Music plays a powerful role in a wide variety of settings in life, providing spiritual encouragement, roadtrip wakefulness, and in perhaps one of its most crucial roles, workout motivation.

Whether running, lifting, kickboxing, playing a sport, or something totally different is your thing, if working out is part of your routine you've likely experienced the fact that the right music can be a significant factor in how you feel through the process. The right beats can keep your blood pumping and your adrenaline racing, fueling a good workout from start to finish. 

As a runner, I stand by the belief that the soundtrack is 90% of how I have finished each race I've run. I've collected some tried and true workout songs guaranteed to help you power through next time you're sweating it out in the gym.

"Power" by Group 1 Crew
There's nothing to kick off a good workout like a good hype song. "Power," the title track from Group 1 Crew's latest album, will start your workout with a reminder that we are truly filled with power through the Holy Spirit: "I want that power, that power, give me that power."

"Game On" by Disciple
It's no surprise that this song from Disciple's 2006 album Scars Remain would be picked up by ESPN. The aggression in this blistering track is perfect to propel you through the early phases of a warm up, staring down your workout and screaming "Are you ready for me? 'Cause I'm ready for you / It's time for us to start throwing down."

"Release the Panic" by RED
This is the perfect song for once you're hitting your stride in your routine, when you're feeling good and hitting your groove. "Breathe in, breathe out / Blackout, let your panic out:" let those words propel you as your body floods with as much adrenaline as a RED show.

"Monster" by Skillet
By this point in your workout, you're likely breathing heavily, feeling sweaty, feeling strong... and maybe even feeling like a monster. Keep the energy flowing with this smash hit from Skillet's 2009 album Awake. 

"Run Wild." by for KING & COUNTRY
At the height of your workout, breathing room between reps is sometimes crucial. This title track from for KING & COUNTRY's stellar sophomore release is the perfect soundtrack for catching your breath while keeping your focus honed in on the goal. The lyrics nail it: "Don't you want to run wild, live free, love strong?"

"You Can't Stop Me" by Andy Mineo
Pick up the pace again with this banger from Andy Mineo's breakthrough release Never Land. This beat promises you'll be picking up the pace every time Andy yells "you can't stop me!" This song is also perfect just in case you've got any haters: turn this up and tune them out.

"This Goes Out to You" by P.O.D.
Now we've dealt with haters, this song is perfect for if you've got a workout buddy along with you. "This Goes Out to You" from last year's Confessions is the quintessential P.O.D. blend of reggae, rock, rapcore and punch-in-the-gut vocals and lyrics. Make sure to play this one for your gym buddy: "This song goes out to you / For everything and all that we go through."

"Impossible" by Lacey Sturm
Around this time you might start feeling the burn, like maybe you can't make it to the end of your workout. The lead single from Lacey Sturm's recently released Life Screams is the perfect pick-me-up. The first verse was practically made for moments like these: "I don't run too fast but I'm looking back and miles and miles have passed / I can barely breathe but I'm singing out like this is nothing to me."

"The War Inside" by Switchfoot
OK, so at this point in the game you're probably struggling. This Switchfoot song might be about the metaphorical spiritual struggle we all endure as souls living in a broken world, but it can also have a very real application when it starts to feel like your lungs are trying to kill you. Turn this one up and let the guitar riffs carry you towards the finish line.

"Stick to Your Gunz" by Manafest
In case you were thinking of quitting, Manafest and Solomon Olds ("Soul Glow Activatur," formerly of Family Force 5) bring you this reminder to "Stick to Your Gunz" and finish strong. The swaggering groove in this song promises to keep you going.

"Holding Onto You" by twenty one pilots
Have you ever reached the point in your workout where you literally resorted to praying for help? Just me? Either way, this song from twenty one pilots' 2011 release Vessel is a great end of the workout jam. Pound it out to the classic bridge "Is it time to move our feet / To an introspective beat / It ain't the speakers that bump hard / It's our hearts that make the beat."

"The End Is Where We Begin (Solomon Olds Remix)" by Thousand Foot Krutch
You've finished your workout. You're in cool down mode, stretching, hydrating, celebrating the fact that you survived. But this killer remix of the title track from Thousand Foot Krutch's 2012 release will remind you that the journey doesn't stop here: you get to do it all again tomorrow. The end is where we begin.


Check out more workout power songs in our playlist below. What are your go-to workout tracks?