Dynamite Spin Mix (53 minutes)

I’ve been feeling the need to do a mix of recent dance tunes.  This mix includes a bunch of hits that have been charting this summer, including I Like It from Enrique Iglesias, Dynamite and Break Your Heart from Taio Cruz, Love the Way You Lie by Eminem, Memories by David  Guetta, Naturally by Selena Gomez & The Scene, Telephone from Lady GaGa, Blah Blah Blah from Ke$ha, and Airplanes from B.o.B. to wind it up.

Two Tribes – Frankie Goes to Hollywood (3:56):  Let’s warm up to this 1984 dance hit that went to number one in the U.K., New Zealand, Germany and the Netherlands, but inexplicably only #43 in the U.S.A.  Either way, the song has great warm up energy.  Let’s get those legs moving.

I Like It (feat. Pitbull) – Enrique Iglesias (3:52):  Start with some lifts: 8 counts for the verses, 4 counts for the choruses.  At the bridge (2:00 – 2:30) go to 2 counts.  This song was all over the Top 10 in multiple countries this year: the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Spain, the U.S.A., Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Scotland, and Switzerland.

Dynamite – Taio Cruz (3:24):  Cruz is an English popstar and this tune has catchy all over it – just try not to hum it later.  We’re going to use it for a high tension out of the saddle climb, so take that resistance up to 6/10 and alternate between regular and aggressive stances 45 seconds/45 seconds, then 1 minute each.

Machines Can Do the Work – Fatboy Slim vs. Herve (5:01):  Speaking of catchy, Fatboy Slim is a lot more memorable than Norman Cook (his real name).  We’re going to start with a tempo drill.  At 1:00, surge for 60 seconds.  At 2:00, turn up the tension a couple of clicks, and go back to tempo.  At 3:00 we surge again for 60 seconds.  At 4:00, turn up the tension and go back to tempo to ride it out.

Love the Way You Lie (feat. Rihanna) – Eminem (4:23):  Let’s do a seated climb to this controversial song about domestic violence.  At 0:25 take that tension up to a comfortable challenge and dig in.  Be forewarned: Eminem drops a few f-bombs in this one, and I couldn’t find a radio edit.

Memories (feat. Kid Cudi) – David Guetta (3:31):  David Guetta is a French DJ who really knows how to spin a tune – his music is so darn, well – happy.  It makes me want to dance when I’m alone in my living room, never mind in a club at 4:00 a.m.  Another language warning, though: this one uses the word sh*t.  We start a ten minute out of the saddle climb here.  Are you up for it?

Break Your Heart – Taio Cruz (3:06):  And what’s wrong with a double shot of Taio Cruz?  Heading into some rolling hills.  Every 10-30 seconds take the tension up a notch; after 3-4 increases, head back down the same way.

Naturally – Selena Gomez & The Scene (3:23):  I first came across this song not long after having Kate.  I was out for one of my first tender walks after getting home from the hospital and couldn’t stop myself from breaking into a jog (that I later regretted) when I heard the chorus of this song.  The bloom has since gone off the rose a bit, since Canadian TV network CTV picked up the song to plug their fall lineup of TV programs.  What we’re going to do here is what comes naturally: an out of the saddle climb for the verses, and hard, all-out sprint for the choruses.  Do ‘em seated or standing.  I’m gonna stand.

High Roller – The Crystal Method (5:30):  Take some well-deserved recovery after that 10 minute hill that ended in crazy sprints.  Rest for 1:07, then start some single-leg training with medium-high tension 7/10.  One minute each leg, two sets.  A high roller is also known as a whale and just like Ahab, casinos look to reel them in.  In Las Vegas you need to be able to gamble with anywhere from $150,000 – $300,000 to be a high roller.  (Are you kidding me?  I feel bad if I lose 20 bucks at the casino.  That’s five cappuccinos.)

Telephone (feat. Beyonce) – Lady GaGa (3:41):  I’m a huge, unabashed GaGa fan.  She wrote this hit for Britney Spears, who rejected it.  (Can’t you hear Britney in it?)  Britney’s loss – it went on to hit #3 on the American Billboard charts and #3 in Canada as well.  On the surface, the song is about a woman who doesn’t want to take her boyfriend’s call while she’s at a nightclub, but GaGa says she doesn’t go to nightclubs and the song is really about her workaholism.  We’re going to use this song for some lifts 8/4/2, at least a minute for each.

Blah Blah Blah (feat. 3OH!3) – Ke$ha (2:52):  Keep those lifts going for a full 7 minutes.  Oh yes, I am cruel.

Fire – Scooter (3:30):  The best way to get any remaining energy out is with some sprints, so let’s go at 0:20 when the singer shouts “go!”  15 seconds on/off, then 30, then 45 seconds.  Then blessed recovery.

Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore) – B.o.B. (3:01):  Cool down with this ultra-catchy hip hop tune from B.o.B.  It took me ages to track down the name of this song after hearing it on the radio.  I thought I heard Eminem on it sometimes, and other times not (turns out there’s a second song, Airplanes Part II on which he does appear).  Once again, watch for explicit language.

Stereo Love – Edward Maya and Vika Jigulina (4:08):  Some more cool down and goodbye music.