Pump up the jam for a better workout

According to Bill Conti, composer of the famous theme song "Gonna Fly Now" for the film Rocky, the Greeks listened to music in what is known as the Dorian mode before going into battle. Not surprisingly, many fitness buffs listen to Mr. Conti's song before they begin their own workout battle.

Researchers have long understood that a connection existed between athletic performance and music. Most notably, the Brunel Music Rating was created by researchers to rate the motivational quality of music in the context of sport and exercise. Lead researcher, Dr. Costas Karageorhis, found that one of the most important elements is a song's tempo, which should be between 120 and 140 beats-per-minute (BPM). This is the average BPM for most faster-paced dance and rock music. It also roughly corresponds to an average person's heart rate while they're in the throes of continuous exercise.

Of course, everyone has their personal preference when it comes to music, so there truly is no "perfect" song, as it were. However, in the twenty years that Dr. Karageorhis has been conducting his Brunel Music Rating survey, one song always seems to be among the highest rated motivational songs. Yup, you guessed right, Bill Conti's "Gonna Fly Now."