Well it’s beach season. And if you’re anything like me, that means reducing the chocolate croissant diet to only the essentials, a few extra sessions in the tanning bed, and ample coconut oil.
For those who didn’t catch the irony, fitness for drummers is nonetheless a subject close to my heart. For drummers who age into their 70s and beyond with most of their peak ability, can you think of any who was out of shape? Conversely, what about players we can think of who - hate to say it - have “lost a step” compared to their peak?
You can outrun poor physical fitness into your 50s if you’re lucky, but eventually it’s going to catch up. And for those of us with lanky physiques, or other things we were born with that make sitting on a throne for hours-a-day a challenge, thats’s all-the-more true.
Which is why it was such a pleasure to have my friend Brandon Green of Drum Mechanics, fresh off a Drumeo shoot, back in the (virtual) 8020 studios.
Brandon - he won’t mince words - has a new fitness program specifically for drummers. (Which I’ll link below the published video on Monday.) And it was the perfect occasion to speak about the “whys” and “hows” of fitness for drummers.
Whereas during Brandon’s first appearance on the pod, we spoke more about things like posture and kit ergonomics, his second centered around what we do away from the kit. As I get older, it’s a subject I think about a lot. And as a “drum coach” I’ve got a bit of a vantage point to the issues drummers of all ages start to face when we “ratchet up” the time we’re spending behind the kit. I’ve referred a handful of students to Brandon because of injuries, so it’s no laughing matter.
Issues we touch in this conversation include…
How specific training for drums differs from “bog standard”/general workouts.
What happens when we age as players, and what do we need to be more mindful of.
The importance of drumming fitness for women, and his specific advice.
TRT, and related things, for men. (We do not shy away.)
Hope you enjoy the knowledge bombs as much as I did.