. Coaches observe.
Some may scoff at playing different types of music in the weight room but why not expose athletes to great music. Do they know who Muddy Waters is or who Tchaikovsky is? A world champion Turkish power lifter famously listened to Willie Nelson for motivation. With the internet and young coaches being savvy about creating appropriate playlists, staffs can easily ensure using that music is a positive for our kids.
Sources
The Case for Working Out Without Music | The Art of Manliness
It's official - listening to music makes you lift heavier weights | JOE.co.uk
Does Listening to Music Help You Lift More Weight? - stack
Music and Weightlifting Don't Mix (Or Do They?) - Breaking Muscle
