Spinning

It was 1987 when endurance athlete Johnny G (Jonathan Goldberg) needed a way to train for a cross-country marathon without leaving his pregnant wife alone at home. His solution? A couple of mates and some stationary bikes in the garage — fast-forward a couple decades and G's brainchild, christened "spinning", is one of the world's most popular methods for incinerating calories, honing lean muscle and increasing aerobic endurance. Classes are everywhere, but when you want to go spinning solo-style, we make it easy to turn to the primal beats of Shakira's "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)", Coldplay's timekeeping pace setter "Clocks", and Kraftwerk's bike-based "Tour de France". 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 for the pulse-pushing percussion of Fleetwood Mac's "Big Love", or the heartbeat-acceleration contained within Fatboy Slim's remix of the Beastie Boys' "Body Movin'". When you want to pick up the pace, use Paronator's Ibiza banger "Distance" to push the pedal-faster button, and if you require a post-punk pep pill, get some "Pump It Up" from Elvis Costello. 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 your spinning regimen requires. But, hey, that's what we're here for — to wring every last ever-lovin' drop of potential from your workout journey. So sustain it over the long haul with Afrojack's "Thief" and the Almight Club mix of Katherine Jenkins' "Bring Me to Life", summon up one final burst of spinning energy as Saxon fill your ears with "Going Nowhere Fast" then cool it down with the '70s-style super-pop of Supertramp and "Take the Long Way Home". Those legs of steel you always wanted . . . well, now you've got them.

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 body, 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? Oh yes, 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") and conquer those hill climbs (Tears for Fears' "Shout"). What are you waiting for? On yer bike!