♪ FitHits: Olympian Jams

Where there’s a rhyme, there’s a reason they say. If you recall, Nike hooked a sister up with mad access to the 2010 U.S. Winter Olympics team. While it is inevitable that fit bottomed girls around the nation drool over answers pertaining to how these women got their perfectly fit rumps, legs, arms…you get the drift…I’m sure you never considered the muses behind the muscle.

One thing all fit bottomed girls have in common is the hits that help the trainings go round. I had the opportunity to ask the panel of Olympian ladies what they listen to during workouts. The following songs help figure skaters, hockey players, skiers and skeleton folks do their thug-thizzle. Just think, the Red Hot Chili Peppers could be responsible for America taking home the gold!

Olympian Jams Playlist

1. (5:00) Butterfly, Jason Mraz: After listening to this little energetic naughtiness you’ll find reason enough to stretch your body out. Preparation never sounded so inspirationally baudy. This is pair skater Keauna McLaughlin’s favorite and absolute perfection as a warm-up.
2. (4:29) We Made You, Eminem: Every workout needs a catchy beat to get the heart pumping. First the head starts bobbing side to side, and before you know it, you’ve gradually picked up the pace. This other Keauna fave has just enough anger to put her in the competitive mood.
3. (5:07) Clocks, Coldplay: This track had Keauna and her partner Rockne Brubaker flying all over the ice. There’s just something about this haunting song that makes you want to get up and move. It’s all about beautiful inspiration, right? Makes me wanna twirl on some ice. Twirling is great cardio, FYI.
4. (5:04) M.O.N.I., DJ Cobra: You won’t hear any mellow vibes bouncing out of Katie Uhlaender’s ear phones. In the sport of skeleton racing, athletes such as Katie descend down a bobsled track head first (their chin and toes only millimeters from the ice) while balancing on an aerodynamic, rectangular steel and fiberglass sled. They do this while going 130 mph. Repetitive, fast-paced music is perfect for those trying dare-devil moves in their workouts.
5. (4:44) Give It Away, Red Hot Chili Peppers: This song is Katie’s top choice for lifting. Just imagine that darling lead singer, and the muscles he’s acquired that you, too, can have. Be your own Olympian.
6. (4:12) Big Poppa, Notorious B.I.G.: Another Katie fave, this song is perfect for when you need to slow down the pace but keep things gangster-champion. I recommend a couple sets of squats and lunges. Create a positive relationship between rap and your bottom once and for all.
7. (3:30) Single Ladies, Beyonce: Every gal should have this song within reach. Substitute “ring” for medal and go to town doing the Beyonce dance. Precious metals are great incentive to sweat it out a couple more minutes in the gym. Just ask hockey player Angela Ruggiero, who loves this track.
8. (3:26) Magic, Colbie Cailatt: This cool down song is a must-listen for Keauna. Her name is Hawaiian and means “feminine wind running through the forest,” and she fittingly rocks a pink iPod and leans more towards heart flutters than heart pumps. Perfect for cooling down.

If you were going for gold this winter, what songs would you include on your pump-up playlist? —Tish