Since my fat ass has actually been going to the gym consistently, I’ve had to add several songs to my workout rotation. What will follow is a periodic update of whichever song has given me added juice on the lifting machines or elliptical trainer. Download these yourselves and enjoy.

“Whiskey’s Gone” – Zac Brown Band

I’ve seen Zac Brown Band in concert twice, and I count them both among my favorite concert experiences ever. Zac Brown has mostly taken up the mantle as your go-to guy for lazy, sun-soaked, good time beach music (See: Toes; Knee Deep) and traditional style country ballads. He’s great at both, and both of his albums I own I can listen to all the way through.

One thing Zac Brown is definitely underrated for is his pure face melting ability. When you’re at his concert, you’re swaying gently to the sweet sentiment of “Whatever It Is” or the sad, hopeful melancholy of “Keep Me In Mind,” and you forget the guy up there can shred with the absolute best of ‘em.

Then, like an asteroid hurtling right at your fucking face, “Whiskey’s Gone” socks you right in your grill and lights a fire under your feet. And then you MOVE. Zac Brown Band knows it doesn’t have to prove anything to you, but occasionally will just break into the fastest cover of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” you’ve ever fucking heard, followed immediately by “Whiskey’s Gone” and you’re stomping your boots and hopping around like the honky tonk jackass you’ve always apparently had deep inside you.

Two benefits to working out to uptempo country music:

1. Like with bluegrass music, when played at appropriate volume (read: LOUD), it feels like someone’s chasing you like you’re in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard or something. That’s a problem when you’re speeding on the highway, but a huge plus when you’re toiling away on a cardio machine. You get your ass in gear and you haul balls.

2. The bridge portion of this song features a violin played pizzicato. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, think of any time one cartoon character snuck up on another. Thrump-thrump-thrump-thrump-thrump. During this section, I like to turn the tables and instead of getting chased by Boss Hogg or whoever, I’m now Sylvester the Cat skulking around trying to capture Tweety Bird. It’s great. I need a whole disc of just pizzicato violin strings. I’d walk around work like that. I’d probably get fired.

The point is, during what’s often the drudgery of step after step on a cardio machine, you need ways to engage your imagination. And “Whiskey’s Gone” gives you two nice escape valves.

Enjoy!