Does weight training hurt guitar playing skills?

dsouza

dsouza

Power User
Often times I'll lift weights for health only to find I get thicker fingers and a pump in them and my body and I am not nimble on the guitar, my fingers don't fit on the highest frets and bending them with ease is very problematic.

The weights at my age of 40+ put excessive force on the back , neck and knees and sitting down for even an hour can be painful sometimes.

Since my goal is to be a successful guitarist not athlete how do I preserve the strength in my bones etc without doing resistance exercises? Cardio is not enough. An arm or leg can easily break if you take a fall when you get older in your 70's etc.

Also daily practice is a must to get good at guitar. You can't say you have a show and have to delay it because of the pump in your fingers. lol

Sometime this pump from weights doesn't last 2 hrs sometimes it can last days.

I have an ordinary weight bench and use VERY light weights like 10 lbs to not interfere with guitar playing dexterity. I have a treadmill I walk on. Still even 10 lbs dumbells will tighten the fingers and stretching only helps so much. It still takes time to recover from the pump etc. And I need to practice daily for at least 3-4 hrs not 3 x week to maintain my skills at this point.

All the greatest guitarists had skinny arms. Too much strength will only hurt you and cause you to bend out of tune if you hit the strings too hard for example.

Try playing heavens door solo 2 . Tell me how high you go on the fretboard. I'll tell you right now it's impossible for me to play that with ease when I lift.
 
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I train with Kettlebells and Clubbells a lot.
I find they help my grip strength a lot which in turn has helped my playing

Have a look at Mark Wildmans Wildman Athletica channel on YouTube
 
Look at john petrucci, synyster gates and zakk wylde,they were all buff and can shred over anybody.

Whats more important to you guitar practicing or strength training?

What works for another might not work for you.

Just simply do guitar practice first then weight training?

Try to lower carb intake and compensate for protein/fat in context of calories instead as higher carbs contributes to that pump retention.

If your fingers are too big for the higher frets then maybe using longer scale lengths might help.
 
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I’m a runner and mainly do calisthenics. It’s helped my guitar playing a ton—better stamina so I don’t feel like dog shit after gigs, and stronger arms/hands make picking and vibrato way easier and more controlled.

I see no downsides unless you’re heading out to a gig after your body’s already tanked. Been there, done that. Playing guitar is not fun when your arms feel like jelly.
 
If your fingers feel swollen after a workout, you might not be doing something right. I am NOT an expert at all, but I don't think fingers feeling bigger is a normal thing. At least I have never felt or seen that happen. In fact, I do feel that building more upper body strength has helped me regain some of the agility that I had lost over the years. It's always best to talk to an expert or a midecal professional when it comes to such matter, though.
 
Been an active weight lifter for longer than I can remember. I'm 52. I don't believe it has impacted my playing at all.
Although, who knows....I probably should be a better player. LOL

I've never felt that any gym exercise (or soreness) has impacted my playing.
 
The reason my pref is for Tai Chi compared to gym exercises is that hi intensity workouts release cortisol into your system which can lead to burn out. Perhaps this is just repeating company policy, but for men over 40 Tai Chi is a recommended exercise program. Signed up for it, but have not yet begun it. Don't wish to begin a new program while still recovering from aches and pains of snow shoveling. Folks may question this, but if one follows the program, you'll see signficant results in about a month's time.
 
bleujazz3 said:
The reason my pref is for Tai Chi compared to gym exercises is that hi intensity workouts release cortisol into your system which can lead to burn out. Perhaps this is just repeating company policy, but for men over 40 Tai Chi is a recommended exercise program. Signed up for it, but have not yet begun it. Don't wish to begin a new program while still recovering from aches and pains of snow shoveling. Folks may question this, but if one follows the program, you'll see signficant results in about a month's time.
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High intensity training and lifting weights are different things though.
 
Saarang Narayan said:
High intensity training and lifting weights are different things though.
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That's true. Heavy weights for strength training compared to light weights for toning likewise. My concern would be for individuals over 40 who are trying to get back into shape and are considering various exercise programs. The hi intensity workouts are counter-productive for folks over 40.

Don't get me wrong, it's still possible to get back into shape, lose weight, build muscle and look toned with Tai Chi; just not the intended way with hi intensity.
 
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Do you use padded gym gloves? Those might help take some of the strain off your fingers when you lift weights.
 
Fro68 said:
Try doing your guitar practice before your workout.
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Nothing wrong with that.

But I've had zero days where I went to practice guitar and felt my hands were tired or sore from working out.
Heavy bench press, 200 pull ups in one workout, anything my body can handle. My hands are never the sore muscle group.

Anyone worried about over using their hand/finger muscle during a workout, use wrist wraps to hold onto any bar you are grasping.
 
Oh No Omg GIF by The Steve Wilkos Show
 
It didn't hurt George Lynch's playing. He used to do it as an activity he could do with his son, IIRC. He took it a little far at one point and got into steroid use, which he regrets, but he's still at it.

 
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