DALLAS, April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Gold's Gym, the world's leading authority in health and fitness, with Men's Health and Women's Health, the world's best-selling fitness and lifestyle magazines, announced today that "Till I Collapse" by Eminem featuring Nate Dogg has taken the title of Ultimate Workout Song in this year's "March Music Madness" online tournament.

March Music Madness is an annual bracket-based competition to find out what gym-goers are listening to while breaking a sweat. Celebrities (including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Will Ferrell, Trey Songz, Mickey Rourke and Brooke Shields), Gold's Gym members, fans and personal trainers all nominated their favorite workout songs. 

The top 64 songs were seeded in a tournament-style bracket on MarchMusicMadness.com, created by digital music advertising firm F#. The 2014 competition featured a "Battle of the Sexes" theme, with half the songs nominated by girls and half nominated by guys. Thousands of consumers voted in six rounds to advance the top workout songs and reveal once and for all, whose playlist is hotter – Team Guys or Team Girls?

The result? A snapshot of not only what music is helping Americans rock their reps, but also the differences (and similarities) in each gender's taste in workout music. Once the top songs from Team Guys and Team Girls were voted to the Championship round from the Final Four, the two songs went head to head. "Timber" by Pitbull featuring Ke$ha represented Team Girls, but was ultimately defeated by Team Guys' Eminem track.

One trend that emerged among male voters and nominating celebrities was the undeniable popularity of rock music. The three runner-up songs on the male side of the bracket – "Enter Sandman" by Metallica, "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses and "Shoot to Thrill" by AC/DC  − were all rooted in classic rock, while the rap-rock beat of winning song "Till I Collapse" features a nod to Queen's "We Will Rock You."

Conversely, Team Girls continued to advance hip-hop tracks. "Timber," which was Women's Health Fitness Director Jen Ator's top pick, beat out similar upbeat tracks for the No. 1 spot on Team Girls, including: "SexyBack" by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland, "Wake Me Up" by Avicii and "Talk Dirty to Me" by Jason DeRulo featuring 2 Chainz.

As a continued tradition of the March Music Madness competition, and as a reward for nominating the winning song, Gold's Gym will donate $5,000 to the nominator's charity of choice. Gold's Gym member Jamieson Patrick nominated "Till I Collapse" and selected the Special Olympics to receive this donation.

"We love March Music Madness because it brings to life how important music is to the workout experience," said Dave Reiseman, Vice President of Communications for Gold's Gym. "It also allows our members, trainers and celebrity friends to come together for a good cause. And, we hope it helps our members find some new tunes to add to their fitness playlists that power their workouts."

"No matter what the workout, music and exercise go hand-in-hand," says Women's Health Fitness Director Jen Ator. "Research shows that listening to any music will keep you working out longer, harder and even put you in a better mood. The March Music Madness competition was a great way to find new songs to get your sweat on and give back at the same time."

For additional information, log on to www.marchmusicmadness.com or www.facebook.com/goldsgym.

About Gold's Gym
Established in Venice, Calif. in 1965, Gold's Gym is the most recognized gym chain in the world with more than 650 locations in 37 states and 28 countries. The iconic brand ranks in the top 15 percent of Entrepreneur magazine's 2011 "Franchise 500." Gold's Gym offers the latest equipment and services, including group exercise, personal training, cardiovascular equipment, group cycle, Pilates and yoga. With nearly 3 million members worldwide, Gold's Gym helps all kinds of people achieve their individual potential through fitness. For more information please visit www.goldsgym.com, www.facebook.com/goldsgym or www.twitter.com/goldsgym.

About Women's Health
Women's Health propels 22 million consumers into action, providing the motivation and the inspiration for them to make instant, positive changes in their lives.  Launched in October 2005 and published 10 times a year by Rodale Inc., Women's Health has quickly grown into a multimedia brand that includes branded books, mobile applications, and renowned events. The magazine has received numerous industry accolades including the 2011 ASME National Magazine Award in the category of General Excellence in Fashion, Service, and Lifestyle and was also nominated for the ASME of General Excellence again in 2013; included on Adweek's annual Hot List two times and is nominated for a third in 2013; and was named Advertising Age's 2009 Magazine of the Year and also listed among their 2013 A-List winners. For more up-to-the-minute information, visit www.womenshealthmag.com and get instant updates via Twitter (@WomensHealthMag) and Facebook (Women's Health Magazine).

About Men's Health
Men's Health is the go-to source for guys seeking the latest information and expert advice in their pursuit of a healthy and active lifestyle. Published 10 times a year in the U.S. by Rodale, Men's Health is the best-selling men's magazine on newsstands and provides its 12 million readers with the up-to-the-minute information on health, fitness, fashion, nutrition, relationships, travel, technology and finance. Men's Health is the largest men's lifestyle magazine brand in the world, offering 40 global editions, a host of apps for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry subscribers, as well as branded books, eBooks and microsites. The magazine has garnered numerous industry accolades, winning National Magazine Awards in the general excellence and personal service categories as well as being deemed by Media Industry Newsletter as the "#1 Most Notable Magazine Launch of the Last 25 Years." Men's Health has also made several appearances on Advertising Age's "A List" and Adweek's "Hot List." For up-to-date news from Men's Health, visit www.menshealth.com, and get instant updates on Twitter (@MensHealthMag) and Facebook (Men's Health).

SOURCE Gold's Gym