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Has anyone tried to weight lift and play the piano? Does it have an adverse affect on the hands or muscles? Will it interfere with piano playing?

Mr. S-H will probably be all over this topic... Since I only lift 10 lbs free weights for tennis I'm not totally qualified to talk aobut heavy lifting....

No, there's minimal carryover. Keep lifting, and keep playing

Hi, Crash Test...I just started to lift weights again after a long absence from the gym, and I wondered the same thing. It's only been two months, but so far it's all good. Other than a little shoulder fatigue in the beginning nothing seemed different. I do make sure that I stretch when I'm done, and I stretch my forearms often. Good luck!

16 tons and what do you get?
another day older and deeper in debt.

I happen to agree with Lynn510 on this as I am following the same routine. I also am working with a personal trainer who has two clients that are involved in music performance (one cellist and one pianist). In addition to the stretching out at the end, you might want to try some hand exercises to strengthen the hand muscles (squeezing a racquet ball will do the trick).

-Mark
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The ultimate joy in music is the joy of playing the piano

uhmmmm... ask this guy... =P
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=opus3863a

Ted

Been doing it forever - there is no substitute...

Don't defy tradition. Continue to lack muscular definition for the sake of your identity as a pianist.

Been doing it for years, and it hasn't done any harm. But, I'm not a great pianist either. Hmm ... I wonder, if ...

Regards,

Let's face it. How many top pianists have body building physiques? 'Nuff said.

Every pro pianist I know who also lifts weights tells me that it does stiffen them up, but that they do it anyways because it makes them feel good.

Leon Bates is the only pianist of note that I know of who lifts weights on a regular basis. That guy is a beast.

Keep lifting. Your body needs the same type of challenge that your mind/fingers get from playing music.

My only caution is to use a good pair of lifting gloves to protect your hands, and use good form to protect your back. Don't get hung up on "maxing out", as that's typically the realm of male college weight lifters (been there, done that).

For me, my athletic life is just as important as my musical life, so I work just as hard at being a competitive cyclist as I do being a pianist. In fact, I recently had a day where I raced in the morning, then had a recital that evening. (The recital went great, but I got my butt handed to me by the local Cat 1's on the race course...)

The mental focus I get from a great workout - either weight lifting or on the bike - is a huge benefit to my playing. Having balance between the physical, creative and intellectual aspects of my life is vitally important.

Lift away!

Oscar Levant used to say that if he was in a B movie, they wanted him to play the piano. If it was an A movie, they wanted him to move the piano.

Reminds me of my college days (when I was, in fact, an iron-pumping junkie). I was working for the campus tech crew - A/V, lighting, sound reinforcement, etc - when a client who was setting up needed a piano moved to an area that I had "cabled off" with the requisite 40 lbs of duct tape.

Since it was just your typical university-grade console piano, I just lifted the piano, one end at a time, over my cables while this woman stood there acting as if I'd just picked up an Airbus A-320.

I guess regular pianos aren't nearly as heavy as most people believe.

Concert Pianist Tzimon Barto does more than lifting a little weight. He is a body builder as I understand. Look at some of his pictures on his WEB site.

I would say in general, it shouldn't be a problem. However, I would avoid working the forearms too much, as that is where most of hte muscles are that allow for the speed of the fingers. The most agile people aren't weight lifters, but runners and martial arts people, who but tone rather than bulk up.

I tried to lift weights for awhile but my body just didn't practice piano as well afterwards. Now I just ran and am trying to get a "swimmer's body"

Yeah, I just want to get jacked so I can pick up more chicks. Couple that with my piano performance degree and it's a done deal.