Focus on the exercise — not the music.

As Randy Roach said in Episode 28 of The World of Muscle:

You should be able to put on Lawrence Welk and do a maximum lift!
Listen here

In other words, you need to be able to psych yourself up — on your own — without relying on any external influences.

Why is this important?

If you’re an athlete, you won’t have music on the playing field. The drive and aggression must come from within. With a million things happening around you, your ability to focus on the task at hand — and block out distractions — becomes critical.

In fact, many gyms purposely avoid music or mirrors for this very reason.

Music can have a profound effect — both positive and negative — on your performance in the gym. I’ll explore this in greater detail in a future post. But when in doubt, go with silence.