Does Listening to Music Improve Your Gym Performance?

You walk into the gym on a Tuesday night, ready to work up a sweat and push yourself. As you sit down at your first machine, preparing for your first set, it hits you–the slight buzz of the air-conditioning unit, weights clanking against the hard floor, and the tasteless cacophony of commercial gym music. It’s not exactly a motivating training environment.

What do you do in this situation? You pop in your headphones and play that motivating playlist of yours. All of a sudden, the weights feel lighter. Your squats are more powerful, each repetition on the bench press feels lighter than the last, and you become unstoppable.

However, this begs the question: Is the music some sort of placebo? Or can it genuinely improve your performance? Let’s break down the science of music and performance.

What Does Music do to Your Brain and Body?

When you listen to upbeat music, your body releases dopamine– a feel-good chemical that boosts moods, making tough workouts seem easier. This increases your ability to push through fatigue, and get those extra reps in.

The tempo of the music is also a factor that can influence your movement. Music can help synchronize your body’s movements, making the repetitive actions done in exercise feel smoother and more efficient. 

Studies, like Chow and Etnier (2016) suggest that dissociative stimuli, such as music, can also reduce your perceived level of exertion (or rating of perceived exertion, RPE). They do this by distracting your body from the discomfort of exercise. (Chow and Etnier, 2016)

How Music Benefits Your Workout

1. Lower Perceived Exertion

   1. Music makes you feel like you’re working less, even if you’re pushing through maximally.

2. Boost Motivation

   1. Upbeat tracks with fast tempos of 120-140 have been known to increase motivation, giving you the energy you need to get through the next set. 

   2. BPM is one of the most important things to consider when choosing your workout tunes. Not sure what BPM to go for? Here’s a general guide, depending on the type of exercise you’re doing: (Startle.io, 2023)

      1. Yoga, pilates and low-intensity activities: 60 to 90 BPM 

      2. CrossFit and HIIT: 140 to 180-plus BPM

      3. Zumba and dance: 130 to 170 BPM

      4. Steady-state cardio, e.g jogging: 120 to 140 BPM

      5. Weightlifting: 130 to 150 BPM

      6. Warming up: 100 to 140 BPM

      7. Cooling down: 60 to 90 BPM

   3. Anything that pumps you up is good music! Listen to whatever you want. 

   4. Familiarity can improve the music’s effect.

How Music Benefits Your Workout

Music is a tool that can turn dull and grueling workouts into something you can look forward to in the gym. Through lowering the perceived exertion and boosting motivation,  it can help you power through challenges, enjoying the beauty of the workout process.

Next time you exercise, whether that be lifting weights or your cardio, grab a pair of headphones and blast some tunes. You’ll find yourself training harder, better, faster and stronger. 

Reference List

Startle.io. (2023). The Best Music for Exercise and Working Out | Blog | Startle. [online] Available at: https://www.startle.io/blog/lets-get-physical-the-best-music-for-exercise [Accessed 15 Jul. 2025].

Chow, E.C. and Etnier, J.L. (2016). Effects of music and video on perceived exertion during high-intensity exercise. Journal of sport and health science/Journal of Sport and Health Science, [online] 6(1), pp.81–88. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2015.12.007.