Paintball

[derickonfire]

I'm into lifting, and lately I've been into Paintball.

I've always tried to orient my exercise selection based on my goals, and now my goal is to be better at paintball.

I'm trying to get a good idea of what exercises and body parts I should focus on for paintballing?

Think of a 'ballers movement requirements. He has to be quick and very snappy. Have good overall flexibility, speed, and stamina. Should be able to crouch in a near-squat like position and run, while holding a paintball marker steady, utilizing the arm, hands, upper and lower back, shoulders, strong glutes, and hamstrings.. calves for the quick movements...

SO - what would you focus on?

[m3driver09]

Originally Posted by derickonfire

I'm into lifting, and lately I've been into Paintball.

I've always tried to orient my exercise selection based on my goals, and now my goal is to be better at paintball.

I'm trying to get a good idea of what exercises and body parts I should focus on for paintballing?

Think of a 'ballers movement requirements. He has to be quick and very snappy. Have good overall flexibility, speed, and stamina. Should be able to crouch in a near-squat like position and run, while holding a paintball marker steady, utilizing the arm, hands, upper and lower back, shoulders, strong glutes, and hamstrings.. calves for the quick movements...

SO - what would you focus on?

yeah id also do some plyos and whatnot because you need to be flexible and you need to be explosive off the break. i also lift and play paintball.

[djrcwhs]

legs for sprinting to and from bunkers mostly.
You don't want to do too much aerobic stuff because I heard that will (broscience alert) do something to your slow twitch muscles, so it will be harder to walk the trigger.

[PaintballGuy]

plyos definatly. speed is key in paintball
work your legs, and arms, it gets tiring holding your gun up all the time if your playing speedball competativly

[samavern]

definantly one of the more unique thread's lol...i'd work on pickin off a fly's wings like that do in wanted haha

[007scarface]

Id work on my heart rate the most (running) im always out of breath when i play

[ssherba711]

i've played ball for about 12 years...went semi-pro but once the ramping boards got big, it wasn't as much fun anymore...anyways...personally, the best thing to do is practice running while shooting. even if it's 1 on 1, you need to practice running and shooting, this way you were learn to by making mistakes. you don't need to be strong to carry a paintball marker but you do need to be balanced. so work on sprints, any kind, wind, suicide, hills, bleachers, all of the above (that's the ticket). work on snap shooting, even if you're sitting in the living room, watching the tube, you can practice it. all you have to do is teach yourself to be quick. also, if you're in school or at the office, walk your pen on the desk...quickens your fingers like no other!

let's see...oh! a really good drill we used to do is something we made up called the "Whomping Drill" sounds kind of stupid but it is actually pretty kick ass. what you do is you have 1-5 guys (1-7 if you a 7-man player) vs. you. the catch is, you don't have a marker, you just have a bunker to make it to. nobody knows which you will be going to. you start on your side of the field, they start on theirs. just like a normal game, barrels on the box...3...2...1...HORN!!! you make it to your bunker! that will teach you not only to get your ass in gear but to see lanes being fired while you're hauling ass up the field. i was a front player so i loved this drill...everyone always thought i was a little messed up in the brain department but it made me better. i was sliding into 60s and 70s off the break many times! for real though, try it..oooh yeah...one thing...you don't have a marker...sorry. this way you learn to LOOK not, shoot. the running and shooting is for moving up on the field (aka bunkering bitches)

another thing with running and shooting, if you have access to a field, set up pods or a pack at random bunkers down the field, remember where there are, start like a normal game, break, get to a bunker, move up, THEN you run for the bunker...your goal is to hit the pod (at least once) and the pack (at least 3 times) sounds stupid but it fine tunes that running and shooting....nothing more embarrassing than running down field, looking all hot **** and missing a dude when you zoom pass his bunker and he shoots you in the back.

snap shooting...my favorite thing to do was have anything as a bunker, and just have pie tins hanging down the yard, standing up on the ground...whatever. snap at them. it's fun...to challenge yourself more, put a bunker in front of them...try to reenact someone with only a 2 inch square of their pack hanging outta the bunker, you get only a couple shots...what better way to get them, snap shoot them! so set it up with the pie tins or a pod (i prefer pods because they're a little smaller and they will usually be hanging out of the bunkers). again, be behind your bunker and snap shoot them. remember, you only get a couple chances, so make them count.

if you have any questions about any of this, just pm me...i'll gladly help you become a better baller. wish i still played..F ramping boards...took half the skill out of the game if you ask me.

[JamesYancey]

Id suggest sprints and endurance as you have to be quick and able to react and move quickly


Depends what type of PB you play

[ryanhaub]

I just recently got in to serious lifting, but I've played paintball for about 7 years. I've practiced with teams like Lost Boys and Mantis Factory. The best thing I did for my game was practiced against teams and players that were a lot better than me. It FORCES you to become faster and smarter. As far as workouts go though, I'd say SPRINTS! Like ssherba711 said, being able to run and gun well is a deadly weapon. Get really good at it and you'll be a killer on the field. Either you are going to stitch some guy on the other team head to toe in paint, or he is going to have to stop short of his intended bunker. Also to echo ssherba711 again, snap shooting is really important. I'm always more impressed with a player who can gog someone with one shot, than the guy who can shoot 30bps but couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Inside the gym, work on muscle endurance in your legs. You need to be able to stand in that almost squating position for a LONG TIME. Squats, lunges, wall sits, etc. And obviously working on your upper body is important. Having a strong upper body can help hold that gun steady so you can shoot people in the face all day. Also, build a strong core so you can stay balanced, quick, and efficient on your snap shooting. Nothing beats experience though. Get out there and play! Hope this helps.

[svt-steve]

sprints and plyometrics.. join the military to get your skills up.

(take it from me, i'm a grunt...)

[derickonfire]

I definitely agree with all of you when it comes to conditioning and endurance, etc..

but I still want to lift weights as a bodybuilder, for fun.

What muscle groups would benefit most from me working them, and benefit paintball the most?

I'm thinking OLY type lifts maybe? Shoulders and back?

[roid_monkey]

bench press

[ssherba711]

any kind of physical training man...strengthen your entire body and you will become physically better...however, paintball has a lot to do with strategy (not just we'll flank their south end and you guys make a diversion on the east end kind of stuff) you need to know how to work the field...so if you can, like any sport really, get game tape or professional footage and take mental notes...try new things on the field...i feel lifting will only better you on a physical aspect. the mental part of the game will come from experience and trying new things, i.e...try to make it to a bunker you don't think you will be able to off the break, know when it's right to move, and ALWAYS remember...ALWAYS...when you're on the field, if you thought about making a move, taking a shot, bunkering someone...you've thought too long and lost your chance...INSTINCT is what makes you a better player...

"Don't think, don't blink, it takes way too long." -Sir Isaac Newton

[ven33]

Go with a split. Work chest/tri, back/bi, and two legs days. Focus primarily on 12-15 rep range as power is not as important as explosiveness. Mix plyometric work in on your legs days as well.

Maybe Ill see ya at PB world cup one of these days.

[derickonfire]

Power is explosiveness, isn't it?

Granted, I definitely do not want to train for a 1RM, but do you think 12-15 reps is really necessary? I would think that 8-10 might be well enough? Anything higher than that may simply be a waste? Or would that allow me to hold of lactic pain longer? Idk..

[Cheeser]

Sprints and agility drills. Some plyo's and explosive lifts(3-5 reps for explosive lifts, 12-15 reps for explosive lifts is retarded). Leg endurance(wall sits followed by short sprints are excellent). A little bit of upper body endurance I guess, but I've never gotten tired of holding my gun up in a game. Focus more on upper body explosiveness to aid in sprint speeds.


Train like a combat athlete, but rather than training for combat sports, specify your training for paintball. You need to be able to explode for short amounts of time, like a fighter. Rather than doing bag sessions, hitting the mitts, or boxing class however, focus on paintball drills.

For running and gunning, if you don't have the space, get an aerobic step(or anything to do step ups/downs on). Run steps with your gun, focusing on holding it steady. Tape a laser pointer to your barrel to ensure you're holding it steady, rather than shooting paint(not a joke). Try running with an egg on a spoon like at sports day in elementary school. It will help focus on keeping your upper body steady while running. Hard boil the egg first to avoid a mess, and so you can keep using the same egg.

Do ultra short distance(in game distances) sprints finished with a slide or a dive, just like in a game. Be sure to wear your pants/knee pads/elbow pads doing this to avoid getting hurt. Also focus on running and coming to a quick stop while standing. It'll help when you run and gun out to a bunker, you can stay standing and keep your gun up.

Snap shooting is pretty straight forward. Do snap drills at a pod, with someone else, etc. Solid snap shooting requires a strong core, so make sure to get your core work in. And crunches don't count. V-ups, rollouts, side bends, russian twists, chinnies, weighted/incline situps, leg raises, back extensions, etc. You need an all around strong core, not a beach bitch 6 pack. You use your legs and core to push yourself out and bring yourself back in. Your feet need to stay planted, and your body needs to stay solid.


Paintball is a total body sport, so train your whole body at each session. If you wanna keep bodybuilding, that's fine, but if you choose to get down to business and train specifically for paintball, skip the chest/tris, back/bi workouts, and start training compound lifts. Rippetoes is a great starting point for a basic workout, then work from there.

[boxeador7]

Don't forget stealth. Ducking cover look at some David Blain for some hiding illusions. Practice hiding and sneaking.May be a "kids" game but it comes from war.

[kellymoraine]

I think more of it is technique that strength, having the extra strength definitely won't hurt though.