Tim Almond

I’ve been going to the gym for some weeks now, and apart from a brief break due to a very heavy cold, I’m doing OK. It’s all helped by the large screens showing pop videos of disco tracks sampling 80s MOR tracks by Steve Winwood or Don Henley.

And this is a good thing. You wouldn’t catch me listening to Eric Prydz in my car or at home, but on a cross-trainer, it does the job. I had my pulse rate peaking at 171 the other night, which is about perfect. But for some reason, now and again, they throw a googly in there. The other night, just after a track by Bodyrockers, we get The Fray, undistracting Coldplay-like stuff, but not what you want when you’re trying to get a cardiovascular workout.

So, I decide to check my options for some private sounds. The iPod shuffles are a nice little bit of kit, but they’re £50, and I’m not keen on tying my file transfers into a piece of software. So instead, I pick up a little Aigo machine from Argos that’s about the size of a fun size Mars Bar for £17 and comes with headphones and a neck strap. Plugs straight into the USB and becomes a shared drive, so I can copy down some MP3s.

The sound is OK, and there’s an "x-bass" mode that feels right for a workout. You wouldn’t want to listen to Tosca on it, but Push It hits all the right spots.

Unfortunately, because I don’t own any Eric Prydz, I’m digging through my collection for anything at the right sort of intensity. What category am I looking for? Progressive Trance? Hard House? Handbag?

Tags: Music, Exercise //