Drumming is a great activity. It is not only fun, but it also helps develop physical strength. But as much as it’s physically developing, it is also physically tasking, in that it requires strength, stability, and endurance. So, if you want to make a career out of music, you’ll need to practice certain exercises to develop specific muscles. Your workout routines should focus on developing the muscles in the arms, shoulders, chest, back, abs, and legs, which will enable you to spend long hours on your drum kit without getting fatigued and straining muscles.
Fitness routines for drummers include squats, calf raises, stretches, blade squeezes, bench presses, and chop building. These workouts enhance stamina and endurance, which subsequently help improve drumming skills. After all, what is a skilled drummer without stamina and endurance? Here we’ll look further into the best fitness workouts for drummers or aspiring drummers.
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Core Strength Workouts
Drummers need to work on their core, which involves the abs and lower back region. It is essential since they stay on the drum throne most times for long hours. As most of these thrones do not have backrests, they slouch when they sit, consequently leading to bad postures and back pains. Some workouts for the core include crunches, planks, mountain climbers, and dead bugs.
Lower Body Workouts
The lower body region, consisting of the thighs, hips, knees, ankles, and feet, is essential in drumming and needs to be included when considering fitness workouts. The feet and ankle help give support and stamina to the drummer, improving endurance and balance. Exercises for these areas include standing calf raises, cycling, and squat, which increase the drummer’s speed and stamina. Some other workouts for the legs, thighs, and hips include running, lunges, climbing, and bouldering.
Upper Body Workouts
Workout for the chest, wrist, arms, and shoulders are essential for building strength. The upper region, playing the most significant role in drumming, needs to get more attention during workouts. In developing this region, weight lifting should be considered. Bench presses help to build the muscles in the arm, consequently increasing strength.
The chest fly exercise helps in the strengthening of the pectoral muscles, and preacher curls specifically develop biceps, wrists, and arms, while triceps pull-down strengthens the triceps. Side laterals like the shoulder fly exercise work the arms, chest, and back.
The front overhead press strengthens the shoulders and arms. It also assists in making a stiff wrist to loosen up, giving the drummer flexibility when playing the drums. These upper body workouts require gym equipment and a professional trainer, especially for beginners. Some other exercises for the upper body region that are effective are push-ups for the arms, as well as wall glides and wrist curls.
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Posture Exercises
Maintaining the perfect body posture is essential, as drumming can keep you in an awkward position for hours and further cause pain. Exercises for the lower back and the neck should be carried out to ensure proper posture. The neck usually gets strained while drumming as the drummer sits for a long time, trying to focus on the drums. An active range of motion exercise stretches the neck muscles, easing strains, and enhancing mobility. The low back stabilization exercise helps to prevent bad posture as the drummer slouches while drumming because most drum thrones have no backrests.
Warm-Up Exercises
Warm-up exercises should be performed just before the drummer begins a drumming session. These exercises will make your life a lot easier. As with other exercise routines and athletics, drumming should not be started without a little warm-up. These exercises include crunches, blade squeezes, rotator cuffs, fist stretch, shoulder stretch, and hip flexor stretch. Beyond the warm-up exercises for physical strength, the drummer may want to try yoga, which enhances mental fitness, relaxing the mind and allowing it focus.
While keeping fit, it is also crucial that drummers maintain a healthy diet. Eating unhealthy while trying to stay fit is a farce. A healthy routine helps boost the results of the workout, aiding posture, stamina, and endurance.
