My workout

Metallkasten · #1 09-22-2006, 01:31 PM

I tried searching and didn't see anything about it, so I'll ask.

Anyone practice with one of these?

I was only playing with one last night, not even with the intention to work out (It seems like a toy!) and woke up with crazy sore forearms. Appearantly the guy it belongs to (A drummer) says it's a great workout for the wrist and forearms. It WORKS and I'm asking for one for christmas.

Anyone else ever use this?

BLonge · #2 09-26-2006, 11:49 AM

do you think itll actually help with playing bass? the best way for the body to adapt to something to to stimulate it in whichever way you want it to adapt ie shredding thru nasty basslines

ie playing with a ball in your hand will make you better at playing with a ball in your hand.

just a thought

**WillPlay4Food** · #3 09-26-2006, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BLonge

do you think itll actually help with playing bass? the best way for the body to adapt to something to to stimulate it in whichever way you want it to adapt ie shredding thru nasty basslines

ie playing with a ball in your hand will make you better at playing with a ball in your hand.

just a thought

Really and is a ball in the hand worth more than two in the bush? I didn't think so either.

On a serious note, I might get one of these for my office to give my hands a break from typing. Right now I have a squeezy ball, but one of those neon pro balls looks pretty cool.

That and I've always been a sucker for cool gyroscopes.

Poop-Loops · #4 09-26-2006, 12:52 PM

If you have nothing better to do, sure, it's better than nothing, definately. But I probably don't have to tell you it's not a substitute for playing bass.

There's also another way of getting strong forearms and wrists:

LIFT WEIGHTS (you pervert!)

iplaybassguitar · #5 09-26-2006, 01:53 PM

something like this wont directly make you a better player, but sure, if you have stronger arm and hand muscles, then playing will be a lot easier, and youll be able to do it for a lot longer...
i think i have one of those V shaped spring loaded squeezy things somewhere in my house, and ive been looking for it for something to do when my bass cant be accessed.

the same goes for finger stretching and excersizes...dont over do the stretching, but keeping your fingers loose will help you not lose what youve achieved. also tapping excersizes, like tapping your fingers in different patterns(like middle, index, ring, pinkie.....) will help you co odrinate your fingers.

saying things like these wont work is like telling a football player that sprints wont help his game.

**WillPlay4Food** · #6 10-08-2006, 07:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metallkasten

I tried searching and didn't see anything about it, so I'll ask.

Anyone practice with one of these?

I was only playing with one last night, not even with the intention to work out (It seems like a toy!) and woke up with crazy sore forearms. Appearantly the guy it belongs to (A drummer) says it's a great workout for the wrist and forearms. It WORKS and I'm asking for one for christmas.

Anyone else ever use this?

I found the Dyna-Flex brand of Powerballs for $20 at Eastern Mountain Sports. They had them in the rock climbing section and were selling them as a grip strengthening tool. They didn't have the cool LEDs in them or an RPM meter though, just the regular mode.

chadds · #7 10-08-2006, 11:05 AM

A Dr. told me that they are good at enabling your hand or finger muscles to push down like fretting. You need to be able to pick your finger up to play. So you are only strengthening them on the hammer on. Practice playing music with good form. Typing on Talkbass is really bad for your practicing

Folmeister · #8 10-08-2006, 12:10 PM

Looks like the perfect tool to make my tendonitis worse.

Poop-Loops · #9 10-08-2006, 12:37 PM

A good way to get your "opening" finger muscles (the ones you use to life your fingers) stronger is to get a rubber band around all of your fingers and your thumb and stretch out. Don't do this a lot, but it will definately help you.

**WillPlay4Food** · #10 10-09-2006, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poop-Loops

A good way to get your "opening" finger muscles (the ones you use to life your fingers) stronger is to get a rubber band around all of your fingers and your thumb and stretch out. Don't do this a lot, but it will definately help you.

There's an elastic band wrapped around the outside of this Powerball I picked up. It seemed well suited for this type of finger opening exercise.

I picked up the powerball because I thought the way it used a gyroscope was cool and I haven't had my own gyro in ages now. Any actual exercise/strength benefits would be secondary for me.

Zerozeddy · #11 11-29-2006, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Folmeister

Looks like the perfect tool to make my tendonitis worse.

Hopefully quite the opposite.

Much is made of the Powerball's rehabilitative power on its website and testimonials, and I've just started giving it a go in an effort to sort out my tenosynovitis and return to playing bass properly. My thinking so far is it doesn't make it any worse, and might actually be helping post-bass tendon recovery (not sure yet, only been trying for a week and not played much in that time).

I've been looking for an RSI cure for 10 years however, so my optimism might simply be the triumph of hope over expectation.

BullHorn · #12 11-30-2006, 08:11 AM

Awesome, I've never heard of this!

I'll get it, I have some weird kind of Winter-Arthritis which comes each winter. :P

bassthumpa · #13 12-04-2006, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillPlay4Food

I found the Dyna-Flex brand of Powerballs for $20 at Eastern Mountain Sports. They had them in the rock climbing section and were selling them as a grip strengthening tool. They didn't have the cool LEDs in them or an RPM meter though, just the regular mode.

That's the one that I have. I think of it as a good alternative to hand grips and is good for wrist/forearm strength. However, I don't think it would help when it comes to finger dexterity. I'm trying to mix usage of the powerball to build strength combined with finger excercises while practicing (not at the same time, obviously).

Messy Bass · #14 12-04-2006, 05:00 PM

I bought my powerball from the sharper image store at the mall near my house. It's the one with the blue LEDs inside. Looks really cool when it gets going!
This thing rocks! It definetly helps strengthen your wrist/grip. I brought it with me on tour and would use it for hours sitting in the back of the van. It really gives you a workout! You can push it as hard as you want to and you will get tired. I want to get a second one so I can rock one in each hand.

The only tricky part can be getting it started. The one I bought comes with a string that you have to carefully wrap around it so you can pull it and get it going, but it can get caught inside and then you have to take it apart to get it out. I just eventually used my slapping thumb to spin it up real fast instead. For $10 more though, you can get one with a powered starting station here:

http://www.sharperimage.com/us/en/ca...uct/sku__DF298

If not for strength training, it makes a great conversational piece and is always a hit at parties!! lol