Can weightlifting improve your playing?

[AbraXas]

I started going to the gym approx 1 year ago. My upper body posture was not optimal before I started to work out (too many hours in front of the pc i guess). My shoulders were kind of bent too much forward, and my posture was not too good. I didn't realize how big a deal body posture really was until I started to work out on a regular basis. Now my shoulders are in the proper position and my rib cage stands out from the rest of my body when I stand up straight.

With a better body posture I realized I could fit much more air into my loungs, as they were no longer compressed. And this has really made a big difference when it comes to playing the flute.
Highly recommend it

[Julia Delaney]

... more reps of lower weights are better than fewer of higher weights, not only for building strength but for all the other benefits as well.

Nope. A walk in the woods won't do it either. Light weights don't work the muscles in the same way and the benefits are concomitantly less. You'll be wasting some time if you don't max out (go to failure) several times in the course of a workout.

"... you should be lifting enough weight [so] that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. You should [only] be able to finish your last rep with difficulty..."
http://exercise.about.com/cs/exercisewo ... ght101.htm

Where is Loren on this?

[LorenzoFlute]

"... you should be lifting enough weight [so] that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. You should [only] be able to finish your last rep with difficulty..."

This can be true either if you lift more weight and do less reps, or if you lift less weight and do more rips, what matters is that the last rep should be difficult (but the muscles will work in a different way)... Anyway i would keep the reps somewhere between 6 and 14 (personally i go for 8-10). More reps also mean you're using more air, but the body will be built less...

[m31]

There are many many schools of thought (like diets) on what is considered the most effective rep-weight regime and whether lifting to or near failure is good or bad. For new lifters, any reasonable weight training program will produce results so long as they stick with it, and eat right and get enough sleep.

[Thomaston]

I was doing the P90X workouts for a while, and what was stressed on these videos was that if your primarily goal is increase in muscle size, you need to max out at about 10 reps. If your goal is an increase in lean muscle, you should go for whatever lower weight maxes you out at 14-15 reps.
I don't know which of these would be better for a musician, if either one is better at all. All I know is that my playing suffered at first with all this because of jiggly arms! I might have been over-doing it...

[jim stone]

Initially I would get nauseous lifting, till I got used to it. I'm using somewhat lighter weights lately
because I've injured myself a few times. Muscle pulls or whatever they are. Sometimes
take months to heal. Trying to be careful. Still prefer free weights to machines.
Machines are safer.

[glenavy flute]

I train all the time mostly on the bike and doing cardio, but I do take notions for the weights from time to time. Being fit helps my flute playing for sure but I am not sure weather thats just physiological more that physical. I tend to use as little air as possible playing the flute and be more energy efficient, so having a big pair of strong longs although is good but not essential in my opinion. I find that lifting weights sometimes make my hands tighter which is good for grip but not so good if your playing with some fast players and you want to let your fingers fly I find they dont move as freely as they should. Recently use started using the kettle bells for weights, not the heaviest ones mind, and boy do they give you a workout.


Rant over

Brendan.

[benhall.1]

Of course, Fintan Valelly has comments on this sort of thing in his 'Timber' book, doesn't he? From memory, he recommends that flute players should take up swimming, running or cycling, and that you do need to be fit to play flute. Mind you, that's from memory ... so if I've got you wrong Mr Valelly, apologies.

[Sigmund]

It is important to distinguish aerob work, that works your lungs, from weight lifting. For many, a walk in the forest will help them play better because the walk make them breath better, not because they become stronger.

Concerning the weight lifting, everyone knows they will make quickest progress in the beginning. For myself I added 2kg to my bench press (for each hand) after one week. Because muscle fibers don't grow after one week of training (takes several weeks), there most be an other process going on, most likely a neurological one (to explain the increase in strength). Meaning that your neurons will be better able to recruit more muscle fibers some days after a set of max reps (or maybe instantly?). I believe this neuron-boost (they will have to fire as hard as possible during max reps) increase coordination and stabilization.

Of course there might be other explanations.

I find that lifting weights sometimes make my hands tighter which is good for grip but not so good if your playing with some fast players and you want to let your fingers fly I find they don't move as freely as they should.

Brendan, could it be that your muscles were overworked (that you did not have enough restitution?)

With a better body posture I realized I could fit much more air into my lounges, as they were no longer compressed. And this has really made a big difference when it comes to playing the flute.
Highly recommend it

As AbraXas said, posture is essential. It will make you breath better, and stay injury free.
(check out the egosuce method)

I have also heard someone mention how a pianist played better after having taken high doses of vit D (Go to the gym, and the health food store!)

[talasiga]

.......
Because muscle fibers don't grow after one week of training (takes several weeks), there most be an other process going on, most likely a neurological one (to explain the increase in strength). Meaning that your neurons will be better able to recruit more muscle fibers some days after a set of max reps (or maybe instantly?). I believe this neuron-boost (they will have to fire as hard as possible during max reps) increase coordination and stabilization.
.......

The same muscles give stronger result if the circulation is improved. It can be as simple as that. Thats why, after some stretches and warmups, one can perform stronger than before the warm up. No change in muscaluture, just in efficiency due to better circulation and a more dynamic relaxation.

It is best to maximise one's fitness before assessing need for greater muscle bulk.
Jim Stone may have noticed on his long sojourns in South Asia, very lean porters and porteresses lifting and carrying loads across miles of mountainous terrain.
None of you iron pumpers can do that by dint of pumping iron alone.
Increase efficiency, increase fitness.

This is not a poem or doggerel.

[johnkerr]

Of course, Fintan Valelly has comments on this sort of thing in his 'Timber' book, doesn't he? From memory, he recommends that flute players should take up swimming, running or cycling, and that you do need to be fit to play flute. Mind you, that's from memory ... so if I've got you wrong Mr Valelly, apologies.

Of course, in the same book under the topic of Breathing he also has that great picture of a nun smoking. Whatever works!

[talasiga]

He talks of swimming and running @ p 34 in an inset entitled "Developing Breathing"
pp 36 - 37 cover breathing.
the nun smoking is @ p 38 and not at all under the breathing section but in an inset whose thrust appears to correctly condemn smoking.

There are several refererences to "ornamentation" throughout the book including @ p 33 where he talks about "GRACE NOTE".

Interestingly there is a picture of a native Peruvian playing a native simple transverse flute (@p2) whose grip is remarkably similar to one of the mainstream classical bansuri grips promoted in Hindustanic Classical Music. This just goes to show that ergomonics is NOT culture specific.