Total Workout: Stretch

You’ve got to lay the groundwork before you can build the temple, and anybody who takes his or her workout seriously knows that warming up and stretching out is key to maximizing potential and minimizing injury. Start things out gradually, as Mase & P. Diddy urge you in “Breathe, Stretch, Shake,” before handing off our Total Workout: Stretch Basics to the more vigorous propulsions of Wreckx-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker (Radio Mix).” Add to that the sinuous funk of Pitbull’s “I Know You Want Me” and the lock-step motivational march of Eminem & Nate Dogg’s “Till I Collapse,” and you’re ready to pick up the pace.

OK, you've warmed up nice and easy till you're feeling good and loose. Here's where you kick it up ever so slightly, hooking onto the beats of Kelis' "Milkshake" and letting them sink you even deeper into the stretch. Feels good, right? Keep going. From the ultra cool of Oakenfold's' "Starry Eyed Surprise" to the in-the-club bounce of Ludacris' "Pimpin' All Over the World," we've got riffs and rhythms to carry you all the way.

Whoever thought that stretching meant "time to rest" is seriously delusional. Ask anyone doing time in a Bikram studio; stretching is as mentally straining as any workout. Get those hammys loose to Metallica, Lewis Taylor, Sting and John Mayer.

Talk about essential: stretching may be the easiest part of your total workout to totally phase out, but skipping the stretch means missing out on a world of bodily benefits. Whether you're looking to ramp up your workout, scale back on the risk of injury, increase your balance and flexibility, or simply get off on the pure physical pleasure of elongating muscles, a good stretch - always preceded by a gentle warm-up - is the way to get it going. To keep it going? Look no further than the motivational sounds of our Stretch Essentials.