Hump Day is upon us, and this midweek hurdle leading into May (already?!!?)requires extra oomph.
This Badass likes her oomph in a hard-core package of sweat mixed with driving beats. No matter how stressed I am, a cardio session fueled by a great music mix always makes me feel better in the end. Give it 10 minutes, and once the endorphins start to kick in, you'll be right there with me.
So get through your week with this mix, and use it to push your Badasses harder on the bike, the trail, the treadmill or whatever cardio platform you prefer.
For my fellow indoor cyclists, I've included a ride profile to accompany each song. Work Hard, Sweat Harder, Stress Less!
California Girls (Passion Pit Main Mix), Katie Perry, 4:05: Seated warmup. Light tension (3 or 4 on scale of 1 to 10), 50-60 percent of maximum pace
Till the World Ends, Britney Spears, 3:57: Standing/seated warmup. Bump tension up to a half-turn, keep pace strong at 60 percent of max. During the chorus, add another half turn and go into a standing climb with a strong pace.
In da Club, 50 Cent, 3:13: Rolling Hills. Add a quarter to a half turn every 30 seconds, for a total of three times. Dial it back those three turns and repeat. Hold until the end.
E.T., Katie Perry and Kanye West, 3:50: Steep Climb. Start at a tension of 5 out of 10. Every 30 seconds, add a quarter to a half turn until you reach an 8 out of 10.
Hey Boy, Hey Girl, Chemical Brothers, 4:48: Sprint Intervals. Lighten to 4 or 5 out of 10. Flush out your legs from the previous climb for the first 30 seconds. For the rest of the song, you will fluctuate from a base of 60 percent of pace to 80 percent. At the 30-second mark, sprint to 80 percent for 15 seconds. Go back to 60 percent for 15 seconds. Make the next sprint 20 seconds, and the "active recovery" of 60 percent 15 seconds. Continue the pattern. leaving "recovery" at 15 seconds but increasing sprint times to 30 seconds long. Then go back down, reducing sprint times by 5 seconds each time (25 seconds, 20, and 15) but keeping "recovery" at 15 seconds.
Afrika Shox, Leftfield, 5:36: Endurance gradual climb. Begin at a tension of 5 out of 10. Every 90 seconds, add a half-turn but try to maintain the same pace of 50 to 60 percent of max.
It's Tricky, Run-DMC, 3:03: Light-medium tension JUMPS! With tension at about 4 out of 10 (enough to support your knees, but not too heavy), do jumps in and out of the saddle in counts of 4 and counts of 8. If you have knee issues, just cycle fast and light for the entire song.
The Way You Make Me Feel, Michael Jackson, 4:57: Steady climb. Find a strong pace of 60 percent with tension at a 4 out of 10. Every minute, add a quarter turn until you reach a 7 out of 10. Hold here, working to maintain the strong pace.
300 Violin Orchestra, Jorge Quintero, 2:58: Steep fast climb. Tension begins at a 7 out of 10. Every 30 seconds, add a tiny bit, taking the last minute out of the saddle for the steepest climb of the ride. Take one-quarter turn off when the song ends.
Coming Home, Diddy, 3:58: Climb transitioning downhill: From the tension you had at the previous song, keep pedaling on the climb. Every minute, take off half a turn and increase your pace as you lighten the load. When you reach a 6 out of 10, hold there.
Break on Through (to the Other Side), The Doors, 2:25: Speed to the Finish Line. Lighten the tension to a 4 out of 10 and work up to a pace of 70 percent of max. For the last minute, give it a major push to the finish line - 80 percent of your max, and then for the last 30 seconds, 100 percent!
As Vivaldi, Twang Chung, 3:30: Cool Down. Bring the pace down, lighten the tension and keep pedaling, taking deep breaths to bring your hart rate down. Stretch to finish it out!
Coming Friday: We check in on our guest blogger in his "360 to 30" Badass Journey...
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