Study type: Randomized controlled trialConfidence: Moderate

Effects of Preferred and Non-Preferred Warm-Up Music on Resistance Exercise Performance

Ballmann CG, Cook GD, Hester ZT, Kopec TJ, Williams TD, Rogers RR

Year2021

Sample sizen=10

JournalJournal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology

AuthorsBallmann CG, Cook GD, Hester ZT, Kopec TJ, Williams TD, Rogers RR

Evidence is still building up

Summary

A randomized, counterbalanced crossover trial in 10 resistance-trained males found that listening to preferred (vs. non-preferred) warm-up music before bench press (75% 1RM) led to significantly more reps to failure and higher motivation. Barbell velocity (power) and RPE did not differ significantly between conditions, and the study lacked a no-music control, limiting generalizability.

Source (read the original)

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DOI: 10.3390/jfmk6010003

Key Findings

Key findings

Key point

1
Reps to failure were significantly higher in the preferred music condition than the non-preferred condition (p=0.001)
2
Motivation was significantly higher in the preferred music condition (p<0.001)
3
Barbell velocity (a power measure) and RPE showed no significant difference between conditions
4
Small sample of young trained males, single load (75% 1RM), and no no-music control condition limit generalizability

Related Research

Related research

Meta-analysis

Effects of Preferred Music Listening on Physical and Psychological Parameters in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Meta-Regression

BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2025

A meta-analysis pooling 41 studies (n=855) found that preferred music listening (PML), compared to non-preferred music or no-music conditions, significantly improved reps to failure (muscular endurance), motivation, positive affect, power output, and maximal strength, while significantly reducing RPE (rate of perceived exertion). However, heterogeneity across studies was substantial (I²=75-96%), and publication bias was flagged for several outcomes, so effect sizes should be interpreted with caution.

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Articles featuring this study

Research vs Bro-science
Does Listening to Music You Love Actually Improve Your Workout? Bro Science vs. Research
"Play a hype song and you can push past your limit" — training without earbuds feels incomplete to many lifters. It's intuitive that music you like boosts motivation. But does that translate into measurable performance gains like reps or power output, or is it just a mood effect? A large recent meta-analysis on preferred music listening and an RCT on warm-up music now let us put this claim to the test.
Hirotsugu Yoshimura

Last checked: 2026-07-11