Just in case your iPod's running playlist could use a few new tunes, we have 'em! Credit: Perfecto Insecto

We’ve already done a whole songs-about-running workout playlist, but we thought it was high time we put together a list of new tunes to help you power through those runs both long and short. Partially inspired by this little device that helps you to determine your “Fit Song” and partially needed by me as my running playlist is getting S-T-A-L-E, we recently tapped the music-loving brains of our pals on Facebook and Twitter for their fave tracks from their running playlists. And, guys, they did not disappoint. High-energy, fun and slightly off-the-beaten path, if you know all of these songs, you’re certainly cooler than me.

10 New Songs to Reinvigorate Your Running Playlist

1. (4:48) T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever), will.i.am: If you need a rap beat to get your run going, this song is it. Good call, Melissa!
2. (3:44) Drumming Song, Florence + The Machine: If you like your running playlist with a side of dark and mysterious, download this Florence + Machine track. Caitlin swears by it!
3. (3:44) Go, Common: Like @lizyandall says, it’s hard not to go when Common is telling you to in this song!
4. (3:17) Watch Me Shine, Joanna Pacitti: Found on the Legally Blonde soundtrack, Janine can’t get enough of this song during runs. Believe us, if you like Britney, you’ll dig this one.
5. (2:57) Egg Man, The Beastie Boys: Boyz, it just don’t get much funkier than this song, which is a favorite of @katiechalmers1. Jam to it during your next run!
6. (3:19) Levels, Avicii: If techno is more of your running playlist speed, try this one from Avicii. @UrbanFitClubs calls it “bouncy, happy music!”
7. (3:44) End of Time, Beyonce: This song gets Renisha really pumped. And you know what? It gets us pumped to run, too!
8. (4:22) Party Rock Anthem, LMFAO: Yes, this song is everywhere lately, but it really is good for getting your legs to run faster, Tina says. When they say “shake that” just pretend they’re saying “sprint that!”
9. (2:49) Lobsterdust–Roll It (Salt-N-Pepa vs. Yeah Yeah Yeahs vs. A-Trak), Best of Bootie 2011: You know we had to include a mash-up—and a booty one at that, right? And Emily had a great one for running. In fact, go ahead and just get the whole dang album. It’s just that good.
10. (6:19) Monster, Kanye West: So glad I’m not the only one running her little heart out to this track recently. Courtney is, too!

What new songs are on your running playlist? Which ones really pump you up? —Jenn

Was Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" the best workout song of 2011? Credit: CHRISTOPHER MACSURAK

Earlier this week, we rounded up what we thought were the best workout songs of 2011 and put them into a killer playlist. But we’d like to take it a bit further this year and choose the best workout song of 2011. We’re having a really hard time deciding, so help us choose the best of the best! Which one of the below tracks got you moving, grooving and working out like a Fit Bottomed Girl in 2011?

Can’t see the poll? Click here to vote on your favorite workout song of 2011. 

Can’t wait to see what you guys choose. Here’s to another great year of workout tunes in 2012! —Jenn

Introducing the best workout songs of 2011! Credit: Rob Ellis'

Oh, girlies, it was a great year for workout music. From hip-hop tracks to pop to some—let’s be honest—hilarity (I’m talking about you, LMFAO), along with your suggestions from Facebook and Twitter, we’ve rounded up a playlist of the best workout songs of 2011. Running about 40 minutes long, it’s perfect for just about any workout you love. Will 2012 stack up? We certainly hope so!

Best Workout Songs of 2011

1. (2:50) Who’s that Chick, David Guetta featuring Rihanna: Start your workout off with a dance beat in this fun track that’s sure to get you warmed up and fired up! Who’s that chick? You’re that chick!
2. (3:21) Moves Like Jagger, Maroon Five featuring Christina Aguilera: We’ve been obsessed with this song since it came out in 2011. It’s just the right mix of fun, funky and sexy.
3. (4:44) On the Floor, Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull: Oh, J-Lo we’re so happy you’re back on the workout-music block! And “On the Floor”? Seriously, one of your finest. Makes us want to get on the floor—the workout floor that is!
4. (3:23) Dynamite, Taio Cruz: Yeah, we throw our hands up in the air sometimes, too! This song truly is—wait for it—dynamite for workouts. Upbeat with a nice message to celebrate life, it’s one that will help you to pick up the pace!
5. (3:50) E.T., Katy Perry featuring Kanye West: Time to go to outer space! This extra-terrestrial song is extra good for workouts, making it one of the best songs of 2011!
6. (3:19) Super Bass, Nicki Minaj: If you need to slow things down a bit, but not too much, this song is perfect. Whether it’s for a walk, recovery during interval work or even some upbeat yoga, Nicki Minaj knows what’s up. We expect more great workout songs from her in 2012!
7. (4:20) Born This Way, Lady Gaga: The anthem of monsters everywhere, this Gaga track is Madonna’s “Express Yourself” for 2011. We love. Work out the way you were born to—like a Fit Bottomed Girl!
8. (3:35) We Found Love, Rihanna: This workout song may start out slow, but don’t let it fool you. With a techno thumpin’ beat, it’s great for lifting weights or as a recovery song during intervals.
9. (3:58) Till the World Ends, Britney Spears: Oh, Brit, Brit! How we love thee. And while you may dance till the world ends, we’ll be working out till the world ends with this one!
10. (3:19) Sexy and I Know It, LMFAO: You all knew we had to include “Sexy and I Know It,” right? It’s so obvious. And oh-so hilarious. Sure to pump up any workout!
11. (4:27) Love on Top, Beyoncé: Cool it on down with this 2011 Beyoncé track that feels a bit like a throwback to Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston. You know, also known as “awesome.”

What do you think was the best workout song of 2011? Tell us in the comments! —Jenn

We’re all about the workout music. After all, nothing pumps you up for a workout like some good heart-thumping tunes. But an album that combines workout music with an actual workout led by a fitness expert? Well, hello, that’s even better! So when our pal Deekron of Motion Traxx—you may remember the name from the Fit Bottomed Dudes playlist and Spin playlist he created for us—offered us the opportunity to try his new mix Spin Coach Volume 1, we happily obliged.

As one might imagine with the word “Spin” in the title, this workout is for the bike. Whether you’re on a trainer, an actual Spin bike or a stationary bike from the 70s (nothing wrong with that), as long as you have the ability to change your resistance, you can get a helluva one-hour workout with this album. Mixed by Deekron himself, the beats are fun, techno and timed to meet the pace of the music.

After a quick warm-up, Spin Coach Gregg Cook leads you through intervals, hills and sprints. And Mr. Cook is cooking! (Sorry, had to. Too easy.) It’s hard to do a cycling workout on your own that has the energy of a group Spin class, but this download just about does it. Although his voice is a bit hoarse, Gregg gives you just the right mix of motivation, cuing and energy. You’ll get super pumped up when he tells you to “drive, drive, drive, drive, DRIVE!” and “push, push, push, push, PUSH!” and you’ll find that your pedaling begins to match the beat of the music, which is exactly what the Spin Coach wants you to do.

You can download the workout as individual tracks (there are 12 total), thereby making the workout as long as you’d like, but we recommend just getting the whole thing. Yes, sometimes you don’t have an hour to work out, but for the times you do, you’ll want this. Plus, the whole thing just goes so darn well together. At $9.99, it’s probably one of the best and cheapest Spin classes you’ll ever do.

Have you ever downloaded workout music that includes a workout? What was your experience? —Jenn 

With these motivational workout songs, yes, we can do it! Credit: DonkeyHotey

Oh, the wonder drug otherwise known as good ol’ fashioned motivational workout songs. It’s a beautiful thing. There’s a reason that clever Nike put a “power song” on its Nike + GPS App—that ish works! Some day researchers will gather in a tiny room and figure out what it is about hearing positive messages that pushes us to forget that we’ve just decided we can’t possibly go on…that we’ll die if we have to take one more step or swing one more kettlebell.  Then that one song comes drifting in and, like the super-human comic-book character Venom, adrenaline comes pouring in and we’re on FIYA!  That motivational workout song gets us every time.

We recently compiled the best motivational workout songs for a killer sweat session, no matter if you add all of the songs (for an almost hour-long workout!) or just a few good ol’ fashioned faves. Enjoy—and get ready to be powered up!

A Motivational Workout Songs Playlist

1. Eye of the Tiger, Survivor: I know, I know. This is everyone’s go-to motivational workout song, but why fix it if it ain’t broken? If Rocky could power up for the ring using this song, then it’s good enough for us!
2. Lose Yourself, Eminem: They say there’s a point in working out where you really can lose yourself in the moment and go into the ultimate zone. The zone seems kind of bad-ass, so anything that glorifies that kind of intensity works for me.
3. Let’s Get it Started, Black Eyed Peas: And running, running! The Black Eyed Peas are telling you to run! They’re with you! If that doesn’t give you a little squirt of “You can do it!” then I don’t know what will.
4. Holding Out for a Hero, Bonnie Tyler: The ultimate montage song can be your ultimate-training song. This song screams for you to do your best. We’ll ignore the fact that she keeps clamoring on about a dude. You’re the hero/shero that’s racing on the thunder and rising with the heat.
5. You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet, Bachman-Turner Overdrive: This song is for the fools who thought you were wrapping your workout up. When you go in for that extra sweat, make sure you’re singing it loud and proud…they really haven’t seen nothing yet!
6. Proud Mary, Tina Turner: This woman’s got energy to boot. Whenever it comes on you automatically want to move your body as fast as it will go. Now that’s my kind of motivation!
7. Break My Stride, Matthew Wilder: Maybe your workout motivation comes from getting tough on the competition. Don’t let ’em hold you down! You’ve-got-to-keep-on-MOVING!
8. Fighter, Christina Aguilera: This is up there in the workout-anthem range if you ask me. I don’t know if it’s her booming voice or the gangsta lyrics…whatever it is, it works.
9. Come on Eileen, Dexy’s Midnight Runners: You don’t have to be named Eileen to dig this song. I love how there’s a moment where you can slow down and catch your breath, and then those darn Midnight Runners go speed the song up with awesome energy, forcing you to give that last lap all you’ve got.
10. Lose Control, Missy Elliott: Losing control (see song No. 2) and going buck-buck during your workout works! Feel the endorphins, and let them do with you what they will.
11. We are the Champions, Queen: A Queen song had to make the cut. Pretty soon it’ll be an FBG Golden Rule. You don’t have to be at the end of your workout to listen to this bad boy. The minute you make the decision to move, you’ve won. See how easy that was?
12. Just Keep Swimming, Dori from Finding Nemo: Note: This is a personal workout motivational song. FBG Jenn and I sang this dang song for at least half of our marathon race, and it worked! Just keep going/swimming/running…Gotta love those darn Disney songs that just get lodged in your head—at least the ones with messages that tell you to keep on pushing forward.
13. Walking on Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves: I go bat-shat when this song comes on. I think if you can start to associate working out with walking on sunshine, then you’ve done a very good thing, fitties. Don’t it feel good?!
14. I’m so Excited, The Pointer Sisters: It’s hard not to be excited when this one comes on. So, come on, get excited!
15. Move if You Wanna, Mims: This song has just enough gangster charm to get you off the couch and moving with swag. If anyone asks what got you to start moving, you can say that darling rapper Mims did. Instant cool points.

Do you have a motivational workout song that pushes you to the brink of awesome? Music-hungry ears would like to know! —Tish

A musical ode to the fit booty, in all shapes and sizes! Credit: digitizedchaos

How we’ve had this blog for three years and never done a playlist that pays homage to the healthy booty is beyond me. But here—finally!—it is. Fire this 50-minute booty playlist up for your next workout to celebrate the healthy junk in the trunk that you are rocking! And remember, fit bottoms come in all shapes and sizes. So love what your mama gave you, ladies!

A Booty Songs Playlist

1. Ms. New Booty, Bubba Sparxxx: Booty, booty, booty, booty rockin’ everywhere! Need we say more? I think not.
2. Rump Shaker, Wrex N Effect: Welcome to 1992. Now just shake (and celebrate) that healthy rump!
3. Back That Thang Up, Juvenile: We particularly recommend this song when doing backwards lunges. It’s perf.
4. My Humps, The Black Eyed Peas: Paying homage to the humps in both the front and the back, you can’t go wrong with this booty-lovin’ song.
5. Shake Ya Tailfeather, P. Diddy featuring Nelly: Just try not to wiggle your bum when this one is on. Darn. Near. Impossible. Super good on a run!
6. Booty City, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears: Believe us, Booty City is a place you want to visit during your next workout.
7. Shake Your Booty, Public Enemy: Oh Flavor Flav, you are so wise when it comes to booty. Shake it!
8. Bootylicious, Destiny’s Child: Be proud of those curves. A great song for intervals, when you need a high energy push to get you through!
9. Poison, Bell Biv DeVoe: While we tend to disagree with Bell Biv DeVoe’s advice to never trust a big butt and a smile, it just wouldn’t be a booty playlist without it.
10. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty, KC and the Sunshine Band: Get your disco on with this booty-loving track. It’s an oldie but a goodie!
11. Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-a-Lot: OMG, Becky, look at her butt. It’s just so…FIT. The anthem of butts everywhere, this song is great for cardio. And for practicing your rap skillz.
12. Fat Bottomed Girls, Queen: We saved the best—and most appropriate—for last. Sing the new lyrics with us now: “Fit Bottomed Girls make the workout world go round!” Now get on your bikes and ride!

Here’s to keeping a lid on the junk in the trunk (but not getting rid of it)! —Jenn

New workout songs, woot! Credit: carolyn.will

I love music. And, for me, music is one of the best parts of working out. Not only does it give me a listening-outlet for my guiltiest of music pleasures, but it gets me moving, making workouts more fun and therefore more effective. (When it’s fun, the time just flies by!) In fact, recent studies have found that music can make workouts feel easier and actually increase endurance by as much as 15 percent. Fifteen percent!

Because even the most exciting workout playlist can get stale every now and again, we thought we’d share a few tracks that are currently playing on our iPods. Sometimes a few new workout song or two is all you need to spice things up and—quite literally—get to jammin’ the next time you get your fitness on!

The Best New Workout Songs: August 2011

1. Super Bass, Nicki Minaj. Yeah, so Nicki Minaj is getting a lot of press today for a wardrobe malfunction on GMA, but we’re really digging her tunes—not the headlines. We loved her on Kanye’s album, and this song is the perfect smooth, steady state song for cardio!

2. I Wanna Go, Britney Spears. You know we’d be listening to Brit-Brit’s new single, right? Flirty, sassy and fun, it’s everything you want a workout (and Britney!) song to be.

3. On the Floor, Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull. Yes, this song has been out for a few months, but it still pumps us up during intervals to go just a little bit harder and a little bit faster!

4. Good Life, OneRepublic. Want to end your workout feeling extra good? Play this OneRepublic track that is guaranteed to leave your sweat-session with a smile on your face and a good feeling in your heart. Corny, but true.

5. Pumped Up Kicks, Foster the People. We couldn’t do just all pop, now could we? This track is upbeat, energizing and makes you want to whistle along. Get pumped up with it!

So, those are the best new workout songs we’ve been jamming to…what have you recently added to your workout playlist? Tell us about it! —Jenn

Credit: Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

It’s summer! And in celebration, the Fit Bottomed Girls have collected the best upbeat songs of this time of year for one heck of a summer playlist. Many of the songs are throwbacks from our childhood and teenage years, so some nostalgia is in here, but the playlist was created to get you moving—no porch-sitting reminiscing allowed!

If you’re looking to mix up your workout a bit, we’ve listed suggestions next to each song on how to modify and change your intensity. You can do this workout in the gym on a treadmill, elliptical, bike or any other piece of cardio equipment where you can modify your speed, resistance or intensity. However, this playlist works really well outside, so I encourage you to hit your local park or neighborhood for some summertime outdoor fun.

We’ve based the below workout’s intensity on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale, which basically just puts a number value on how hard you feel you’re working. The scale ranges from 6 to 20. A 6 is a nap, a 9 is a casual stroll, a 13 is where you start having problems talking without huffing and puffing, a 19 is the hardest thing you’ve ever done in your life, and a 20 is what you feel like just before you pass out. Notice that you don’t see anything above 18 on the list below. Again, the FBGs believe exercise should be fun—not painful. For more information on the scale, read the post below or click here for the super scientific description. Otherwise, enjoy your summer workout playlist!

The Official FBG Summer Playlist: 40 minutes

1. Summertime, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince: Light walking, RPE 9.
2. (4:13) Summer Love, JT: Steady state fast walking/light jogging at RPE 10 working up to RPE 11.
3. (3:34) Summer of ’69, Bryan Adams: Stay at RPE 11, picking up your pace every time Bryan croons “Summer of ’69″ for 30 seconds and then returning back to RPE 11.
4. (2:24) Blister in the Sun, Violent Femmes: Pick up the pace again, fast walking or running at RPE 15, feel the wind in your hair and face while you whiz by.
5. (4:02) So Fresh and So Clean, Outkast: Recovery song, slow your pace back to RPE 11.
6. (3:34) Summer Nights, Grease Soundtrack: Pick up your pace slowly throughout the song, ending at RPE 13, saving the energy to giggle at Travolta’s “oh” at the end of the song.
7. (4:48) Boys of Summer, Don Henley: Maintain RPE 13, pushing to a 15 when the refrain kicks in (“I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun…”) and back to RPE 13 for the verses.
8. (4:12) Doin’ Time, Sublime: Slow your pace back to RPE 11, recover before your last big push.
9. (3:44) How Bizarre, OMC: Continue with RPE 11, picking the pace up each time you hear the phrase, “How Bizarre.” By the end of the song you should be walking as fast as you can or sprinting.
10. (3:38) Kokomo, Beach Boys: Light jogging or walking, slow your pace to RPE of 9. Pat yourself on the back for a summer workout well done!

Enjoy and let us know what you think of this summer playlist in the comments below (especially if we missed your fave summertime song)! —Jenn

This post was originally published on May 30, 2008.

For the last two weeks I’ve driven myself and my husband batty singing “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga. (It’s only taken me 40 or so tries to get the fast-talking-rap part down—You’re Lebanese, you’re Orient!) So imagine both of our delights when Gaga’s new album by the same name went on sale, giving me 20 new songs to memorize and repeat ad nauseum!

Okay, so not all 20 are new—a number are remixes—but still, I can start singing about Jesus and Judas and Nebraska (for reals) and stop with the Gaga sexual-preference declarations (No matter gay, straight, or bi, Lesbian, transgendered life!). Ah, Gaga, you love to stir the controversy pot, and I love to listen to your tunes while I’m out for a run. And there are certainly some good ones for a workout!

6 Best Workout Songs on the New Lady Gaga Album

1. Marry the Night. With a pleasant early-90s sound and a dark vibe, this song is fabulous for early in your workout when you’re just getting going.

2. Born This Way. We just had to include it. You know why. (And for the haters, sounding like Madonna is never a bad thing in our workout-music books! Plus, the message of the track rocks—very Glee without the high school.)

3. Judas. The nice techno funktastic beat will get your pace and heart rate up in this track.

4. Scheiβe: She had us at: “If you’re a strong female, you don’t need permission.” Who knew German could be so sexy?

5. Yoü and I: Just making sure you were paying attention. This is a straight-up country song. And not a bad one. Fascinating, Gaga, just fascinating. Yay Nebraska!

6. Americano: Prepare to feel Latin. This had us shaking our maracas and pretending we had a Latin lover. Now that makes a workout go by fast.

Really, there’s not a terrible track on the album, and darn near all of them have a beat you can work out to. Even the slowest track “Bloody Mary” makes for an excellent cool down. So just put your paws up. This Lady Gaga album is worth downloading! —Jenn

Credit: vonlohmann

A couple of weeks ago I had the awesome pleasure of attending the Coachella Music Festival. If you’ve never heard of it, I’ll give you the key facts: It’s in a California dessert, it lasts three days, it’s full of amazing bands (some you’ve heard of, and some you haven’t), it’s hotter than Hades during the day and cold like the mountains at night, and it has the best people watching—ever.

This was my first time at a multi-day music festival, and while we didn’t do the camping thing, we did get our full-out music binge on, which inspired the heck out of me creatively and just gave me time to sit back, reflect and appreciate the overall awesomeness of life. I also had the chance to go with two awesome ladies, FBG Tish (read her personal blog Luv and Kiwi!) and her friend (and now my friend) Nicole. So. Much. Fun.

We spent a lot of time dancing, and while I usually lean towards the more pop-side when it comes to workout music, there were a number of tracks heard at Coachella that made me go, “Hmmm…this would be good for FBG.” Hence the below 45-minute playlist that is good for any cardio you love to do. (And note to the young-uns out there, not all are appropriate for PG-aged ears!)

Coachella 2011 Playlist

There we be!

1. (2:16) U.R.A. Fever, The Kills: Get your sexy, rocker-self ready because this track will get you feeling saucy. Do some fast walking or rhythmic stretching to get you warmed up like a, well, fever!
2. (4:02) Ready to Start, Arcade Fire: Now that you’re ready to start (Get it? Har har!), begin slowly picking your pace up during this song that builds in intensity as it goes. And for the record, this band was AMAZING live.
3. (3:43) Start Wearing Purple, Gogol Bordello: No matter if you’re a purple fan or not, this high-energy song will get you going. And if you’ve never heard of this band, Google them. Oh, so fun. Pick up your pace a bit for this one!
4. (4:38) Fuego, Bomba Estéreo: Oh, girl you are on fire! Pump up the intensity a little bit more while you jam out to the funky beats of Bomba Estéreo.
5. (3:47) Filthy/Gorgeous, Scissor Sisters: Oh, so gay, and oh so fabulous, we loved seeing the Scissor Sisters at Coachella. Slow your pace back down a little on this track, but definitely feel how gorgeous you are.
6. (2:42) Your Touch, The Black Keys: Another sexy band. Pick up your pace again, this time trying to go as hard as you can for the full almost three minutes. You got this, girl!
7. (4:53) Everything is Everything, Lauryn Hill: This is an older track but Lauryn Hill is still Lauryn Hill, and the wiseness she has (say like Yoda). Ponder the meaning of this song as you recover from that sprint.
8. (3:35) Fembot, Robyn: Do you remember Robyn from the 90s? Well, she’s back and totally techno-fantastic. Rock out to this girl-power song as you start to pick your pace up again.
9. (6:19) Monster, Kanye: Okay, so we weren’t actually there to hear Kanye on the final night of the show, but this is hands-down one of my favorite Kanye songs. It’s visceral, thumping and will definitely get you moving. For this one, sprint for 30 seconds every time a new rapper comes in the song.
10. (2:56) Can’t Stop Now, Ozomatli: Get your world music on with this song that tells you what you need to hear at the end of your workout: Can’t stop!
11. (2:58) When We Swam, Thao With Get Down Stay Down: So…I’m a little obsessed with this song and this band after seeing them. With sweet, flirtatious lyrics, cool it on down with this one.
12. (3:35) The Cave, Mumford & Sons: It wouldn’t be a Coachella playlist without Mumford! Keep on cooling down and do some light stretches with this popular song.

So much good music—a lot of which, looking back on, was pretty sexy. Growl. What’s your favorite band of the moment for workouts? And we totally plan on going back to Coachella next year… —Jenn