Another building strength and endurance thread

[MaDaBe]

I've been using this device for years and it really helps build grip strength and forearm strength. It's the Marcy wedge.

[Boomka]

Sure, it might "strengthen" your forearm, but making a drum stroke requires a complex combination of gross- and fine-motor-control. Strengthening one particular muscle in a group of muscles needed for an action doesn't necessarily help with creating the necessary neural pathways to generate that action repetitively and with consistency. The biggest Popeye forearms in the world won't necessarily make you strike a drum with any more consistency, control, finesse, or even endurance.

I'm not saying general physical fitness won't help, just that if you want to build the strength and endurance needed for making drum strokes, why not simply make a lot of drum strokes?

[MaDaBe]

Thanks buddy, it doesn't say anywhere that strength exercises should be a substitute for playing. All that you said goes too.

[SEVNT7]

Sure, it might "strengthen" your forearm, but making a drum stroke requires a complex combination of gross- and fine-motor-control. Strengthening one particular muscle in a group of muscles needed for an action doesn't necessarily help with creating the necessary neural pathways to generate that action repetitively and with consistency. The biggest Popeye forearms in the world won't necessarily make you strike a drum with any more consistency, control, finesse, or even endurance.

I'm not saying general physical fitness won't help, just that if you want to build the strength and endurance needed for making drum strokes, why not simply make a lot of drum strokes?

Well put, Thanks. If you want strength and endurance, play more drums. I do a 2-1/2 hour, 23 exercise regimen 3 days a week. I never get tiered at a gig (legs or arms). The exercise(s) only takes about an hour and 15 minutes . The rest is warming up for it, so it can be completed effectively. The exercises include ones for just feet, just hands & combos for feet and hands. I'm 48 year old (49 in sept.). and I'm in better drumming shape than I was at 25-30. .......T

[tomgrosset]

That thing looks like a weapon... I'd recommend playing the drums more often and making sure you keep away from lifting weights and using tools like that to build endurance.

[MaDaBe]

That thing looks like a weapon... I'd recommend playing the drums more often and making sure you keep away from lifting weights and using tools like that to build endurance.

making sure to keep away from weights? that is the most ridiculous recommendation I've ever heard. I'm not a kinesologist and I'm not a sports medicine physician and I doubt anyone responding to this is. Building strength is building strength and that can never harm. I've been playing drums since 1984 and no amount of weight training ever harmed or hindered my playing, in fact it has certainly helped because ANY excercise other than and in addition to playing the drums is beneficial. To "recommend" that a musician not lift weights is exactly the same as "recommending" a track athlete not to play drums. Preposterous. How about proper nutrition? By all this "logic" you'd recommend NOT worrying about that as well? You know table tennis players lift a little weight and do some running? Even surgeons do some careful hand and arm exercises. I'm not saying strokes aren't the most important thing for developing speed and endurance but please don't mislead all who read these threads with "recommendations" that have no foundation in research or experience.

[TheGroceryman]

ooo thats not cool, that was tom grosset you just shot down, a WFD champion.

[MaDaBe]

That still doesn't qualify him as an expert in kinesology or physiology nor does it vault him higher than criticism and disapproval.

[rhydianjlewis]

That thing looks like a weapon... I'd reccomend playing the drums more often and making sure you keep away from lifting weights and using tools like that to build endurance.

If you read carefully, he reccomends that you stay away from weights to build endurance.

He's not saying that weight training is necessarily bad, but it's not the best method for building drumming endurance. Being in shape and in overall good health is beneficial to any exercise, but having bodybuilder size forearms will only slow you down.

[MaDaBe]

And I'm arguing from experience that using that type of apparatus in addition to other weight training exercises in conjuction with practicing your drums does lead to better endurance and more strength. Building gigantic forearms wasn't even introduced by me and that device will not get you popeye bodybuilder forearms all by itself.

p.s. There are devices similar to this thing that are specifically geared toward finger strength for guitar players. I mean if I have to consult a physician or athletic trainer to prove my point, I will.

[Andy Borghi]

Hi Everyone,
Guys, Mr. Dennis Chambers used to (or still does, I dont know) practice double and singles, as well as paradidles on a pillow, with one phone book under each arm.
the pillow has no rebound, so it gonna be your arm the one in charge of making the stick go back up, it is a great way to get stamina and strength .... secondly, by having one heacy and thick phone book being pressed by your arms against your body will develop the chest and back muscles we drummers use while playing.
Try doing this for an hour or two, and then go to your drum set....you will feel like fliyng men!.
If Dennis Chambers did it, I guess it might work right...