The Battle to Find the Perfect Workout Song Rages in McGugin

Officially powering the 2009 McGugin's Biggest Loser Competition

Posted by Eric Jones

Before getting into just how powerful of an influence the band Survivor has on this year's contest, an update. Team Gold has lost 72.5 lbs (1.877% of initial team body weight) over the competition's first four weeks. That is just a slim half pound more than Team Black, who weighed in heavier and has therefore lost 1.711% of their team body weight. As each team tries to adopt subtle tactics to tempt the opposition into falling head first into a vat of cake batter, it has been enjoyable to watch the two teams take various approaches to getting and staying active. Be it just taking the steps more often or walking to lunch (so as not to lose a parking space in the McGugin Lot), I have witnessed a common theme. Music.

Take Brett Wulke, an intern working in Operations, who is training for the Music City Marathon. By using a mix of including the Rocky Story compilation soundtrack featuring the Rocky Training Montage, to Linkin Park with Jay-Z, The Kiss on the Last of the Mohicans soundtrack while sprinkling in Your the Best from the Karate Kid soundtrack, Brett has been able to shed a Team Gold best 13 lbs. Team Gold teammate Jessica Siegel (Ticket Office) puts a method to her workout soundtrack including Britney Spears' Circus ("Britney looks the way I want to look"), Lose Yourself by Eminem ("Great song to spin on the exercise bike"), and We Built This City by Starship ("You just have to love the '80's,"). Even Brandon Barca (Web Guru) admitted the secret to losing some pre-wedding weight(coming up in seven days) for Team Gold was grounded in Survivor's workout anthem from Rocky III, Eye of the Tiger.

Team Black features a very eclectic mix of workout fanatics. Heather Warf (Business Office) believes in balancing her decades: Journey and Bon Jovi ('80's), Hootie and the Blowfish ('90's) and Lady Antebellum/Keith Urban ('00's). Teammate Jason Silvers (marketing) uses a harder edge: Cult of Personality by Living Colour, Click, Click, Boom by Saliva and Gasoline by Audioslave to name a few. "I like the consistent beat with a heavy song. Getting a little mad at the weights as you are lifting is a good thing." I didn't get to ask him whether his cool down music is the slow piano song at the end of the Incredible Hulk TV show from the '70's. After all, it always calmed down the Hulk.

Music isn't for everyone though. My own Team Black teammate, Vice Chancellor David Williams, enjoys an early morning workout on the treadmill. "There isn't much on at 6:00 or 7:00 am, so I just turn on the TV and start walking. If I can watch West Wing, I really like that, but you never know what you find. This morning it was Sister, Sister. I get caught up in what I am watching and before I know it, I've been going at it an hour."

My own personal favorites for watching the calories whisk off on the treadmill are as follows:

Anvil of Crom - Arnold, Sountrack of Arnold Swarzeneggar movies - Just try it once....

Right Now - Van Halen. Remember the Crystal Pepsi commercial? Horrible product, great song!
Hollywood Nights - Bob Segar. Just try to slow your pace, it's impossible.

Runaway - Bon Jovi. Be careful not to get your mullet caught in your iPod headphones.

Let's Go Crazy - Prince. How many calories does he burn onstage?!

Are You Gonna Go My Way - Lenny Kravitz. It helps to whip your dreadlocks to the music.

Can't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson. Okay, pretend you are at the skate rink.

My thanks to Coke and Smart Water for sponsoring the contest. Until next time...