weight lifting+guitar playing

i was wondering if anyone on here body builds,and if they do how does it affect you guitar playing,btw a couple of weight lifting guitarists are george lynch,and Mab

I did weights waaay back in the day during my Sophomore year, and after 10 straight months of lifting and cardio the only notable difference was that after doing hang cleans, clean and jerk, or dead lifts, I literally was unable to play guitar for the next day or two. My forearms were dead haha especially since I didn't use any aids to help me lift the bar(they have straps which helps keep the forearms from doing too much work). After I started to use those however, my forearms were fine.

...nothing else really other than maybe having to sit down to play after legs day ;)

what about dumbells,and the curling bar?

same as the hang cleans haha if you use those "straps" though they will save your forearms from being worn out for a few days, but since I didn't do that for 8 months, my forearms got relatively strong.

haha ok case u gt me i dnt know all the fancy terms i just know how to say in laymans terms, my bggest fear is gettng the"claw" or some stactic arm contractions

When i used to go to the gym ( 5 times a week,strng carfio and weight liftin) my guitar abilities went down cnsiderably,maybe i was doing something wrong but i doubt it,atill im sure you can bodybuild and be an aweso e shredder,take a look at John Petrucci

It takes a fair bit of time away from my guitar practice - so in that respect my progress can go down a fair bit because of training. I bet I'd be loads better at playing if I didn't do this. Only now I've got to the point where afer almost 4 years of strength training - I can't just cut it off...I'd get 'chicken wing' if I did that lol. So I guess if you're really really dedicated to guitar and know you don't get enough recreation time - don't ever get into the habit of working out loads. Keep it small if you will do it. Only it puts me in a good mental state so I'd hate to suggest to anyboddy not to do those workouts at all.

But my finger strength is pretty awesome. I'd even reccomend just handgrippers alone to any guitarist. Finger strength and all my lower arms and wrists are used to the movement. So it's great for that! Only one thing to bear in mind you're wearing down your skeletal cushions - after many years you're likely to eventually develop arthritus. And I remember my old teacher telling me guitarists often tend to get bad arthritus in their wrists or even fingers once they've been playing for a looong time. This put together makes me not want to get old...for such pain may be crippling.. D;

well, it should be noted there is a HUGE difference between body building and lifting weights. You can lift, as I do, to get in shape and build muscle, but not body build. It takes me about an hour a day 6 days a week to do all the cardio and weight training I need to do. But I don't aim to look like Hulk Hogan - I want to have a body more similar to a normal dude you see around town that you can tell lifts and is in good shape. So I do not at all think it would detract from your playing, with the lone exception Heather pointed out, that it does tae time away from playing the guitar.

I would suggest exercise in some form though - as the benefits on your overall quality health should significantly outweight any potential loss in guitar playing skills for the vast majority of people.

I try sometimes, with what little I have in my house, but I never really have gotten into the habit of doing it every day or whatever

Chris Broderick also says he likes lifting weights in his free time

I'll admit my training is a quite intense habit. But even if I cut down the training some more I'd still struggle with this, guitar and coursework. I'm having to cut out tv (when I'm not watching it while doing certain art coursework anyway) and computer time. It can be done but it's hard for me atm anyway.

Umm Ive used to train... a lot... like nuthead actually... I didnt notice anything, Im as bad as always, but if I remember Carl Snow is hardcore bodybuilder and train other stuff as well and he is a hell of an player...

Emp

@Btimm i agree i dont to be hulk hogan huge,just enough where i can beat three guys up at once.XD

and on a side note,the most it important thing i find to be careful with while lifting is the wrists

Carl sure is - but that's his profession. I'm sure he has plenty of time because of the fact he can dedicate a lot of time to his playing - since his practice pays off. He won't only play in his extra recreational time unlike me or I'm sure plenty of other people - therefore he can use more of his extra time for working out. However when you're studying something other than music or/AND might have a job that's not musical along side that can be a very different matter.

yeah, Carl gives lessons 80 times a week in between benching 450 pounds XD haha seriously I think he did do 450!

But yes, body building and lifting weights are two totally different dedications... lifting weights is healthy though, you will be in good shape if you actually did some cardio too hahah

Those straps will reinforce your wrists and help to keep your forearms from being worn out too quickly.

I never trained without straps, theyre very good and highly recomended.

jesus 450!! im on at like half that...

most I've ever benched was 185 3 times. I don't really remember too much of that day mainly because when I brought the bar down I didn't exactly prepare to go back up as soon as I should have...I bounced it. All 3 reps.

It hurt to breathe, move, cough, sleep, walk, and talk for about a week...

you're also, well lets just say, not QUITE half his age haha

Most I did was 315, back when i worked out pretty seriously, but even though I have been lifting again for about 6 months, I probably could only bench like 225 or so. I am not sure, because I don't bench press anymore, since I don't have a workout partner, I just do dumbell press instead.

btw, the most important thing to protect from injury far and away is your back. Make sure your form is perfect. Form is far more important than the amount of weight.

My max is 238 on bench one time. Cant remember how it been while standing... but I think it was around 176 or so...



No pain, No gain hahhah...

thats 142 kg btimm... damn... I remember when I was on like 105 kg and added one kg, it felt like ive added a ton when you are on your peak. That pretty cool.

Makes you want to get back into it doesn't it? :o)

I have a couple of health related goals that I am trying to achieve. well, one and the other is more just a "see what happens" sort of thing. I want to lose 40 more pounds by my 30th birthday (June 22) and I want to see what my bench is on my birthday as well. I have no idea even what to expect, but I am going to keep doing my weight training and cardio and just see what happens!! hahaha

@ btimm,
I recently received this email which proves that you can lose the weight if you know the proper methods.

Irish Diet


An Irishman was terribly overweight, so his doctor
put him on a diet. 'I want you to eat regularly
for 2 days, then skip a day, then eat regularly again
for 2 days then skip a day ...... And repeat this procedure
for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you should have lost at least 5 pounds.'
When the Irishman returned,
he shocked the doctor by having lost nearly 60lbs!
'Why, that's amazing!' the doctor said, 'Did you
follow my instructions?' The Irishman nodded ...
'I'll tell you though, by jaesuz, I t'aut I were
going to drop dead on dat 3rd day.'
'From the hunger, you mean?' asked the doctor. 'No, from the fookin'
skippin'

@phip ahahahaha gud one

haha thats great, probably would work pretty dang good too!

unless by "eat regularly for two days" meant eat ALL day for two days haha

hahaha Phip, nice one!

I use to work out back in my 20's and 30's. I never got really big but had a big upper body. I don't think it ever effected my playing in a negative way. If anything, I had more endurance.

Bump

*Fist bump XD

Also, working your core(abs) will definitely benefit your posture while playing guitar(among other things).

And stretch your neck before some violent headbanging, it saves lives :)

strength is nothing in the face of pure fighting technique

just like on guitar---if you have speed(which would be strength for fighting), but have absolutely no melodic sense(which is technique), you will "lose" to someone who plays 10x slower than you but has a wayy better note sense and melodic licks in their "arsenal"

luckily im not like that, im fast and beautiful lmao

back on suject!!

i lift weights and work out for 1 1/2-2 hours everyday and practice for the rest....doesnt affect my playing at all. well, i guess its cuz i know how to lift weights w/o hurting myself

That is very true V3 speed and skill are too
different things. But each is good in there own
right. A judo fighter(skill)might be able to
defeat a football player(brute strength)In a
fight,but a judo fighter would not be able to deafeat
a football player in a football game.
People often pay more money too see football than
judo.

And that above thing was a joke ftw.

And finnaly
That what all us shredders strive for,its
not an easy task to accomplish,considering that
people never listen to whats beneath the speed and distortion.
They automatically label it football.
Glad your try too have harmonic sense,shredders
who dont give us all a bad name.

\M/(*-+)
gs2112

story of my F*ckin life, man!

i live around a bunch of black people(lol) and thats all they can hear. they say im really good but, thats only cuz i picked up a guitar and went a different way with music, metal, which they call trash.
i cant stand how (black)people see me with a guitar case and ask if its a bass inside lmao.

only my father, who is also a guitarist, can hear me play something and instantly mimic it by mouth----cuz he cant play it on guitar :)



this is one of the reasons why YOU should be a mod....you see both sides of stories equally...i try to sometimes, like with this one.
but with some others i HAVE TO speak my mind for or against it

BACK TO SUBJECT
ill admit it.....sometimes when im playin fast im only doin scalar runs, which is not bad, but that gets BORING!!!!but it is also what develops my speed...but then i cant do my FINGER TRICKING patterns as well because i start to get used to going straight thru with scales and SCALE patterns

so in actuality, my speed "EXCERSIZE" is ruining my melodic PLAYING

This is a very good thing.You perservere
through the stereotypes,not caring to do what others expect of
you,it shows thay your a true artist,dedicated to your
Craft. Thanks for the kind words dude,i aprreciate em alot.BUt alot of people here might disagree,i have hafd my share of
tit for tat bickers,so i dont think i would get selected.

And as far as that speed thing goes,You inspired
me to post my melodic shredding lesson i was gonna trash,THANKS!

\m/(*-+)
gs2112

lol cool man...love to inspire people so thanks

Yw dude,look Forward to it.

I feel your pain V3nom. When I was in highschool, I had a huge fro. White people would see me with a guitar and always assumed I could play Hendrix. They were suprised when I would play Judas Priest and Iron Maiden!

lol cool story @MaK(still mac lol)

this just shows the ignorance that we live around and its such a shame.