Spinning

It was 1987 when endurance athlete Johnny G needed a way to train for a cross-country marathon without leaving his pregnant wife alone at home. His solution? A handful of training buddies and some stationary bikes in the garage — fast-forward a couple decades and G's brainchild, christened "spinning," is one of the country's most popular methods for incinerating calories, honing lean muscle and increasing aerobic endurance. Classes are everywhere, but when you wanna get your spinning on solo-style, we make it easy . . . with the primal beats of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean)," the Guess Who's mile-munchin' "American Woman," and the Bee Gees' live-strong anthem "Stayin' Alive." Spin into Next Steps to keep the pedals turning.

OK, so Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In the Wall, Pt. 2" might not come off as your average soundtrack to fitness glory, but spinning is all about setting a cadence — timing is essential when, say, you're facing a serious hill-climb, and the Floyd's purposeful propulsion more than fits the bill. Same goes with the link-by-link progression of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain," or the heartbeat pulse of Suzanne Vega & D.N.A.'s "Tom's Diner." And when you want to pick up the pace, there's Plaza Musique's heart-starter "Fleur de Pluie" to light the pedal-faster fire, and Ok Go's goal-setting rocker "Invincible" standing by for sweet inspiration. You're in deep now, so take it home in Deep Cuts.

There's nothing quite like the metal madness of Motörhead's fitness full-house "Ace of Spades" to catalyze that last burst of energy that your spinning regimen requires — especially if you imagine that Lemmy is chasing you down an endless avenue, brandishing chains and hangwire bass strings. But, hey, that's what we're here for . . . to wring every last hard-earned drop of potential from your workout journey. So "Pump It Up" to Elvis Costello's post-punk pep pill, sustain it over the long haul to the math-rock intensity of Rush's "Marathon," then cool it down with the '70s-style super-pop of Supertramp and "Take the Long Way Home."

So what makes twirling the pedals on a stationary bike so special? Not much. What makes spinning one of the most popular forms of exercise in the country? How about the boundless potential for fat-burning aerobic exertion? The power to strengthen quads, hams, the back, and the most important muscle in your bod, the heart? The ability to tailor it all to your own fitness level; to find your own comfort zone and then surpass it; to set goals and reach them 'til you're the fit, trim superstar you always knew you could be? Yeah, that's special, and it calls for out-of-the-ordinary tunes. That's where we come in, with tracks to help you slam that cadence (Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"), conquer those hill climbs (Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"), and, above all, believe Bruce Springsteen when he shouts it out — these are your "Glory Days."