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Forearm and wrists - training and estraint


FitchFY

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Nothing strenuous here. I'm developing a stroke that doesn't fight the stick. You'd prolly feel helpless holding a stick by the butt end with just the tips of your thumb and index finger but it works very efficiently if you wiggle the back end up and down. What happens is there is very little resistance at your fingers and wrist and the tip will start moving - by a quasi sympathetic resonance. Obviously the tips are part of the same wave but a wave it is. The energy and rhythm are TRANSMITTED through the stick and exit the tip as an amplitude with a frequency (the rhythm you play) and it didn't take but a teaspoon of horsepower. Now I get a full and pretty firm grip on the stick which improves the control and maneuverability no end but the stroke is the same. Somewhere around 180 degrees out of phase with the audible tip strike.

Moving drum to drum is also addressed by whenever possible, tucking the stick in and articulating the other joints rather than stiff arm slashing at stuff.

 

The weakness I have still is under developed core muscles. This is something I'm trying to work in but training wise I'm on a full plate. First things first. sigh...

 

So I guess the point is don't forget efficiency. You get a better idea of what needs beefing up.

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Back in the day, I used to play with 2lb-3lb ankle weights on...for entire gigs. I did this for lie a 2-3 week stint...6 nights a week. Talk about making your legs ache... But what it did for me was not so much in dexterity, but rather in sheer power of the stroke. It gave me more definition on stage. It also (by playing heel up) forced me to really be able to hold my legs up for long periods of time, allowing me to work my ankle more at the swivel point. After I quit using them, it felt like my whole leg was floating and light as air...which gave me some really good butt balancing techniques on the throne. You have to have power AND agility, and this small workout period gave me stamina to incorporate both...

 

Be very very cautious of wrist curls and turns...the power you build sometimes detracts from the dexterity and flexibility needed to play. And something I have just experienced. Beware of manual "screw driving". Sounds crazy but. In my ever infinite amount of wisdom, I decided to try and hang a new shelf in the garage. Usually I drill a small pilot hole to assure going in straight. It also makes screwing in a wood screw much easier. This wonderful time. I just got the old 2" screw out, found a joyce and stud and went at it with a hand screw driver. Why bother with a drill...it was all the way over in another cabinet. Heck it's only one screw. Well I went at it...needless to say, I have screwed not only the wall, but my tendon and muscles in my right arm. My forearm and bicep now have been aching for 2 months. For the 1st week I couldn't even lift anything over 5lbs. Now at least I have the strength back and I'm slowly on the mend. If you can do it with a machine or device...do it!!! Save your muscles for the playing!

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I think you have to look at training (as it relates to drumming and body) in two realms:

1) Literally focused on stroke and rebound- upper body strength, and breathing.

and

2) Endurance! If you have ever ripped off on a fast tempo song, gotten almost through it, but suddenly your arms are all a tingle, cramping, you're barely able to hang on to the sticks ... etc. You know what I mean.

 

I once played a show here in Nashville, and the lead singer/keyboardist was a consummate showman. It was a 5 hours straight through show- no breaks! I ended up with pneumonia after that show- because I pushed myself beyond believe that night. What I remember most- not drinking enough during the show, dying of thirst, and thinking- Like hell will I do this again!! But - it shows that you need to be prepared for what ever gig comes your way.

 

Hope that helps.

D

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I work-out 3 times a week, and I have a ton of old rugby injuries that come back to haunt me while drumming as a result.

 

1) Pulled the tendons in both thumbs. If I don't warm up REALLY well, my thumbs hurt, but more importantly, I can't grip the sticks at all.

2) If I don't ice my ankles (esp. right) after running for a few days in a row, I can't play any kind of double-strokes on kick. Foot is completely unresponsive to fast twitchiness.

 

Anyway, other than icing my ankles after running, I stay away from any exercise that specifically works wrist and forearm. Other exercises briefly touch on these areas, but I won't zero-in on them because tight forearms really hurt my playing. I've even cut way back on the weight for dumbbell bicep curls. Talking 30 lb each hand max.

 

I'm happy with how I look right now, and maintaining it doesn't seem to be a problem. I won't be doing any weight-gainers again any time soon.

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Back when I was attempting to golf, I would sometimes get confused. Golf clubs are held with your ring finger and pinky, whereas drumsticks are held with (usually) the thumb and index finger. I'd sometimes find myself holding my sticks like a golf club, then wondering why I was having trouble! :lol:

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Back when I was attempting to golf, I would sometimes get confused. Golf clubs are held with your ring finger and pinky, whereas drumsticks are held with (usually) the thumb and index finger. I'd sometimes find myself holding my sticks like a golf club, then wondering why I was having trouble!
:lol:

 

Interesting. This is my basic grip now. Fulcrum - more hinge actually, is the pinky and butt of my palm. The rest of my hand applies impetus and control ahead of the pivot. Lots of bias flexibility. Not exactly plug and play but very intuitive and cool.

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I've made a huge mistake in the past during practice that wore my butt out during a show. My set has 12 toms that are all higher than my head. Even though they are all within easy reach, there is still a constant high stretch and high crossovers I have to do in nearly every song. During practice I would play a song a time or 2, then mess around with arms tucked in playing snare hihat stuff to give my arms a break.

Suddenly a show comes up and I have to play song after song, no arm down breaks for nearly an hour. Felt like they were going to fall off. Now I try to extend my practice to include more constant above head movement. It may sound easy for young guys, but being an old man the joints aren't what they used to be.

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jim, that reminds me of when my old band would practice only an hour a week. when we'd play shows, i'd be dying after 90 minutes, with another 60 to go!! my solo practices were about 45 minutes. made me go jogging and walking more often, for sure!

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I don't intentionally do anything that compresses my wrists. I've skateboarded for 25+ years, and not knowing how to fall without extending my arms/hands for the first 10 years has done a number on my wrists. I can't do pushups normally, I have to do them on my knuckles, otherwise my wrists, thumbs, and pinky fingers will hurt for a couple of days.

I have also dialed back what I am willing to try while skating, because it may affect my drumming. Granted, 6-7 foot airs would do that to any sane person.

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I have also dialed back what I am willing to try while skating, because it may affect my drumming. Granted, 6-7 foot airs would do that to any sane person.

 

 

That's exactly how I feel with my mountain biking. Though as a biker I want to push myself in my abilities, I'm very aware that anything broken or sprained means I can't drum, which means I'm out $200-300 or more a month until I heal. Yikes.

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Hey guys:

 

Well, my ' real' or 'Straight' job is working in a paint store. I'm lifting either gallons of paint that are about 15 pounds, to pails, that come in around 50 pounds, all day. that's just the consumer paint. You get over into the industrial sections, where a GALLON of zinc primer can , on its own, weigh 50 pounds or more. Constant, repetitive motion using the same muscle groups...think you know where I'm going with this.

I played a split gig two weeks ago with two bands that I play for. I did two sets with one band, two with the other, and then we played one set together. so, that was 9 - 230am. There are previous posts as to what I've been battling in terms of injuries that I have, so I won't delve into that. what I WILL say is that gig was, for the first time in a long time , a numb and pain free one. The work I've done with the RMT, combined with working on the grip, and really taking note of things while playing. For example: On break between sets , I'd notice that I was getting a ' tensing' feeling in my right forearm, so instead of just ignoring it, 5 min before we were back on , I'd grab the practice pad and do singles and doubles , and loosen up again . the result? at the end of the night, I had plenty left , no pain, no numbness, and I was not playing scared. I actually let the throttle out on the last set, and I KNOW it was noticed because I saw the looks the guys were giving me. Was I sore the next day? yeah, but some deep heat, ice took care of that.

I agree with Carmine: there are things you have to reconsider , or find easier ways to do them. I stripped wallpaper and carpets at a friends house a few weeks ago and that nearly killed my arm. Not the work, the repetitive motion. I guess, over time, these things add up.

 

:thu::thu:PEACE:thu::thu:

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