One of the all-time worst feelings is when you’re in the middle of your set at the gym, and your headphones die. Either they weren’t charged properly, or you were in their way longer than you expected. For some, this is where the clutch aspect of having wired earbuds comes in clutch. Those who haven’t subjected themselves solely to the whims of Bluetooth don’t have to worry about this problem until their actual phone dies.
But for those with dead Bluetooth headphones, they’re stuck with the gym playlist. Sometimes, the jams at places like LA Fitness definitely don’t hit the way you want them to. We picked five songs you might hear while working out that might make you cut your sets short and finish at home instead.
Five Songs That Might Make You Leave The Gym Early If You Don’t Have Headphones
“Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons
Remember when mainstream rock songs actually used to rock? Within the last couple decades, a lot of the songs that reach the charts are these grayscale alternative songs that are just loud enough to pose as rock. “Radioactive” was by far the most annoying example, where Imagine Dragons ominously welcomed us to the “new age.” A decade later, we should’ve taken it as more of a threat.
“Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson
The vaguely inspirational pop song is absolutely dreadful to hear in the gym. The songwriting usually ends up trite and wimpy, defying some mean-spirited, anonymous antagonist that brought them down. Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” is one of the defining examples of this, lacking any soul or specificity for anyone to truly identify with her. Hearing it while lifting weights will make anyone groan through their set.
“Titanium” by David Guetta and Sia
Where “Radioactive” is loud and annoying and Kelly Clarkson indulged in too much cliché, “Titanium” manages to do both. Sia’s blaring voice induces some serious migraines; you wouldn’t be able to tell if it came from her voice or mere dehydration. The vague, bland songwriting lends to an invincibility, but without any detail or specificity that could give that sentiment power.
“Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor
“Eye Of The Tiger” at the gym is just cliché at this point. Sure, Rocky Balboa trained to it, but most of us aren’t looking to fight Ivan Drago or Apollo Creed. People who work out to “Eye Of The Tiger” have an intense form of Main Character syndrome, and gyms only fuel it further.
“Started From The Bottom” by Drake
The sentiment of “Started From The Bottom” certainly matches the gym. Nothing motivates us more than remembering how down and out we were in the past. Then, through constant grinding, you made it to a point that you could be proud of. From there, it’s just continuing the grind so you don’t fall back off.
However, the beat for “Started From The Bottom” is so sleepy and droopy, it would end up making me feel cozy with my results. If the gym is meant to help drive us further, Drake’s big hit lulls us into a false sense of security. It’s the last thing we need when we’re trying to hit our fitness goals.
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