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For most of us, getting to the gym is the toughest part of bodybuilding. Once you?re there, you can usually find the motivation to train for new personal bests and reach new limits. However, now and then you may find yourself sitting on a bench, staring into space, looking for the motivation you need to start moving. For many people, music provides that motivation.

Selecting a device

If you train at home, you?re in luck. All you need is a boom box in the garage or weight room, and you have all the music you need. You can play it at any volume (provided the neighbors don?t call the police) and you get to choose the style. If you train at a gym, a small mp3 player will suffice. While I-pods or other advanced devices might be tempting, be careful. Your mp3 player will be subjected to rigors of heavy, swinging weights and bouncing on cardio. It will be left in gym bags, dropped, and perhaps face the risk of being stolen from your car or gym locker. For these reasons, it?s often a good idea to purchase a cheaper mp3 player and designate its use ?for gym only?. 1-gig mp3 players can hold twenty albums? worth, and still only cost $35 to $40. Find one on eBay, and you might spend even less, but you?d probably prefer to buy locally. Save the receipts on everything, and you can return items that can?t keep up with your training style. When it comes to earpieces, the standard ?ear bud? headphones are great. A cheap pair will run you $7 to $10 and will last for months.

Selecting the tunes

For most, a nice mix of new and older favorites helps motivate us in the gym. Many rock fans will reserve a heavy metal record for certain days ? certain songs for certain lifts, etc. For cardio, techno or dance music provides a nice steady beat at very much the same tempo at which you will be pumping those thighs on the elliptical or stair-stepper machine. Find your style, and load up the mp3 player. Keep it fresh to keep yourself motivated in new ways, or keep your favorites if you know what works for you.

Remember?

When wearing headphones, you are at a disadvantage in both social and safety matters. If you?re outside jogging, you may not hear a horn blowing a warning to you from an oncoming car. If you?re sitting on a bench, you may not hear another lifter asking to work in on your bench, and you may come off rude or selfish. Be sure to keep your eyes open, even if your ears are in their own little world. Being safe and courteous are just as important as being focused and motivated in the gym.

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