Does working out help your drumming? If so, what kind of workout style/routine do you have? BJJ, Crossfit, bro split, upper/lower, push/pull, boxing, bike, running etc
Gavin Harrison said it best - "The things I play today I could have played 25 years ago, I just couldn't think of them 25 years ago." - in other words you can be in the best physical shape in the world with the fastest hands/feet but if you have zero creativity and zero ideas it's worthless. The biggest muscle you need to work on is your brain.
I agree with you and Gavin sir, it’s the brain doing the bulk. Physical shape/health must be tended to in some manner though so we can sustain this physical instrument for many years🤘
This is what I’ve always said exactly about Gavins playing. It’s one thing to be able to play something that is “hard” to play, *ITS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY TO BE ABLE TO THINK UP INTERESTING, ENGAGING, AND ARTISTIC MUSICAL IDEAS FOR ANY INSTRUMENT.* Ironically, playing the thing is easier than deciding what to play and what is worth playing. I personally just try and play literally everything and find what my body and mind naturally gravitate towards and then try and expand on that. But I think this also requires a general love of all kinds of music, especially stuff that isn’t the kind of music you play.
I think the stamina you'll get from working out will be a great help but I agree with you the brain will still be responsible for your musicality and this is where the muscle memory and the years of experience kicks in.
your joke doesn't make any sense. what he's saying is that even these gospel drummers, however good they might be, could be even better when in a healthy state. it's just logic really.
Not necessarily "working out" but I feel like the idea of watching your health and taking care of yourself in regards to playing music for a living is rarely talked about by musicians on a public platform, so I appreciate you posting a video about this topic! When I was a kid I didn't even think about taking steps to be healthy in regards to my drumming. All I did was drum and play video games pretty much 24/7. Next thing I know I'm getting tired, my metabolism is slowing down, I'm gaining weight, my back is aching, and I even end up developing carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of overusing my hand/wrist muscles without taking any steps to strengthen them. It's by no means too late for me, but spreading the message about taking steps to be healthy and take care of your body I feel is super important, ESPECIALLLY when you consider how many young musicians are out there who really want to play music at a professional level. I'm in physical therapy now, eating healthier, and exercising more regularly, so I'm hopefully on the right track to fix things, but I can promise you that nothing feels worse than practicing your craft for years and dedicating yourself to be a working musician, only to be setback by something that is ultimately avoidable like health issues.
Thanks for sharing brother, yes definitely best to stay proactive but sometimes we get behind the ball and need to play catch up. When it has happened to me in the past, yoga, healthy eating, healthy sleep, and PMA(positive Mental Attitude) brought me back✊stay strong
i've been going through the exact same thing, been dealing autoimmune symptoms, heavy metal toxicity and carpal tunnel for years. I was an aspiring musician and still am. I've had no choice but to take a break from music to recover. It's honestly been one of the hardest thing to do.
As someone whom fractured their spine wrestling at 12 for middle school, almost severed my cord by a 75% slip between vertebrae that came centimeters from making me paralyzed from the waist down, 5 years in a wheelchair, 6 major surgeries, over a third of my spine fused with lamectomies throughout (no disk whatsoever between vertebrae fused into 1 immobile mass of bone L3-S1 and again at T11, a spinal cord stimulator implant put in just walk again, and let alone play drums); I couldn't even sit for 15 minutes at the kit in 2016, and now I can play 6 hrs a day, teach, and gig professionally. I still can't run, I have a terrible gate/limp, and my legs don't fire normally with all the neurological damage. So, while I highly support everything you're saying, I came from the opposite end of the spectrum, and had to learn *technique* to save my body and play with longevity, since I can't work out besides on the kit. Having strength is great, but utilizing motion and using wrist and fingers rather than large muscle groups; made ALL the difference for me. I can't do anything but walk and ride a pedal assist bike; but you better believe I can "tap dance", while orchestrating, improv.'ing, conserve my energy, and using good technique to play the drums, rather than muscling everything out and not using technique to my advantage, and getting tired or overly sloppy! 😉 I envy those that can and have strong health/strength/good physique! It definitely plays a major role, as it's a physical instrument! Great video! Happy drumming, everyone! Edit: "It's all just up-down motion, it's in how you maximize that motion to get the most amount of sound for the least amount of effort, and in the way you use and orchestrate it around the kit" -Russell Bizzett (my mentor)
Very reassuring stuff man \m/ Working out really helps with my confidence on the kit, I also like the fluidity that comes with a little meat on my bones.
You pretty much have to be healthy to play a full Mastodon album that s*** is crazy that's one of my best workouts I'll go to the barn and play their older stuff and I am spent after that thanks for everything man you're a wonderful drummer keep doing what you do it's good to see you getting stronger
Hi Matt! I'm not someone who works out a lot, but I recently started jogging (2 weeks aprox). I can tell I noticed an improvement in my playing. I've been practing for a while patterns what have many kicks within the rhythm itself, and my leg wouldn't last too long playing this group of kicks of the pattern at faster tempos. But, when I started jogging (40 minutes a day), I noticed I was able to play more comfortable at faster tempos. Since then, I jog everyday after a practice session.
This video dropped at exactly the right time for me! This has been on my mind for months. As a drummer who also likes to lift my ass off, i feel like my focus has shifted away from my instrument and more towards my physique/numbers, much like the phase you describe. Only difference is, I'm about 5% the drummer you are, so I can't really afford to slack. Lifting is just making me happy rn (happier than drums like you describe) but hopefully I can find a balance in the future. PS, also a fellow depression sufferer (Bipolar to be exact) so thank you for your honesty in that regard.
I'm an older guy but, I'm a little blown away that MOST guys lift weights 💪 nowadays. When I was a kid, jocks and juice heads lifted but it was sort of a fringe thing. Musicians weren't generally hanging out at the weight room...lol! I understand that it's a different time though. (I feel like Gen-X were all about perfecting laziness)
Jiu Jitsu is the best sport to do as a drummer. The kind of cardio you need for grappling is the same for drumming, plus they're both about coordination and building muscle memory.
As a full time bassist and Jiu Jitsu practitioner (with the inevitable list of inconvenient injuries that comes with it) I can say with absolute confidence that Jiu Jitsu is definitely not the best sport for any musician. There is a lot to learn from the humbling mental and physical process of practicing and studying any kind of Martial Art that directly apply to music....but lugging gear around and playing 5 gigs a week with fucked up fingers/shoulders/elbows/neck isnt the one!
I body build, not professionally just that's the style I work out. In my experience working out my arms has done nothing to help with playing (like hand speed/endurance is exactly the same since before I started working out), but working my calves and tibia muscles has improved my double bass playing by a shit ton.
About this topic, elestepario siberiano said that he always does weightlifting only after his practice session, precisely at the end of the day. I am not a professional drummer but since I started doing this I can truly say that this is the one of the best solution if your routine allows it.
Apart from having no energy... being a physically unfit slob lowers your androgen levels, which affect cognitive and psychological function, and motivation as well. I would know I haven't worked out once since they closed the gyms last year :S
I went through a depression also and didn't feel like drumming at all, which was super hard considering it's like a form of meditation for me... thanks for sharing, it's comforting to know others have been through the same, thankfully today I'm back to drumming and happier than ever
Go look at all the legendary drummers throughout history. None of them look like they spend significant time in the gym. None of them look like Hollywood movie action stars. They don't have ripped abs or yoked arms. Most of the great drummers throughout history (who can hit super hard and play super fast) are really skinny, scrawny, lanky people. Probably because a big part of learning to play the drums is learning how to manipulate the physics of the drums (like rebound and torque) so you don't have to expend too much of your own energy to behind the kit and then you can play all day. Actually I would recommend not so much cardio but mobility and flexibility training imo
Chris Coleman also is diesel. It’s not a necessity great drummers come in all sizes and shapes. Practice is what rly matters. The only exception may be speed metal, you’ll want to be in good shape if you’re playing speed metal sets.
It affects your REM sleep which is so crucial to achieving anything physically or mentally. Some people make it work but for the average person who has a full time job and several hobbies taking up energy, weed is going to be detrimental to their recovery
Matt you're the fucking man. Quite easily the most versatile drummer of our era. Id love to hear you on some different style tracks. If you have any features you can recommend id love to hear them
Victoria, Casimir Liberski(Cosmic Liberty), GEM(on TH-cam), JIA(guested on Amass, The offering, Drift), Chon(guested on But and Book), Louis Demieulle(many albums)
I’m in my 60s and have been lifting Olympic style for almost 6 years. Lifting has definitely become my ‘happy place’ but I absolutely cannot function as a drummer right after lifting... found that out the hard way (on a gig). I just totally bonked after 2 sets... this was playing a low-volume jazz gig. Can’t imagine what a rock gig would have done to me!! I also run and bike... those are much more compatible with drumming, though no less tiring. Physical activity of any kind has been a great asset to my life & mindset... and it has helped me be a better drummer from that standpoint.
This whole time listening to this and I'm screaming DENNIS CHAMBERS in my head. The guy is arguably the greatest drummer alive and yet I doubt he's ever even seen a gym in his life. Come to think of it, I've never seen him NOT sitting behind a kit. The guy is a machine but just because he doesn't play metal, most of the drumming community completely ignores him. Drumming is so much more than just bombastic speed which is basically what metal drumming is; basic patterns just played really fast. It sounds awesome, don't get me wrong, but compared to jazz, it's simpleton music. What I'd love to hear are traditional jazz musicians write metal music. That'd be the most ridiculous sounding thing you can imagine. Prog metal would have nothing on jazz metal lol.
try Martyr - Feeding the Abscess. The guitarist is a jazz nerd and you can tell. it doesn't have anything to do with jazz though but you can feel it in the music as it sounds like nothing else outthere and yeah, metal it is allright Then of course, there's Cynic and to a certain degree Atheist, they defintely have jazz backgrounds to some extent
People don’t believe me but when I started lifting weights I not only felt like I got faster but I felt like I had more dynamic control. My ghost notes definitely got better
You dont need to work out. Drumming IS the workout. You Will build whatever physicality and muscle required to play, just by playing. Your body will adapt to the increased demand. Focus on creativity and the brain more so than brute endurance and pace. Your physicality is worthless if your brain has no application for it.
I would agree to a certain extent, but there is absolutely value in endurance and cardio exercise with regard to drumming. Calisthenics, especially burpee variations overall have been very beneficial to me.
Have been wondering about this, thanks for the candid and in-depth thoughts! I still have a question, though.. How do you deal with brain fog and/or exhaustion screwing up your playing? I have trouble sleeping sometimes, and when I do, my inner ear vanishes and my limbs feel lethargic. How do you deal with that?
Brain fog- take small breaks every 20-30 min, stay fueled(food/carbs), maybe try alpha brain, sleep heavily affects brain function so optimize that. Sleep- set a timer for when to go to bed, melatonin supplement can help, cut out coffee/caffeine, avoid tv & phone screens 2 hrs before bed, meditation, yoga or asmr before bed can help.
@@drummusician matt, i love you as a musician, but you did not just recommend that alpha brain snake oil. c'mon man, Joe Rogan deserves to stay in the past
Lifting weights helps me to not get tendonitis from drumming. If you're concerned about soreness, try pavel tsatsouline's power to the people regime - just 2 sets of deadlift, 2 sets of press, 5 days a week! Works
You can definitely weigh train and play drums, you just have proper programming. I keep a pad next to my power rack and I have zero problems playing through Wilcoxon books in between sets of heavy deadlifts.
Here's my take: Staying healthy and feeling good in your body has a positive impact on anything you do, including playing the drums. I'm an avid runner and do lots of calisthenics which are great exercises for drumming, and lugging your shit around. LOL Functional strength. Pull-ups are awesome, because of grip strength.
People probably go "El Estepario Siberiano is jacked, he is amazing drummer, therefore...." but he probably is DESPITE lifting. For musicians cardio and bodyweight exercise works better I think. As a guitar player at least, lifting weights stiffens my fingers, especially deadlifting and pull-ups. It goes away after a good warmup, but anyway. Exercise can help with self-discipline though. People who exercise have their minds more wired into "Discomfort now = improvement later" thinking. It becomes a whole way of looking at life. That's why I lift
You can grow without going to failure... When you are sore (except for beginners), you went too many times till failure. Just get as much volume i as you can, within the 8-12 rep range, leaving 1-2 reps in the tank, with the occasional PR sessions included.
Everyone needs an outlet,a therapy. Wether it's drumming,working out,or both,we all need to focus more on mental and physical health. A healthy mind and body will improve every other aspect of your LIFE. It's your life,make the best of it,don't be a slave to your crutches,laziness,etc. I'm glad I picked up drumming and working out early,it's certainly helped me,just wish I would've wore more sunscreen in my 20's now that I'm in my 30's. You don't worry about your 40's in your 20's,but you do in your 30's when you see you aren't 20 anymore.
Great stuff Matt!! Yes it can be a catch 22. For me, I use drum chore sticks to build. Food for thought!? Do you get your horse to weight lift or racing around the track to work out all individual muscles!? Hmmm... .. ..Hope you found what is needed as to NrG. If not let's connect. Yes it had, taken it's toll back then. Will do. Ty
I've watched Matt and T Pridge get nothing but jacked during this quarantine. And that dude ZackGrooves is already grizzly. Nah...something is up. They know something. I'm willing to bet GOOD MONEY that aliens from the "Beat Them Skinz" system are gonna show up and ask to challenge our best drum-fighters. Jacked drummers will be our only hope. They will be worshipped as gods if they can defeat the hostile aliens. These guys are one step ahead of us. I see yall...
Senri Kawaguchi doesnt seem very buff :D But she could still be working out I guess. I dont think she do though, she have no time for that because she must be practicing 24/7
Its important if you dont have roadies and you play a big kit with more than 3 tons, 4 cymbals, and loads of hardware. Besides that, just be healthy. Dirk, Gene hoglan, Eric Moore, Aaron spears, Kolias, thomas haake, Ken Bedene and others extreme not-bulky metal drummers are quite awesome on their own. Avoid junk food, eat vegetables, water, do some kind of exercise sometimes. But..if you go for the "shirtless look" type of drummer, maybe would be nice.
Have you tried jiu-jitsu? It's a cardio workout from Hell, works out the muscles, stretches you out and forces your brain to think quickly. I always feel more capable behind the kit whenever I keep a regular schedule of going to Jiu-Jitsu class. Maybe that's just me though.
What about bodyweight workout? It help you develop fast muscle and body control / awareness perhaps more than "traditional" workout. Perhaps it's more adapted to drum
hmmmm, OK, going full crazy on the workouts isn't going to help. However I can tell you as an old guy that if I don't work out my legs I can't play even 100 bpm on the kicks. I have to be doing my leg lifts, biking or walk and jog at least 3 times a week each or I have trouble keeping my feet steady.
Matt - You must have seen Tony and Buddy… It’s very difficult to reconcile your observations about small and skinny or later on, small and chubby in Tony’s case, pot bellied in Buddy’s - just to give a couple examples of master drummers whose physical attributes - “deficiencies” don’t seem to have acted as impediments to their drumming prowess. I could go on and on about this but let’s leave it for now at these two. Your a great drummer but that fact in my opinion transcends physical condition. It all goes much deeper. As a superior technician you must know that physical strength doesn’t really play too great a role in great drumming.
Working out is body building, Drums is music. Obviously done in moderation bodybuilding might help. But it depends on the spectrum were your working out or bodybuilding is.....if its drums related yes it will help, but if its taken to training muscles and as bodybuilding, then the name is self explanatory. Definitely it will increase your stamina i believe. but not by much because muscles do need more oxygene so it depends were your'e playing, the venue ....
Sure the first workout must have to your ears!! Listen things, different than these you play , strange musics, Avant Garde Music, Afro Cuban or Traditional African gongs i think helps you do the next step in drumming, of course some gym exercises keeps you healthy and energetic but isn't the real target to go to the next level.I think must work your opportunities of choices on what to do at many levels and this works and to drumming.
Only thing in drumming that you need to physically train for is stamina in extreme metal drumming blast beats. It's like lifting weights bc you have to treat it like such to be able to do it and you will lose it if you don't continue to train for it. Otherwise learning grooves and chops is more or less brain progression and muscle memory which is like riding a bike, you don't really lose it.
Can't push your limits until you run against them - music is equal parts physical and mental, both are the limiting factors if you come up short in one you can't power through it with the other. If you consider a plateau a wall, you'll find you've been considering plateaus as an obstacle instead of the place where you are so reflexive and intrinsic that you're ready to insert something into your genetic memory, or as people used to say, "get it into your bones". Whatever you believe, there will always be work to do to get where you are happy with what you are currently chasing, and whatever that work is takes shape differently for everyone and is directly related to the things they want to do with their hands, feet, and minds, at the point of output, neurogenesis mapping paths through their systems. One big transition for me on any instrument I play is when they finally have decent enough form to be physically economical (matters for your joints and spine, long term) and realize that they've hit a quiescent point in the curves of their physical vs mental graphs - that's where I usually try to be aware of pieces as a whole so I can selectively push the parts of my skillsets I want to in the process of learning more songs/expanding my expression vocabulary. Be smart enough to keep yourself challenged but out of the pain/hospital/surgery zone - that's another huge value of simply experience and time served on your instrument. The people who laugh when the first thing their teacher says is "this way or you're going to hurt yourself playing X" are the first ones who get hurt playing X. ;-)
tru that man, i've been "goin thru some shit" with work and playing drums has been less good for me as it has my whole life. however, running has easy goals that i can track, and honestly i don't need to increase my distances or times beyond a certain point because i can just get rid of some demons by getting a good run in. cardio in general has helped my playing a lot, i used to be 230 pounds in high school and i've been as low as 125 and now i'm 170, but while good cardio endurance definitely doesnt hurt it's no substitute for just practicing the drums. that cardio endurance is equivalent to just "mashing" as the ol Frank Reynolds would say, and it's only good for mindless blasting but sometimes you need to increase your endurance to play some really wicked stuff
i'm specialist on this, I'm drummer and phisical educator, I aunderstand this and let me tell you that stheght and stability i'ts very important. I wourld working out on what you call it "core trainning".
wait until you hit 50, its all downhill it takes 11 10 time just to stop pissing down your leg if you dont empty proper, just write songs like soundgarden though all will be well
For me it’s always helped. Efficient technique can get you far but to play certain types of music like progressive metal, technical death metal, even jazz fusion etc... having more power can give you more stability and attack. Whenever I have a good weight session and then go drum I can blast with far more ferocity and accurately than previously. If that’s not what you’re trying to do on your drum path then that’s cool too- but if you have a labor intensive style or play labor intensive music I think there’s no doubt there is benefits in lifting and exercise
Btw this might get some hate but I imagine you had been self conscious about not having a low voice in the past.. well thats def in the past man somehow your voice has also lowered. Ha wish I could do that with mine without getting a cold.
Bottom line is matt is now pumped up he was in the time chamber during his lows focusing on gaining mass so that he can drop a hard hitting album with hard hitting drums Cuz yep he is definitely gonna use those muscles 🔥🔥
Ive noticed that calf raises have really made it much easier for me on the kick vs before I was really heavy into going to the gym. I have overall just noticed a much more elevated energy level and dont gas out nearly as fast playing physically demanding riffs. I think its benefitted me for sure.
Love the fact that physical education is playing in the background
Gavin Harrison said it best - "The things I play today I could have played 25 years ago, I just couldn't think of them 25 years ago." - in other words you can be in the best physical shape in the world with the fastest hands/feet but if you have zero creativity and zero ideas it's worthless. The biggest muscle you need to work on is your brain.
I agree with you and Gavin sir, it’s the brain doing the bulk. Physical shape/health must be tended to in some manner though so we can sustain this physical instrument for many years🤘
This is what I’ve always said exactly about Gavins playing. It’s one thing to be able to play something that is “hard” to play, *ITS SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY TO BE ABLE TO THINK UP INTERESTING, ENGAGING, AND ARTISTIC MUSICAL IDEAS FOR ANY INSTRUMENT.*
Ironically, playing the thing is easier than deciding what to play and what is worth playing.
I personally just try and play literally everything and find what my body and mind naturally gravitate towards and then try and expand on that. But I think this also requires a general love of all kinds of music, especially stuff that isn’t the kind of music you play.
I think the stamina you'll get from working out will be a great help but I agree with you the brain will still be responsible for your musicality and this is where the muscle memory and the years of experience kicks in.
Exercise and good eating are the 2 proven ways to maintain brain health (IQ) with age
Garstka, Donati, Lang, Casagrande. All elite and untouhable drummers.
Matt: “Being healthy makes you a better drummer.”
Obese Gospel drummers: Hold my KFC bucket
CHILL LOL
LMFAOOOOOOOO
*Laughs in Gospel*
your joke doesn't make any sense. what he's saying is that even these gospel drummers, however good they might be, could be even better when in a healthy state. it's just logic really.
@@hazardeur geez there had to be one 🤦🏿♂️ lol no one's disputing that. it's literally A JOKE meaning NOT serious
Matt "get good at the drums" Garstka
GIT GUD
I hope in the future whenever Matt redesigns his website, he registers it to the URL “getgood atthedrums.com”
*git gud
The depression part speaks to me man. Thanks for opening up with that, its not easy to talk about.
Matt's just becoming more and more tanked as time goes on
Berklee matt was tiny, dude has gotten jacked since 💪
@@redlightclinicdrummer what ahahaha
@@Calamitous obese bro
Mark whalberg speaking truth.
Had no idea he played drums.
Ha
No he’s obese asf rn 🤣
🤣
This is a nice subject to talk about “Physical Education” right?
Lmao the song choice for the video is so appropriate
Sounds like a question for Metal Matt.
Finally, the question that everyone’s been asking to Matt 😆
Not necessarily "working out" but I feel like the idea of watching your health and taking care of yourself in regards to playing music for a living is rarely talked about by musicians on a public platform, so I appreciate you posting a video about this topic! When I was a kid I didn't even think about taking steps to be healthy in regards to my drumming. All I did was drum and play video games pretty much 24/7. Next thing I know I'm getting tired, my metabolism is slowing down, I'm gaining weight, my back is aching, and I even end up developing carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of overusing my hand/wrist muscles without taking any steps to strengthen them.
It's by no means too late for me, but spreading the message about taking steps to be healthy and take care of your body I feel is super important, ESPECIALLLY when you consider how many young musicians are out there who really want to play music at a professional level. I'm in physical therapy now, eating healthier, and exercising more regularly, so I'm hopefully on the right track to fix things, but I can promise you that nothing feels worse than practicing your craft for years and dedicating yourself to be a working musician, only to be setback by something that is ultimately avoidable like health issues.
Thanks for sharing brother, yes definitely best to stay proactive but sometimes we get behind the ball and need to play catch up. When it has happened to me in the past, yoga, healthy eating, healthy sleep, and PMA(positive Mental Attitude) brought me back✊stay strong
@@drummusician 100%, gotta have perspective and take a step outside the drumming world every now and then lol. and thanks, appreciate the support!
i've been going through the exact same thing, been dealing autoimmune symptoms, heavy metal toxicity and carpal tunnel for years. I was an aspiring musician and still am. I've had no choice but to take a break from music to recover. It's honestly been one of the hardest thing to do.
I want to see a 350lb jazz drummer smashing rimshots consistently using traditional grip. I'm willing to wait.
Kinda like thomas lang?
It helped me play harder but It can also make me play worse if I'm sore
As someone whom fractured their spine wrestling at 12 for middle school, almost severed my cord by a 75% slip between vertebrae that came centimeters from making me paralyzed from the waist down, 5 years in a wheelchair, 6 major surgeries, over a third of my spine fused with lamectomies throughout (no disk whatsoever between vertebrae fused into 1 immobile mass of bone L3-S1 and again at T11, a spinal cord stimulator implant put in just walk again, and let alone play drums); I couldn't even sit for 15 minutes at the kit in 2016, and now I can play 6 hrs a day, teach, and gig professionally. I still can't run, I have a terrible gate/limp, and my legs don't fire normally with all the neurological damage. So, while I highly support everything you're saying, I came from the opposite end of the spectrum, and had to learn *technique* to save my body and play with longevity, since I can't work out besides on the kit. Having strength is great, but utilizing motion and using wrist and fingers rather than large muscle groups; made ALL the difference for me. I can't do anything but walk and ride a pedal assist bike; but you better believe I can "tap dance", while orchestrating, improv.'ing, conserve my energy, and using good technique to play the drums, rather than muscling everything out and not using technique to my advantage, and getting tired or overly sloppy! 😉 I envy those that can and have strong health/strength/good physique! It definitely plays a major role, as it's a physical instrument! Great video! Happy drumming, everyone!
Edit:
"It's all just up-down motion, it's in how you maximize that motion to get the most amount of sound for the least amount of effort, and in the way you use and orchestrate it around the kit"
-Russell Bizzett (my mentor)
Thanks Matt,for being honest!
Also being open about mental health!
Very reassuring stuff man \m/
Working out really helps with my confidence on the kit, I also like the fluidity that comes with a little meat on my bones.
Thanks for the wonderful lesson Sir Matt!!! 😊🥁🇵🇭
You pretty much have to be healthy to play a full Mastodon album that s*** is crazy that's one of my best workouts I'll go to the barn and play their older stuff and I am spent after that thanks for everything man you're a wonderful drummer keep doing what you do it's good to see you getting stronger
Crack The Skye is a good endurance workout. Done a full run a couple of times.
Space Conan Garstka isn't real, he cant hurt you.
Space Conan Garstka:⬆️
Does working out help with drums?
Matt: Do I look skinny to you?
Hi Matt!
I'm not someone who works out a lot, but I recently started jogging (2 weeks aprox). I can tell I noticed an improvement in my playing. I've been practing for a while patterns what have many kicks within the rhythm itself, and my leg wouldn't last too long playing this group of kicks of the pattern at faster tempos. But, when I started jogging (40 minutes a day), I noticed I was able to play more comfortable at faster tempos. Since then, I jog everyday after a practice session.
Are you finally prepared to fight Navene Koperweis?
underrated comment
This video dropped at exactly the right time for me! This has been on my mind for months. As a drummer who also likes to lift my ass off, i feel like my focus has shifted away from my instrument and more towards my physique/numbers, much like the phase you describe.
Only difference is, I'm about 5% the drummer you are, so I can't really afford to slack. Lifting is just making me happy rn (happier than drums like you describe) but hopefully I can find a balance in the future.
PS, also a fellow depression sufferer (Bipolar to be exact) so thank you for your honesty in that regard.
I'm an older guy but, I'm a little blown away that MOST guys lift weights 💪 nowadays. When I was a kid, jocks and juice heads lifted but it was sort of a fringe thing. Musicians weren't generally hanging out at the weight room...lol! I understand that it's a different time though. (I feel like Gen-X were all about perfecting laziness)
I loved that Physical Education was playing in the beginning of the video
Jiu Jitsu is the best sport to do as a drummer. The kind of cardio you need for grappling is the same for drumming, plus they're both about coordination and building muscle memory.
I’ve been drumming for 9 years and I’m going to my first jiu jitsu class today
@@tjgadner8896 Going is the hardest bit. Good luck !
As a full time bassist and Jiu Jitsu practitioner (with the inevitable list of inconvenient injuries that comes with it) I can say with absolute confidence that Jiu Jitsu is definitely not the best sport for any musician. There is a lot to learn from the humbling mental and physical process of practicing and studying any kind of Martial Art that directly apply to music....but lugging gear around and playing 5 gigs a week with fucked up fingers/shoulders/elbows/neck isnt the one!
Plus rolling around on the ground with other men gives you a lot of creative inspiration which translates well to instruments!
i have to agree thatt is really insteresting, i did for some years, you have to be really agile and good endurance. In brasil is a popular sport.
I body build, not professionally just that's the style I work out. In my experience working out my arms has done nothing to help with playing (like hand speed/endurance is exactly the same since before I started working out), but working my calves and tibia muscles has improved my double bass playing by a shit ton.
About this topic, elestepario siberiano said that he always does weightlifting only after his practice session, precisely at the end of the day. I am not a professional drummer but since I started doing this I can truly say that this is the one of the best solution if your routine allows it.
that's some serious physical education
Apart from having no energy...
being a physically unfit slob lowers your androgen levels, which affect cognitive and psychological function, and motivation as well.
I would know I haven't worked out once since they closed the gyms last year :S
I went through a depression also and didn't feel like drumming at all, which was super hard considering it's like a form of meditation for me... thanks for sharing, it's comforting to know others have been through the same, thankfully today I'm back to drumming and happier than ever
Go look at all the legendary drummers throughout history. None of them look like they spend significant time in the gym. None of them look like Hollywood movie action stars. They don't have ripped abs or yoked arms. Most of the great drummers throughout history (who can hit super hard and play super fast) are really skinny, scrawny, lanky people. Probably because a big part of learning to play the drums is learning how to manipulate the physics of the drums (like rebound and torque) so you don't have to expend too much of your own energy to behind the kit and then you can play all day. Actually I would recommend not so much cardio but mobility and flexibility training imo
danny carey is fuckin ripped tho
Thomas Lang has been pretty ripped. Troy Wright kills it too.
Chris Coleman also is diesel. It’s not a necessity great drummers come in all sizes and shapes. Practice is what rly matters. The only exception may be speed metal, you’ll want to be in good shape if you’re playing speed metal sets.
Billy Cobham another diesel one
We all know that every touring metal drummer is gonna work out at least his upper body, you gotta look good in that tank top
Yes, you hit all the points. Eat well, sleep well and practice, practice, practice. Great video.
Damn. Does smoking cannabis is considered an "unhealthy" thing? :)
It affects your REM sleep which is so crucial to achieving anything physically or mentally. Some people make it work but for the average person who has a full time job and several hobbies taking up energy, weed is going to be detrimental to their recovery
@@heavyhowl6365 been a cannabis user for the last 16 years. Was a retoric question, i do know it pretty well :)
Matt’s Gainz have been LOYAL. He’s natty. Not on the Sauzullé.
MPMD fan? Haha
Gartska has supra-physiological levels of natty gains on the barbell and the kit
Supra-phyisiological levels of MATT
@@dudeskinus Dream is doing a natty or not on Matt I hear 🤫
supraphysiological amounts of chops especially
Matt you're the fucking man. Quite easily the most versatile drummer of our era. Id love to hear you on some different style tracks. If you have any features you can recommend id love to hear them
Victoria, Casimir Liberski(Cosmic Liberty), GEM(on TH-cam), JIA(guested on Amass, The offering, Drift), Chon(guested on But and Book), Louis Demieulle(many albums)
Thomas Lang laughs in biceps
Hallo
Of course it does. Just look at Nicholas Howard Barker and Gene Hoglan. Riiippppped.
Gene Hoglan practiced wtih ankle weights, Nik Barker just used the weight of his calves...
I’m in my 60s and have been lifting Olympic style for almost 6 years. Lifting has definitely become my ‘happy place’ but I absolutely cannot function as a drummer right after lifting... found that out the hard way (on a gig). I just totally bonked after 2 sets... this was playing a low-volume jazz gig. Can’t imagine what a rock gig would have done to me!! I also run and bike... those are much more compatible with drumming, though no less tiring. Physical activity of any kind has been a great asset to my life & mindset... and it has helped me be a better drummer from that standpoint.
This whole time listening to this and I'm screaming DENNIS CHAMBERS in my head. The guy is arguably the greatest drummer alive and yet I doubt he's ever even seen a gym in his life. Come to think of it, I've never seen him NOT sitting behind a kit. The guy is a machine but just because he doesn't play metal, most of the drumming community completely ignores him. Drumming is so much more than just bombastic speed which is basically what metal drumming is; basic patterns just played really fast. It sounds awesome, don't get me wrong, but compared to jazz, it's simpleton music. What I'd love to hear are traditional jazz musicians write metal music. That'd be the most ridiculous sounding thing you can imagine. Prog metal would have nothing on jazz metal lol.
Listen to Mahavishnu Orchestra.
try Martyr - Feeding the Abscess. The guitarist is a jazz nerd and you can tell. it doesn't have anything to do with jazz though but you can feel it in the music as it sounds like nothing else outthere and yeah, metal it is allright
Then of course, there's Cynic and to a certain degree Atheist, they defintely have jazz backgrounds to some extent
As far as grip strength and speed I can 100% say it helps.
People don’t believe me but when I started lifting weights I not only felt like I got faster but I felt like I had more dynamic control. My ghost notes definitely got better
@@thesneakygamer4343 100% true. Much better stick control.
drum is seriously depression killer!
You dont need to work out. Drumming IS the workout. You Will build whatever physicality and muscle required to play, just by playing. Your body will adapt to the increased demand. Focus on creativity and the brain more so than brute endurance and pace. Your physicality is worthless if your brain has no application for it.
I would agree to a certain extent, but there is absolutely value in endurance and cardio exercise with regard to drumming. Calisthenics, especially burpee variations overall have been very beneficial to me.
Have been wondering about this, thanks for the candid and in-depth thoughts! I still have a question, though.. How do you deal with brain fog and/or exhaustion screwing up your playing? I have trouble sleeping sometimes, and when I do, my inner ear vanishes and my limbs feel lethargic. How do you deal with that?
Brain fog- take small breaks every 20-30 min, stay fueled(food/carbs), maybe try alpha brain, sleep heavily affects brain function so optimize that.
Sleep- set a timer for when to go to bed, melatonin supplement can help, cut out coffee/caffeine, avoid tv & phone screens 2 hrs before bed, meditation, yoga or asmr before bed can help.
@@drummusician mannnnnn I was asking for drum advice and I got life advice instead. That’s so dope thanks man
@@drummusician matt, i love you as a musician, but you did not just recommend that alpha brain snake oil. c'mon man, Joe Rogan deserves to stay in the past
team crossfit and swim
Lifting weights helps me to not get tendonitis from drumming. If you're concerned about soreness, try pavel tsatsouline's power to the people regime - just 2 sets of deadlift, 2 sets of press, 5 days a week! Works
Any thoughts on calisthenics as an alternative? i.e. to avoid post-workout stiffness, soreness, etc.
Weight lifting and running are beneficial this is been going on since there’s been rumors. Great point of you though! Thank you.
You can definitely weigh train and play drums, you just have proper programming. I keep a pad next to my power rack and I have zero problems playing through Wilcoxon books in between sets of heavy deadlifts.
i guess so, started abs training a month ago, feels more balanced on the throne
core strength is HUGE for drumming
Love you Matt
Here's my take: Staying healthy and feeling good in your body has a positive impact on anything you do, including playing the drums. I'm an avid runner and do lots of calisthenics which are great exercises for drumming, and lugging your shit around. LOL Functional strength. Pull-ups are awesome, because of grip strength.
People probably go "El Estepario Siberiano is jacked, he is amazing drummer, therefore...." but he probably is DESPITE lifting. For musicians cardio and bodyweight exercise works better I think. As a guitar player at least, lifting weights stiffens my fingers, especially deadlifting and pull-ups. It goes away after a good warmup, but anyway. Exercise can help with self-discipline though. People who exercise have their minds more wired into "Discomfort now = improvement later" thinking. It becomes a whole way of looking at life. That's why I lift
You can grow without going to failure... When you are sore (except for beginners), you went too many times till failure. Just get as much volume i as you can, within the 8-12 rep range, leaving 1-2 reps in the tank, with the occasional PR sessions included.
I’ve been doing yoga which has really helped my focus. And that’s been super helpful for keepin dat beat!
God please don't turn into David silveria....the over swollen steroid who can't play drums anymore because of it
Everyone needs an outlet,a therapy. Wether it's drumming,working out,or both,we all need to focus more on mental and physical health. A healthy mind and body will improve every other aspect of your LIFE. It's your life,make the best of it,don't be a slave to your crutches,laziness,etc. I'm glad I picked up drumming and working out early,it's certainly helped me,just wish I would've wore more sunscreen in my 20's now that I'm in my 30's. You don't worry about your 40's in your 20's,but you do in your 30's when you see you aren't 20 anymore.
Great stuff Matt!! Yes it can be a catch 22. For me, I use drum chore sticks to build. Food for thought!? Do you get your horse to weight lift or racing around the track to work out all individual muscles!? Hmmm... .. ..Hope you found what is needed as to NrG. If not let's connect. Yes it had, taken it's toll back then. Will do. Ty
I've watched Matt and T Pridge get nothing but jacked during this quarantine. And that dude ZackGrooves is already grizzly. Nah...something is up. They know something.
I'm willing to bet GOOD MONEY that aliens from the "Beat Them Skinz" system are gonna show up and ask to challenge our best drum-fighters. Jacked drummers will be our only hope. They will be worshipped as gods if they can defeat the hostile aliens. These guys are one step ahead of us. I see yall...
Matt Garstka? Did you mean: *THE FUCKING HULK?!*
Senri Kawaguchi doesnt seem very buff :D But she could still be working out I guess. I dont think she do though, she have no time for that because she must be practicing 24/7
Its important if you dont have roadies and you play a big kit with more than 3 tons, 4 cymbals, and loads of hardware.
Besides that, just be healthy. Dirk, Gene hoglan, Eric Moore, Aaron spears, Kolias, thomas haake, Ken Bedene and others extreme not-bulky metal drummers are quite awesome on their own. Avoid junk food, eat vegetables, water, do some kind of exercise sometimes. But..if you go for the "shirtless look" type of drummer, maybe would be nice.
Have you tried jiu-jitsu? It's a cardio workout from Hell, works out the muscles, stretches you out and forces your brain to think quickly. I always feel more capable behind the kit whenever I keep a regular schedule of going to Jiu-Jitsu class. Maybe that's just me though.
Mike Terrana had a Modern Drummer article back in the day... About strength and weightlifting for drummers.
I was waiting for something about being small. Here I am at 100 lbs haha.
What about bodyweight workout? It help you develop fast muscle and body control / awareness perhaps more than "traditional" workout. Perhaps it's more adapted to drum
hmmmm, OK, going full crazy on the workouts isn't going to help. However I can tell you as an old guy that if I don't work out my legs I can't play even 100 bpm on the kicks. I have to be doing my leg lifts, biking or walk and jog at least 3 times a week each or I have trouble keeping my feet steady.
Matt -
You must have seen Tony and Buddy… It’s very difficult to reconcile your observations about small and skinny or later on, small and chubby in Tony’s case, pot bellied in Buddy’s - just to give a couple examples of master drummers whose physical attributes - “deficiencies” don’t seem to have acted as impediments to their drumming prowess. I could go on and on about this but let’s leave it for now at these two. Your a great drummer but that fact in my opinion transcends physical condition. It all goes much deeper. As a superior technician you must know that physical strength doesn’t really play too great a role in great drumming.
Working out is body building, Drums is music. Obviously done in moderation bodybuilding might help. But it depends on the spectrum were your working out or bodybuilding is.....if its drums related yes it will help, but if its taken to training muscles and as bodybuilding, then the name is self explanatory. Definitely it will increase your stamina i believe. but not by much because muscles do need more oxygene so it depends were your'e playing, the venue ....
30 minute bike rides and push ups 4x a week doubled my stamina, attack and grip noticeably.
Sure the first workout must have to your ears!! Listen things, different than these you play , strange musics, Avant Garde Music, Afro Cuban or Traditional African gongs i think helps you do the next step in drumming, of course some gym exercises keeps you healthy and energetic but isn't the real target to go to the next level.I think must work your opportunities of choices on what to do at many levels and this works and to drumming.
Only thing in drumming that you need to physically train for is stamina in extreme metal drumming blast beats. It's like lifting weights bc you have to treat it like such to be able to do it and you will lose it if you don't continue to train for it. Otherwise learning grooves and chops is more or less brain progression and muscle memory which is like riding a bike, you don't really lose it.
Can't push your limits until you run against them - music is equal parts physical and mental, both are the limiting factors if you come up short in one you can't power through it with the other.
If you consider a plateau a wall, you'll find you've been considering plateaus as an obstacle instead of the place where you are so reflexive and intrinsic that you're ready to insert something into your genetic memory, or as people used to say, "get it into your bones".
Whatever you believe, there will always be work to do to get where you are happy with what you are currently chasing, and whatever that work is takes shape differently for everyone and is directly related to the things they want to do with their hands, feet, and minds, at the point of output, neurogenesis mapping paths through their systems.
One big transition for me on any instrument I play is when they finally have decent enough form to be physically economical (matters for your joints and spine, long term) and realize that they've hit a quiescent point in the curves of their physical vs mental graphs - that's where I usually try to be aware of pieces as a whole so I can selectively push the parts of my skillsets I want to in the process of learning more songs/expanding my expression vocabulary.
Be smart enough to keep yourself challenged but out of the pain/hospital/surgery zone - that's another huge value of simply experience and time served on your instrument.
The people who laugh when the first thing their teacher says is "this way or you're going to hurt yourself playing X" are the first ones who get hurt playing X. ;-)
Dude when did Garstka become a beast of a human???
Good explanation and when you exercise you want to burn calories but drumming is about energy saving
Oh great Matt, our Prometheus, what knowledge of fire do you bring to us mortals today
tru that man, i've been "goin thru some shit" with work and playing drums has been less good for me as it has my whole life. however, running has easy goals that i can track, and honestly i don't need to increase my distances or times beyond a certain point because i can just get rid of some demons by getting a good run in. cardio in general has helped my playing a lot, i used to be 230 pounds in high school and i've been as low as 125 and now i'm 170, but while good cardio endurance definitely doesnt hurt it's no substitute for just practicing the drums. that cardio endurance is equivalent to just "mashing" as the ol Frank Reynolds would say, and it's only good for mindless blasting but sometimes you need to increase your endurance to play some really wicked stuff
i'm specialist on this, I'm drummer and phisical educator, I aunderstand this and let me tell you that stheght and stability i'ts very important. I wourld working out on what you call it "core trainning".
wait until you hit 50, its all downhill it takes 11 10 time just to stop pissing down your leg if you dont empty proper, just write songs like soundgarden though all will be well
You gotta be on the juice brother. How did you go from 130 pounds to 230
I think shorter drummers can go faster because they have shorter limbs 🤔
Came back to watch the rest and found i had accidentally hit dislike. Haha fixed that realllll quick. Great advice here.
For me it’s always helped. Efficient technique can get you far but to play certain types of music like progressive metal, technical death metal, even jazz fusion etc... having more power can give you more stability and attack. Whenever I have a good weight session and then go drum I can blast with far more ferocity and accurately than previously. If that’s not what you’re trying to do on your drum path then that’s cool too- but if you have a labor intensive style or play labor intensive music I think there’s no doubt there is benefits in lifting and exercise
All hail Lord Matt Gainska
Btw this might get some hate but I imagine you had been self conscious about not having a low voice in the past.. well thats def in the past man somehow your voice has also lowered. Ha wish I could do that with mine without getting a cold.
You’re the best Matt! How long are you going to grow your hair? Also, have you made a video of how you tune your snare drum?
I always wanted to know what you thought and did you enjoy the movie Whiplash?
Did this video get demonitized because you used your own song?
The more swøl you are, the more energy it's gonna take to flail your limbs around, at the end of the day technique is king I think for sure
So don’t skip leg day is what I’m hearing 🦵
1000% it helps...especially cardio
When I was working out in the past I found that my bigger and even mildly sore muscles made me slower while playing
I’m always stiff when I play…
Bottom line is matt is now pumped up he was in the time chamber during his lows focusing on gaining mass so that he can drop a hard hitting album with hard hitting drums
Cuz yep he is definitely gonna use those muscles 🔥🔥
not sure how it effects your playing but it makes you look great in a t-shirt
Ive noticed that calf raises have really made it much easier for me on the kick vs before I was really heavy into going to the gym.
I have overall just noticed a much more elevated energy level and dont gas out nearly as fast playing physically demanding riffs.
I think its benefitted me for sure.
You are one of the strongest drummers I know of but your ghost notes are like the softest