Whether it's at Revolve NYC where spin instructors and an in-house DJ play better music than dance clubs OR with Lil Jon's latest collaboration with the Zumba franchise OR through singer Ellie Goulding's love for running...music and fitness are turning out to be the best of workout buddies and business partners. The proof is in these 3 stories...
SPINNING TRACKS AND FITNESS AT REVOLVE NYC
Revolve NYC was just voted Best Spin Studio of 2013 by New York Magazine and I know it has a lot to do with their music (and of course their amazing spin instructors!). I spoke to Christianne Phillips, the Senior Master Spin Instructor who is also a DJ, about music and the secret to Revolve's success. I asked her why she thinks more and more people are hearing and learning about new music in fitness classes. Christianne thinks that healthy minded people don't want to be up in a lounge, drunk and dancing their asses off at 2AM.
She says: "Having a commitment to fitness means we must carve out time in our lives to exercise and partying late and hard is often not conducive to a strong and vibrant lifestyle that includes regular exercise. Lots of people want to have fun and move their bodies, but prefer to shake it in a healthier way while still be inspired and entertained by music."
I was curious to find out what sparked Revolve NYC to seek out the in-house DJ, Friendly Greg (aka Greg Dona). Christianne felt that in order to be competitive in the indoor cycling scene that they needed to establish a reputation as having not just current, but also progressive and experimental music in their classes. She says: "Its all about the right balance between songs that riders know, love and want to hear, and those tracks that are new and fresh make them want to WORK!"
As anyone who takes spin classes knows, music is integral to the indoor cycling experience. Since there are so many factors that go into curating the right playlist their DJ, Friendly Greg, helps them get it right using cutting edge remixes.
Revolve recently had their first live DJ ride where Friendly Greg was set up in the studio to DJ while spin intructors, Kristin Kenney and Christianne Phillips, led the class. I got a chance to speak to him about how DJ'ing for a spin studio has affected him as a DJ and his own fitness habits. Greg had never taken a cycle class before he started working with Revolve and now he's addicted: "Not only do I love the workouts, but it helps me a ton with my music programming. For one, it helps me understand what kind of tracks each instructor likes to use. For another, it opens my eyes and ears to the different ways songs can be used".
DJ Friendly Greg shares his TOP 5 spin tunes below, making it very clear to me that he's yet to get any of the Revolve spin instructors to play the Taylor Swift song. Add them to your workout mix!
1. Baauer - Yaow!
2. The Smiths - This Charming Man (Luis Leon Bootleg)
3. Taylor Swift - 22
4. Amtrac - Those Days (Viceroy Remix)
5. Nicky Romero - Still the Same Man
DJ Friendly Greg isn't the only indoor cycling convert. I became a spin geek myself at the end of 2012. I was even asked to be in Revolve's TV commercial. Can you spot me?
DJ + RAPPER LIL JON IS HOOKING UP WITH ZUMBA FITNESS
Following in the footsteps of Pitbull and reggaeton singer Don Omar, Lil Jon is teaming up with the fitness franchise Zumba this spring. His single, Work, was produced and written for Zumba classes and it's available on iTunes now. In addition, tickets have already gone on sale for the Lil Jon/Zumba nightclub series.
The rapper and celebrity fitness instructor Gina Grant will be appearing at four nighclubs across the country (Boston, Pittsburgh, Queens and Cincinnati) sharing their music and Zumba moves. Sounds like the perfect way to kickstart your spring workout routine into action.
Here's a teaser video for the tour...
ELLIE GOULDING LOVES RUNNING
I'm sure you've heard Ellie Goulding's chart topping music. Her song Lights was playing everywhere last year. But have you guys seen the video that Nike made about Ellie Goulding and her love for running?
Nike just released this awesome new video about Ellie's passion for running and performing. It's really inspiring to see that Ellie loves to hit the streets for a run just as much as she enjoys taking the stage to perform her music every night. Ellie's scheduled to run the first-ever Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC on April 28th. She's been following the Nike 13.1 training plan (a 12-week half marathon-training program that includes weekly mileage and workouts), running with some of her fans on Nike training runs (see the video!), and she even shared a remix of her song, Hanging On, on the Nike Women's Half Facebook page for all her fans.
Personally, I've been running for over 20 years (competitively in high school and college) so it's always so exciting to learn about musicians who share my same athletic interests!
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Music and fitness are making such a hot pair these days. Let me know how YOU make music your workout buddy.
Tell me in the comments section below, please!