Tom Rowland | Use MUSIC to Make Your Workout More FUN | Physical Friday | Ep. 505

In this Physical Friday segment, Tom Rowland—host of the Tom Rowland Podcast, professional fishing guide, and CrossFit enthusiast—reveals how to transform mundane workouts into engaging experiences using music as your training partner. What happens when you combine The Police's "Roxanne" with burpees and squats? How can a single song turn push-ups into a brutal endurance test? Tom shares two specific song-based workout protocols that add rhythm, structure, and fun to any training session, whether you're working out alone, with kids, or with a group. These aren't just background playlists—these are movement protocols built around repeating lyrics that create natural interval patterns.

The Roxanne Protocol: Burpees, Squats, and Sting's Repeating Lyrics

Tom introduces a warm-up protocol built around The Police's "Roxanne" that turns a classic rock song into a structured interval workout. The concept is simple but brutally effective: every time Sting sings "Roxanne," you do a burpee; every time he says "light" (as in "put on the red light"), you perform a squat. What makes this particularly challenging is Sting's tendency to repeat phrases obsessively throughout his songs. The workout starts slow and builds as the song progresses. Tom mentions he'll sometimes put "Roxanne" on repeat and cycle through the song three or four times, transforming a song you love into one you might never want to hear again. It's a method for adding structure and challenge to warm-ups, especially when training with kids or groups. The full Roxanne protocol explanation starts at 01:48.

Bring Sally Up: The Isometric Hold Challenge

The second music-based workout Tom discusses uses the song "Bring Sally Up," which creates a different type of challenge centered on isometric holds. When the lyrics say "bring Sally up," you move to the top position of your chosen exercise; when they say "bring Sally down," you move to the bottom position and hold. Tom suggests starting with push-ups: holding at the top in a plank when Sally comes up, then lowering to just an inch off the ground and holding when Sally goes down. But the protocol scales dramatically in difficulty. Tom mentions trying it with pull-ups—holding at the top of the pull-up bar, then hanging when the lyrics command—or with back squats, front squats, and goblet squats, holding at the top and bottom positions. The isometric holds create significant time under tension. Tom breaks down the Bring Sally Up variations at 03:25.

Why Sting's Songwriting Makes Great Workout Programming

Tom makes an interesting observation about why The Police songs work particularly well for this type of training: Sting has a tendency to repeat the same phrase over and over throughout his songs. While this creates catchy, memorable music, it also creates natural interval patterns for movement-based workouts. The repetition provides consistent cueing without requiring a timer or app—the music itself becomes the coach. Tom's emphasis is on finding songs with choruses or repeated phrases that can be paired with specific movements. He encourages listeners to experiment with any song that has this structure, opening up endless possibilities for creative workout design. The key is matching movement complexity to the song's tempo and repetition pattern. Tom's philosophy on music selection starts at 04:31.

Building Your Own Music-Based Workout Library

Tom wraps up by inviting listeners to discover and share their own music-based workout protocols. He emphasizes that millions of songs could potentially be adapted to this format—any track with a repeating chorus can become the foundation for a creative workout. The approach works for warm-ups, for training sessions with kids, or simply as a way to add novelty and fun to solo workouts. Tom provides his text number—(305) 930-7346—and encourages anyone who develops a good music workout to reach out and share it. He notes you'll need to fill out a form first, but after that, you can text back and forth. The invitation is genuine: if you create something good, Tom wants to try it in his own training. It's this kind of community-driven experimentation that keeps training fresh and engaging. Tom's invitation to share your music workout ideas comes at 04:44.

Final Thoughts from Tom

This Physical Friday segment is short, but it's packed with ideas you can implement immediately. I love these music-based workouts because they solve a real problem: boredom. When you're doing the same warm-ups or the same movements day after day, your brain checks out. But when you tie movement to music—especially songs with unpredictable repetition patterns—you're forced to stay present. You're listening, reacting, and the workout becomes almost game-like.

The Roxanne protocol is one I've used countless times, and I'm not exaggerating when I say it can turn a song you love into a song you dread. But that's also what makes it effective. The Bring Sally Up challenge is even more brutal, especially if you try it with pull-ups or heavy squats. The isometric holds break people. I've seen athletes who can rep out push-ups all day get humbled by three minutes of Sally.

If you're looking for a way to shake up your training or get your kids more engaged in working out with you, try one of these protocols this week. And if you come up with your own version using a different song, seriously, text me. I'm always looking for new ways to keep training fun and challenging. This episode is quick, but the ideas work. Give it a listen.