Singer/Lifter

[TheMo]

Hey Mark,

First off read Starting Strength and have to say as soon to be med student it was the most informative text on lifting I have ever seen. Anyway, I am a singer and I was wondering if you ever worked with any singers in your time as a coach. Singing and lifting seemingly are polar opposites, and every time I lift my singing seems to suffer. I was wondering if you have any advice. Maybe I just have to pick one or the other? Thanks in advance!

[Mark Rippetoe]

Unless you are being paid lots of money to sing, stop. Start lifting. We all have to see you, but we don't have to hear you.

[thefinalsql]

Doug Hepburn did both, but not at the same time. He was a much better lifter than singer.

[djp401]

John Davis

Check it out, it's possible! Pulled this from Ends and Pieces (thanks El Viejo!).

[Titanium]

TheMo: What degrades in your singing, after lifting?

[LudwigVan]

Singing and lifting seemingly are polar opposites, and every time I lift my singing seems to suffer.

I am a singer and a lifter and I'm utterly stumped as to what this could mean. In what sense are singing and lifting polar opposites? How does lifting impact your singing? Is it just the singing you do while you're lifting, or does the effect last for awhile?

[TheMo]

Unless you are being paid lots of money to sing, stop. Start lifting. We all have to see you, but we don't have to hear you.

LOL nice. Thanks!

[spiderman]

Is all the grunting while lifting making your voice horse?

[rpbrown]

Wouldn't all that vasalva maneuvering strengthen the diaphragm? Mikhail Koklyaev, the elite Russian powerlifter/strongman/olympic lifter is quite the accordian player with a great voice to boot. Must be all that Russian power.

[JM3]

Im a brass player, drummer and singer and get paid decent money for it. Lifting has absolutely improved my playing on all instruments for different reasons ( I play 2-3 hours a day) - my main gig is a 35lb sousaphone, then have to sing while I have it on my back- the weight of the horn is a slight impediment to relaxing into it, not much-( I do mostly jazz/latin/funk and ethnic stuff- your genre reqs might be different) but the postural improvements you get from having a strong back are pretty helpful. I am often in outdoor situations where I have to play loud as shit- again, lifting, valsalva maneuver etc- it all helps against fatigue. If you are a classical musician it may be different -but I cant imagine how except yall have to be extra relaxed in the body- but I dont see how lifting would hurt that.

If your musical skills are on par- then there is no way lifting will do anything other than enhance endurance, (posture) projection (your torso is relaxed, diaphragm strengthened) and, oddly, being relaxed while you play.

I dont understand how you think singing is polar opposite to lifting.maybe Im missing something, but I do several hundred shows a year and Ive only gotten better since training.