Pre-gig habits to avoid stiffness

[somebrains]

Cut out junk food.
Lose some weight.
No drugs or booze.
Swim, yoga, stretch.
Get a wristie from the old lady.

Basically take all the fun out of life.

 

[Steadfast]

Cut out junk food.
Lose some weight.
No drugs or booze.
Swim, yoga, stretch.
Get a wristie from the old lady.

Basically take all the fun out of life.

I did these things and still found a little fun. So I killed that joy by donning wool underwear.

So, add wearing wool underwear to that list please.

 

[Mosfed]

since when did ibuprofin = herion?

Seriously. I know literally dozens of professional musicians that rely on occassional doses of ibuprofen for gig relief.

And in the end, I take 400mg a week. I don't see that being any kind of issue. But I do see that addressing the underlying causes is obviously preferable.

 

[Mosfed]

The older I get the harder it is to remember waking up feeling great with absolutely NOTHING hurting or stiff. Part of what you're feeling is just getting older, so it still beats the alternative.

In my twenties we often did three 4-set gigs on a weekend - 12 hrs of playing. Last weekend I did a single 3-setter and was wiped out. I also stretch and take ibuprofen as a pre-emptive strike and they both help, but I'm not sure the fatigue can be entirely eliminated. I'm just not 20 anymore.

I you are literally having a couple of drinks all night I don't think that's enough alcohol to cause stomach problems with the ibuprofen. I rarely drink at a gig because I play better without drinking. At a maximum, I could have maybe one per set without my playing ability going south.

I saw some possibly helpful suggestions above, so best of luck!

My usual is 1 beer during load in, and then 1 beer per 1.5 hour set. So three pints over a 5 hour period. Seems pretty reasonable to me. I am well aware of the direct relationship between blood alcohol and volume and I always want to avoid being that guy.

 

[Mosfed]

Take private yoga lessons from someone who knows what they are doing, if you can it will change your life, make you feel years younger. You just feel better, more energetic, healthy, etc. It's a little tough at first, but after a while it gets much easier, and with private lessons, you can go at your own pace. It's really the only exercise i get.

Time stiffens your joints, and most people just think it's a reality of age, but it's totally reversible.

On my list. I get a ton of exercise and I know that yoga would help with a number of my favorite sports.

 

[Low i Cue]

by

I do drink a beer or two during our gig but I try to insert a pint of water for each beer.

Hope it's a short set.

 

[Gringo Basso]

I'm dissapointed by the lack of cheeky smart-alec answers here -this thread tittle begs for some really good ones!
But I have to admit I saw very good common-sense answers, so bravo.

 

[Fender_Bender]

The only time my hands really stiffen up is when I try to go right into playing without an extended warmup. Also, the warmup takes much longer in the winter months. Otherwise I'd echo the thoughts that you may be using much more force than is required. You could try a lighter gauge or different brand of strings with lower overall tension.

 

[BurnOut]

Stretching, staying hydrated, and not taking pain killers is the way to go.

Good point on the pain killers. If I take something, my singing voice suffers immensely. Pretty much a no no when the band is involved.

 

[Bassmaticmatt]

Fish oil helps to lubricate your joints. I notice a difference when i forget to take them.

 

[JonnyAngle]

 

[Groove Doctor]

I do two sports that hammer your hands on a frequent basis (downhill/enduro mountain biking and mountaineering).

I didn't really have this problem before I started mountain biking

That's the root of your problem. Look at changing MTB setup esp padded gloves, softer/longer front suspension, different handle grips.

Also look up 'arm pump' = arm pain/fatigue due to core muscle weakness. Planks, side planks, sit ups, back extensions, side leg raises, etc remedy this. Plenty of articles in Motorcross magazines/online about it.

Do your wrist (preferably whole body) stretching before and after mountain biking, as well as before and after playing the bass.

+1.

Biking may be causing some low grade nerve damage to one or both of the two large nerves going into your hand. Wearing good padded gloves, keeping your weight off your hands and watching out for overflexing or overextending will help.

+1. I started to get that and instantly fixed with thick gel padding on the palm.

Also... you may need 24-48 hrs of no biking prior to a gig. You need recovery time.

 

[Ewo]

i used to ride cross-country MTB, and sometimes parts of my hand would go numb. i'd expect downhill to stress the hands even more. i gotta figure that could be a factor in your discomfort.

 

[mc900ftj]

...but I try to insert a pint of water for each beer.

I do wish I had some better stretches to do

Yes, some serious stretching is definitely indicated for that. Be safe.

 

[Afc70]

Back in the day, I would always take a long restful nap then pump some iron- do lots of push-ups etc..

 

[jwilson67]

As I play more and more gigs and get older, stiffness during a show has become a bigger and bigger issue.

What do people do pre-gig to avoid stiffness and fatigue during a gig?

As of now my ritual is drinking a bunch of water, taking 400mg of ibuprofen, eating a banana or two. I take magnesium daily.

I do drink a beer or two during our gig but I try to insert a pint of water for each beer.

I do wish I had some better stretches to do

I hear you man! I'm primarily a finger player. On some nights when playing a 4 hour gig my plucking hand has started hurting so bad I can barely play 2 hours into the night and then my hand will be sore for about 3 or 4 days after. It's really scaring me but I do know that I am not warming up properly either and that is a big issue. There is nothing wrong with taking Ibuprofen to keep the inflammation down which in turn eases the pain - I do that too. I HAVE to do that sometimes.

I guess we have to look at it like if we were runners, we wouldn't just go into a race without stretching and warming up first and a long gig is very much like a marathon race.

 

[jaybones]

Good posture, comfortable shoes, strong core, the right playing position and staying loose during the gig are my keys. I always stretch before hand, not just my fingers, hands, arms, shoulders and neck, but also back (toe touches and hand raises) as well as my legs (calf stretches, quads, hamstring, modified hurdler and butterfly- can actually put my knees flat on the floor, always have been able to).

I'll warm up with some jumping jacks and run in place for a little bit. Sort of psych myself up like I'm going into the ring or out onto the wrestling mat. Get the blood flowing, heart rate up, a little sweat going.

Once playing, I'll make a point to move around a little bit. Nothing worse than locking the knees and keeping the trunk stiff. Stay loose and breathe.

And not having a really heavy or unbalanced bass sure helps too.

 

[okcrum]

since when did ibuprofin = herion?

Seriously. I know literally dozens of professional musicians that rely on occassional doses of ibuprofen for gig relief.

And in the end, I take 400mg a week. I don't see that being any kind of issue. But I do see that addressing the underlying causes is obviously preferable.

If you have have a weak renal system, ibuprofen (also naproxen and to a lesser extent aspirin) can be a problem because they impair blood flow to the kidneys. In some cases they can cause acute kidney failure.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[DirtDog]

And here's something that's not a judgement but rather a suggestion based on known medical science: mixing the ibuprofen and beer is a terrible idea.

But, but, Ibuprofen + Beer = No Hangover!

Wait, correction:

Beer + beer+ beer...+beer +(Ibuprofen^2) = Hangover -> 0

 

[DirtDog]

If you have have a weak renal system, ibuprofen (also naproxen and to a lesser extent aspirin) can be a problem because they impair blood flow to the kidneys. In some cases they can cause acute kidney failure.

Invalid Link Removed

Holy crap - that's a 27 year old article. I'm sure science has bunked and debunked those findings a dozen times over since then.