Bay Bloor Radio has some pretty amazing headphones in stock right now. And with GoodLife Fitness right upstairs, we see them in action all the time. Whenever we spot someone at the gym bopping to the beat or mouthing along to a song, we always wonder what they’re listening to.

That got us thinking about what we listen to at the gym, when we listen to it and why. Because like music, every workout has a vibe and the right playlist can dictate how good a workout is  the way it warms you up, builds you up, peaks and cools you down.

Pre-made workout playlists from Google Play Music (formerly Songza) and 8tracks.com are a great starting point. And both have free mobile apps you can download. On Google Play Music, you can choose playlists organized based on activities, genres, moods and decades, while 8tracks lets you type in tags and search pre-made playlists ranked by popularity. For example, the tags fitness + running + motivation take you to a playlist called “Yesterday you said tomorrow…” Brilliant.

But if you prefer to play DJ, don’t limit yourself to just one workout playlist. Make a bunch. And experiment with themes. We already talked about the music/workout connection. Here are some music/mood choices.

The workout after a super-stressful day

When you’re ready to punch a hole in a wall, angsty rock is perfect and Holiday by Green Day never fails. The tempo’s up right from the start and the volume’s high enough to silence the rage. And speaking of rage, anything by Rage Against The Machine will work too.

The workout before a super-long day

Some mindless repetitive weightlifting is great for resting your brain before you really have to use it. So is instrumental music that won’t cloud your mind with lyrics. Could be trance. Could be classical. And if you want to start your day with a goal, time your sweat to start dripping to the beat of the song.

The workout when you really don’t want to work out

Start your playlist with motivational lyrics  something to get those running shoes on your feet. Something like Eye of the Tiger. Actually, there’s nothing like Eye of The Tiger.