I recently acquired a bad ass treadmill as part of an effort to get back in shape (more on that later), and I went searching for some USMC cadence recordings to listen to while I run on it. They were harder to find than I thought they would be, so I figured I would share them here in case anyone would like to hear them.

These work songs are sung while a platoon is running in formation and let me tell you – they are motivational. When you hear 80 sets of boots pounding the ground in unison while 80 Marines sing cadence it is a site to behold.

Cadence serves multiple purposes but the two most important are quite practical:

1. Running long distances, over rough terrain, carrying a load of gear hurts. More than you think. In fact, it’s the reason I’m not in the Corps any more (I had 15 stress fractures in my shins from it). Calling cadence gives you something else to think about.
2. Breathing rhythm is very important to long distance runners, and calling cadence requires you to breath properly. You alternate between taking in plenty of air, and expelling it while you sing at the top of your lungs. In fact, without actually singing you aren’t getting the benefits of cadence.

So, here are the best recordings I could find. If you know of other good ones please drop a note in the comments.

USMC Cadence Medley (Download)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

USMC Running Cadence (Download)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

USMC I Used to Sit at Home All Day… (Download)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

USMC Fired Up, Feels Good… (Download)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

USMC Mission Top Secret… (Download)

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Finally, if you’re interested in learning what it takes to actually become a US Marine, check out my article entitled “Corps Boot Camp: How to Make a US Marine“. For even more, here is another site that has a pretty good write up.

Tags: Audio, Exercise, Health-&-Fitness, Marines, Military, USMC

Related posts

1. US Marine Corps Silent Drill PlatoonIf you need proof that the Marine Corps is full of complete bad-asses, just take a look at this video....
2. Corps Boot Camp: How to Make a US MarineI joined the United States Marine Corps when I was 17 years old. More specifically, 5 days after my 17th...
3. Get Your Virtual Haircut and Other Auditory IllusionsMy buddy Hrafn over at Think Artificial found this fantastic audio recording that sounds exactly like you’re getting a haircut....
4. Free PDF Printer DriverFolks, I just wanted to pass along a tip for a free PDF Printer Driver in case anyone was ever...
5. Ford Model’s Workout Tips and RoutinesAs we all know, working out can be pretty boring. As we also know, often models are not the sharpest...
6. Lorelle VanFossen on Kicking Ass Content ConnectionsThis is the one hour long lecture given by Lorelle VanFossen at the WordCamp 2007 conference in San Francisco, CA...
7. Blogging vs. Journalism with John C. Dvorak and Om MalikAs many of you may recall, last weekend I was in San Francisco attending the Wordpress user conference called WordCamp....