Will bodybuilding affect guitar playing ?

**billerus** · 06-13-2003, 05:59 AM

Hi, I'm heading to become a professional guitarist. I like bodybuilding(not crazy about it though ), but I think it's messing up with my guitar playing so I'm about to stop and just continue with abs and cycling. Is it true that lifting weights will 'tighten up' your arms (I'm really concerned about forearms and wrists ), making guitar progress hard ? Losing even the slightest finger dexterity would be destructive for my attempt to a career. And doesn't bodybuilding make hands and finger more tenonditis prone ? I have sensitive fingers, and I seem to have trouble when I study hard, could it be because of bodybuilding ? Tenonditis is extremely common amongst musicians (most musicians have a serious episode every 6-7 years ) and many never fully recover. I would really appreciate feedback because it is pretty much a life or death matter

**D&G** · 06-13-2003, 06:14 AM

'tighten up arms' - nonsense

If anything it will strengthen your hands/wrists and benefit you

**Ulyanov** · 06-13-2003, 06:23 AM

I wouldn't worry about it.

**AMG** · 06-13-2003, 07:55 AM

I've been playing guitar for as long as I've been weightlifting.
If anything it's helped make me stronger at down-picking and holding
cords.

**riza_khan** · 06-13-2003, 08:01 AM

im not a pro at guitars or anything, although i do have one and i do play along with bodybuilding. I've noticed one thing, ever since ive started to workout my forearms, the speed of my picking hand has increased in stamina. For example a song like 'Master of Puppets' u need all those downstrokes, well the forearm gets used in that alot, so to make it much easier workout the forearms.

besides, ive noticed that alot of guitar players have big forearms.

**John Henry** · 06-13-2003, 09:53 AM

Originally posted by riza_khan
.

besides, ive noticed that alot of guitar players have big forearms.

yeah, like Kirk Hammet, EVH, SRV, Clapton, Page, Hendrix??

**ToxicCorpse** · 06-13-2003, 10:51 AM

Dude! I am a "professional" guitar player/teacher (in the virtuoso shredder style of Steve Vai or Yngwie Malmsteen, if your curious) and bodybuilder.

As a guitarist, bodybuilding, if anything, has positivly effected my finger, wrist and forearm indurance.

**midian** · 06-13-2003, 10:53 AM

Originally posted by John Henry
yeah, like Kirk Hammet, EVH, SRV, Clapton, Page, Hendrix??

there is a heavy metal group where the four members are all bodybuilders, i don't remember the name, the cover of one of their cd's exists one of those guys holding a gun with one of his huge arms

and i agree with the previous statements, lifting weight won't effect your guitar playing, if been in a couple of groups myself and i always played guitar or bass, what i did found is after a forearms workout you won't be able to play at normal ratings, and playing 1 hour after your workout isn't great neither, when i play i play before i workout

**MrC** · 06-13-2003, 11:12 AM

I too have been playing guitar, bass, drums and keys for years, been lifting on and off for years, and recently lots more lifting.

Don't worry at all about it effecting your playing. If you are focusing on form, and good nutrition, you will only be strengthening your tendons and muscles as well as your minds connection with them... which will give nothing but benefits to your playing.

Just remember to focus on good form and balance, then you will be all set.

-MrC

**John Henry** · 06-13-2003, 12:09 PM

My point was that bbing really won't have any effect on your playing good or bad. Steve Vai has big forearms?

**DaveB** · 06-13-2003, 01:22 PM

Kevin Levrone is in a band. That might be the one mentioned above.

lifting hasn't affected my guitar playing. But I suck at guitar anyway, and am just learning. So right about now an act of God wouldn't affect my guitar playing

**RippedGuitarist** · 06-13-2003, 05:33 PM

Originally posted by John Henry
My point was that bbing really won't have any effect on your playing good or bad. Steve Vai has big forearms?

Hell yeah he does! I seen him stand next to Markus Ruhl and man Steve dwarfs him, made Markus look like a scrawny 10 year old.

But really I think bodybuilding helps with guitar. I had this same discussion on John Petrucci's message boards, everyone seems to think it helps including me. And look at John Petrucci, hes a pretty big guy and he likes to workout a lot, he definitely doesn't have any trouble with shredding his ass off.

**SYRIANKID** · 06-13-2003, 05:44 PM

there's no way strumming can make your forearm bigger, that wouldn't make any sense, strumming for 200 "reps" at a time wouldn't make muscle

any guitarist who does have big forearms is doing wrist curls and deadlifts back stage

**DennisC** · 06-13-2003, 06:11 PM

i'm an extremely serious guitar player (i'm a musician - or at least try to be hehehe)

don't worry dude, it doesn't affect guitar playing at all, in fact, if u feel that it IS affecting it, then your technique is wrong... playing an instrument is ALL about relaxation!

the perfect example of wrong technique when it comes to guitar is gypsy rhythm guitar in the style of Django Reinhardt...

To many people who see gypsy players or even people who attempt it, it seems like an EXTREMELY (and i mean EXTREMELY demanding thing) and in fact the people who attempt it can't even go on for more than 5 seconds at fast tempos (300 +bpm)

why not? because they have poor technique , i'll say it again: it's ALL about relaxation, i can go on and on and on at 300bpm+ tempos because my wrist is totally relaxed

watch this video for an example of what i mean, this dude has the best guitar technique on earth man

http://www.djangomontreal.com/dennis/stochelo.mpg

**DennisC** · 06-13-2003, 06:22 PM

also if you're going to play some of that "Shred" faster than speed of light guitar stuff...

it's even more important to learn to relax your wrist.... watch the guitar giants do it: Paul Gilbert , Yngwie Malmsteen, Al DiMeola, John McLaughlin, Steve Vai, Jason Becker, etc.. etc... it's all coming from the wrist, and they're totally relaxed...

those who play this with a stiff forearm have a "weak tone" and can potentially lead to injuries -> Greg Howe, I don't know if he's ever suffered injuries from playing the way he does, but i wouldn't recommend playing like him (stiff forearm)... his tone from his piccking attack is also weak too (listen to him on an acoustic guitar).... well aside from that, he's a really excellent guitar player who for some reason now plays for the likes of mandy moore , nsync and justin timberlake...

more useless trivia... the guitar player for christina aguilera is a graduate of GIT in LA and the style he really plays is DEATH METAL haha take that christina

**lgp9999** · 06-13-2003, 06:37 PM

Take a look at Robert Trujillo, the bass player from Metallica (the greatest band in history). He's got some pretty big shoulders, especially compared to the traditional rock star. Back when the band got started he didn't, but he does now. He defininantly works out, and he is an exceptional bass player.

Go to http://launch.yahoo.com/artist/video...tistID=1017874 and check out the artist of the month video. It shows a closeup of his face on the vid, but you can see his shoulders and traps.

**RippedGuitarist** · 06-13-2003, 10:20 PM

Yeah you definitely need to be relaxed. If you keep your forearms tight you lose tons of stamina and increase your risk of tendonitis. Whether your downpicking Master Of Puppet or shredding some Paul Gilbert licks you gotta stay relaxed.

Greg Howe rules by the way!

Damn I feel like I'm at a guitar forum all of a sudden. lol...

**Madcow** · 06-14-2003, 02:33 PM

Hey man, look at the Misfits, they dont have all that much talent (I still dont mind them) but at least they look badass playing their **** because theyre so damn big. (well 2 of them are anyways)

**DaveB** · 06-14-2003, 04:29 PM

Ripped Guitarist - Nice to see another DT fan on here! I'm listening to them right now.

**boddyj** · 04-18-2015, 08:32 AM

Dt rocks!

**kanis999** · 04-18-2015, 08:48 AM

No dude, guitar playing will affect weightlifting. Your shoulders are in a very unbalanced position when you play guitar. The right shoulder blade has to move way forward, whereas the left shoulder doesn't move forward. The neck is constantly looking to the left and down. I'm being dead serious, this will mess up your balance. So be sure to stretch your right shoulder and neck regularly. This is coming from someone who is sorta permanently out of alignment in these regards.

Edit: Jesus christ dude, way to bump a 12 year old thread.

**bigpoppsq** · 09-20-2021, 12:54 PM

I dont think it makes sense. How does it have anything to do with your playing. Unless you go to the gym and instantly go to a show after having done wrist curls.
Maybe he lost slight interest in guitar, meaning he didnt use to have that fire in his eyes that put that flame in his playing. Still the goat though in my opinion, unbelievable playing. Best in the world. Its just that in the 80s, he was from another planet...

**smokinal** · 09-20-2021, 05:42 PM

^^^Strong first post!

OP has already hit it big time; recorded many albums; money, mansions and heroin, toured the world and died in a plane accident by now

**TolerantLactose** · 09-20-2021, 06:03 PM

Bodybuilding will help with your rock star poses.

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