Music in the Gym

by Mark Rippetoe | November 11, 2024

Most people train with the radio on. By “the radio” I mean a source of music in the background – radio, SiriusXM, CD player, iTunes, your phone files, 8-track, cassette (sorry, trying to fill the list). We have all gotten in the habit of having music in the background of our workouts.

And that's fine, but you have to keep something very important in mind: we are trying to concentrate on a rather complex movement pattern that must be carefully controlled. We are not just pushing as hard as we can on a machine's lever – we are performing a full range of motion movement involving as much muscle mass as possible over the longest effective range of motion possible, while lifting the heaviest weight possible, while balanced on our feet and not falling down. This is not the same thing as Blasting Bis or Tris or Quads or Pecs or Delts or Lats or Hammys or Calves (did I leave anything out?).

Barbell training demands a certain amount of focus on what you're doing, since you can fall down if you don't focus. Because the weight is heavy, falling down is a problem. So when you don't fall down, balance is therefore trained as well as strength. And anything that distracts from focus on the movement pattern's requirements is a liability when the weight is heavy. If music becomes a distraction, it must be turned down.

Most people in the gym are not there to train. Most people are there for Leg Day, and they have been taught that the music helps them Blast their bodyparts. You are not just extending your knees, or your elbows or ankles, or flexing your elbows or knees – which doesn't require much focus or skill or control.

When you squat, your whole body is moving. The whole musculoskeletal system has to move correctly, with all its components operating in physical and anatomical proportion, in the correct positions balanced over the mid-foot, so you don't fall down. This means you must be paying close attention to what you are doing, because the heavier the weight gets the smaller the margin of error becomes.

If Blasting AC/DC or Metallica or Judas Priest or Scorpions (I'm old, remember?) distracts you, turn it off, or at least down. Let me suggest that headphones are a very bad idea. Warmup sets shouldn't be a problem with the music, but you will not miss the loud auditory input for the 45 seconds it takes to execute a complicated full-body movement pattern with a PR weight on the bar. If you're in a public gym and not in control of the sound system, bring some ear protection earmuffs and wear them for your heavy sets. It will make an immediate difference in your interaction with the bar, and it may even allow you to correct a nagging form problem that won't go away.