If you and I were meeting for the first time, you would discover three of my loves very fast… 1. training 2. the beach and 3. music. Even as a little girl, I can recall sitting by my radio waiting for certain songs to come on just so I could hit the “record” button on my cassette player. (Thank goodness for the progression in acquiring music) Then in high school, I became most known for my playlists and mixed cds. Still today, two of my regular spending indulgences are manicures and music.

What’s my favorite? I rarely discriminate but I probably listen to Hip Hop and R&B / Soul most. I also have an ear, mood and appreciation for dance / electronic, reggae, country, alternative, rock and of course, instrumental. My father is definitely gifted musically - I wish I was too, but I at least got his ear for it. Before I devoted myself to the fitness industry, I actually wanted to take the record industry by storm either as a DJ (ALMA would have been my stage name which not only are my initials but the word “Soul” in spanish as well) or I wanted to be an A&R Rep in the music industry. Instead, training grabbed my attention more but music still makes my world go round.

Different things catch me in a song. Usually it’s the message via lyrics, followed by an energy (beat) or emotion. Needless to say, I always use music to enhance my training sessions. I operate to different playlists whether I’m out for a run, in a strength training session or hitting strictly conditioning.

I frequently post about a song here and there, so thought it was time again to share a playlist. The following are some of my fav Hip Hop songs to train to. Some are old, some are current. Some you’re probably familiar with while others are hopefully new-found gems. This is by no means an exhaustive list but a “few” of my favs that get me fired up… and no, you will not find anything like “Call Me Maybe” on this playlist sorry.

So without further adieu, an ALMA Playlist

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