Health and the drummer....

[PhilCarter]

Greetings fellow rhythmists....

After reading up a little on Virgil's stance on health and fitness (jeez he really is neurotic!), how many of you follow a strict heath/diet/fitness regime as regards to your playing? Obviously playing an hour and a half of full on heavy playing a couple of times a week (from metal to fusion etc) does require a certain ammount of stamina, diet (tell that to D.C), strength and suppleness (and sleep), but maybe not as much assuming your technique is well above par.

Any other mid-thirties players feeling a little achy have any suitable suggestions on what area of health benefits their playing most?

I have started by holding my knife in traditional grip and playing one handed 32nds onto rare steak, ive almost cut through the 1st chunk (bloody starving now).... well its a start!!

Maybe not a new subject in H.O.D but an important one i think.

P.S Virgil definately comes from planet x... a title contender.

[Derek DeFields]

I work out regularly and I really don't think drumming compares at all to a regular work out regimen. Lift hard for an hour or run your ass off for 30 minutes and see if you agree. [img]wink.gif[/img]

[ladanny]

Hmmm, I don't think Abe Laborial Jr. is into working out, but, boy can he play with energy, for a long time!

[PocketPlayer]

Diet is King!

http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/index.htm

Great nutrition plan for the beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Very sensible and food oriented, not supplement oriented. The body responds to food and the timing of when you eat. Also, metabolism is important. Everybody does not come from the same background and it is important to know your metabolism type to see how food and your body work together. For example, are you more or a protein person or carbo person? This is important to know to build a proper nutrition plan.
It does take some work to read through the website. If anyone wants my summary of the nutirtion plan, email me.

As for working out, if drumming is the key force in your life, most don?t need to lift more than 2-3x a week, no more than 45min to an hour per session. Work smart, not hard! I found this site great;

http://www.fatlosstips.com

[mja61]

I work out five or six days/week (on average) for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half, including cardio, weights, and stretching. I don't approach it like a power lifter or marathon runner. I just try to be consistent and strive for slow steady progress. When it comes to weights, I aim for low weight, many reps. This reduces the chance for injury and gives you speed/endurance strength that is useful as a drummer, as opposed to bulked-up strength that is useful to someone posing for a bodybuilder magazine.

I've been dedicated to exercising for about 5 years now, and I've never regretted the commitment. I can certainly feel a difference when I play...I don't tire so quickly and I don't get the usual back and neck aches. The down side is that it cuts into my practice time.

I'm not sure that intense playing really serves as a substitute for exercise. An example is Dennis Chambers. He's plays a lot, and when he plays, he always works his ass off, but I don't expect to see him on the cover of "Muscle & Fitness" any time soon. I do agree that intense playing, especially with a double pedal, gives you some kind of cardio benefit. At a recent clinic, Weckl recommended his double pedal LRR LRR triplet ostinato as an alternative to a cardio workout.