by Elliot Fogarty

Created on: August 17, 2008

Arguably, getting to the gym is the hardest part. Once you've hurdled the barrier of actually being in the place where you know an hour or so of misery and downright tiredness will commence, it's half the battle won. The other half of course is actually doing the workout, and often the key to pushing on to complete your goals comes in the obvious yet significant form of music. With the iPod replacing the CD player and the Walkman before it, there has never been a better time for you to select the perfect song to see you through until the end of your workout, and here are my particular favourites.

1) Leftfield- Phat Planet
Those who have seen the famous Guinness ad involving this song with horses riding in the sea waves will recognize its upbeat, inspiring nature. Sure it's repetitive, but in this instance this is no bad thing, with the dirty drum sound being looped over and over, building into a fine crescendo. The definitive treadmill anthem.

2) Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard- Now We Are Free (Maximus Mix)
Anyone that has seen Gladiator will know of the inspiring, emotional final composition that plays during the heartbreaking finale and subsequent credits. This is said track, albeit with an upbeat remix. It can be found on the official soundtrack, and Gerrard's haunting vocals compliment beautifully the sheer uplifting nature of Zimmer's piece. That it makes you think of one of the great heroic characters in modern cinema can't help but inspire you as well

3) Iggy Pop- Lust For Life
Not all songs on a gym playlist have to be dance orientated. Take this, one of Iggy's most well known efforts immortalized in the movie Trainspotting. Like the film, it's a hedonistic rush, with the repetitive beat of the song a perfect accompaniment to running at a fast pace.

4) The Chemical Brothers- Setting Sun
Any one of the UK two-piece's back catalogue would be at home on a gym playlist, from Hey Boy, Hey Girl to Block Rocking Beats. This electronic classic is picked due to the quality of the vocals (by Oasis' Noel Gallagher) and the sheer ferociousness that the song bursts in with, and its pace never lets up.

5) The Prodigy- Firestarter
Like The Chemical Brothers, another UK outfit who have a whole host of songs that are prime for the gym. This is their most well known hit and like Setting Sun starts as it means to go on: Loud, uptempo and crackling with energy. Even the meekest of gym-goers will be believing that they are a firestartera twisted firestarter.' Well, metaphorically at

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