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I lost weight. Playing bass is much easier now!

How much space do you take up on stage?

  • XL - I’m a big boy & I'm fine with it

  • L - I could stand to lose a few

  • M - I’m pretty much average

  • S - I’m skin & bones

  • I only eat carrots

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#22
About 3 years ago I was up to 205lb @ 5'10". Now I'm ~160lb (tons of cycling and running) and I've noticed 2 things; first, basses hang much more naturally against my torso. Second, I now have some sort of exposed nerve in my left shoulder that can get irritated with a bass hanging on a strap after an hour or 2. I use wide, soft straps, but it has caused some issues mid-gig. Bass weight plays into it a tiny bit, but not enough to make me seek lighter basses than my 8-9lb instruments.

Biggest change of late is that I'd rather spend 3hrs on a 50-60mi bike ride than gigging. I prefer to spend my Friday evenings running up to the top of a mountain and back. I suspect that might change a bit as winter sets in and it's 30F and dark by 5. Maybe.
 
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#23
congrats on the weight loss..i'd imagine it is easier to move about the stage, hold your stamina with long grooves, and the bass must seem lighter.. We may not all have "rockstar" bods, but there must something to be said for atleast trying to look the part...not to mention health benefits:thumbsup:


just say no!

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#24
Same here.. lost roughly 72 lbs. Made a world of difference. Read on...

About 6-1/2 years ago I was on tour in Costa Rica, our BL was a real piece of work.. stress was a daily thing. I was eating bad and drinking way too much beer already.. woke up one morning with tunnel vision and began to hyperventilate. I was taken to a pharmacy and had a BP of 220/170. Ended up in Jaco hospital for 8 hours, completely forgot all my high school Spanish and had the scariest day of my life - hooked to old school EKG machine, needles, exposed wires, cracked ceiling.. not to mention I missed my remaining gigs on the tour.

I had to wait a week for my BP to come down to fly home. I immediately quit drinking, went low sodium (stopped fast food, no more soda) and was put on heart meds. Within 8 months I was down 72 lbs and off the heart drugs... no alcohol since.

So yeah, it feels good to be more aerodynamic on stage and everything else that goes with it.
 
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#38
Congrats for your achievement!

I still have to come up for air while tying my shoes but I'm dropping some weight now. Prior to Corona I had cut sugar down to almost nothing. I still had a bit in my coffee but half the amount. Label reading cut most food at the grocery store off the list. Was eating much healthier and lost 36+lbs'.

Still trying to wrap my head around why Raisin Bran cereal has to have a sugar coat on the raisins.
Yeah, I know. Sugar is addictive; it ensures repeat customers.
 
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