Mind / Body Connection

You ever see that old Charles Atlas ad in the back of retro comic books? He was an old-school body builder, and hawked a book that claimed to show you how to pack on muscle. The comic style ad was pretty funny - a kid who's a "98-pound weakling" gets sand kicked in his face at the beach by a muscle-bound jerk. When he protests, the big guy threatens to beat him up, but says "you're so skinny, you'd probably dry up and blow away!"

Humiliated in front of his girlfriend, in the next panel we see our protagonist in front of the mirror, ready to "gamble a stamp" and send away for Atlas' bodybuilding book...

So what does this have to do with Guitar? Well, until my senior year of high school, I was myself pretty close to being a "98 pound weakling". The summer of my junior year I got fed up with it, and started an activity which continues to have a positive impact on my life and my playing - progressive resistance weight training!

When I was a student at Berklee College of Music, I began to notice something that I found interesting. Most all of the kids that had injuries related to over-practicing (wrist problems, elbow issues, etc.) were - you guessed it - "98 lb. weaklings". These were the guys who were obsessed with playing athletically (super fast) but obviously not at all concerned with building up the muscular support that makes it possible. It's a dumb idea anyway to practice for six hours straight, but it's especially dumb when you're at risk of injuring yourself.

Now, I'm no '80s-era Hulk Hogan, and I'm not suggesting that you need to be either. But here are some Guitar rewards that you'll reap when you begin to hit the weights:

1. Increased confidence

My confidence, not only in my playing but in myself in general, began to increase as I packed on lean muscle mass. When you begin to see real, noticeable changes in the way you look (and in your physical strength), you start to become confident that you can handle more in just about any area of your life, including music. Don't believe me? Try it and see!

2. Injury prevention

If I get out of the loop and start skipping the gym, I start to notice it in my hands, elbow, and shoulders. I play very athletically and aggressively, and I've noticed a direct correlation between lack of gym time and aches & pains. Playing fast and hard takes muscle support, and weight lifting builds the strength and stamina of not only the muscles you can see, but also the ones you can't - the ones that support your fingers, hands, wrists, elbows and arms. If something starts bothering me, it usually goes away when I get back to the gym regularly.

3. Mental health

Let's face it - as artists, we live in our heads more than the average person, and sometimes it's hard to get yourself out of there! If you're anxiety-prone and tend to ruminate or worry more than most (which I certainly do), then hitting the gym and the weights everyday is the best medicine. It gets you out of your own head, works off stress, and just plain feels good. If I get overly stressed, worried, or angry for an extended period of time, it's a sure signal that I'm not hitting the gym enough. Forget the stereotype of the "angst-ridden" artist - every musician does their best work with a clear head and positive mental outlook. I know I do.

So to finish the story, what happened with the 98 lb. cartoon kid in the ad? He got big - as we would guess, since it's an advertisement. Then he went back to the beach, and socked the guy right in his big mouth. He took revenge. In real life, when you get big, you can expect to take something as well - but it won't be something as juvenile as revenge.

You'll take control.