Any specific physical exercise you would recommend?

MiscueBlues · Mar 30, 2015

To play better pool... Especially in long tournaments and sessions.

Cardio is obvious... More running and swimming!

Work the core for better stability...

Weight lifting?

What else would you say can directly improve pool performance?

What are some types of exercise to avoid?

How would you balance working out with training... Like I don't imagine trying to have a focused pool training session would be very effective when you're sore and tired.

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Centerpunch · Mar 30, 2015

You may find this crazy but,

Stretching. Concentrate on back, neck, and legs primarily. Some yoga routines are a plus.
I have found this helps me more than any weight lifting or cardio. Muscles stay limber and loose and soreness is kept to a minimum.
Try it.:wink:

Donny Lutz · Mar 31, 2015

stretching

Centerpunch said:
Stretching. Concentrate on back, neck, and legs primarily. Some yoga routines are a plus.
I have found this helps me more than any weight lifting or cardio. Muscles stay limber and loose and soreness is kept to a minimum.
Try it.:wink:

Exactly. Tai Chai is great also.

Try to move EVERY muscle in your body in your exercise routines. Even 10 minutes of stretching twice a day can add active years to your life.

When I was playing a lot, especially in competition, I would stretch for 10-20 seconds before and after every match...and sometimes in the middle of a long session.

I had a friend who did headstands sometimes before a big match, to increase blood flow to the brain. His opponents often ridiculed him...as they handed over the cash.

FranCrimi · Mar 31, 2015

Definitely a mix of cardio and weight training. Just don't bulk up excessively. That could be a disadvantage.

I think an athletic body works best for pool.

For three days before an important tournament, just do cardio. Stay away from weight training to avoid the stiffness that typically comes for a couple of days after a good weight training workout.

MiscueBlues · Mar 31, 2015

Centerpunch said:
Stretching. Concentrate on back, neck, and legs primarily. Some yoga routines are a plus.

I have found this helps me more than any weight lifting or cardio. Muscles stay limber and loose and soreness is kept to a minimum.

Try it.:wink:

I have been thinking about taking up yoga for a while now! Wish I had more time for it though to take some quality classes.

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Sloppy Pockets · Mar 31, 2015

Donny Lutz said:
Tai Chai is great also.

I was a dedicated practitioner of Tai Chi for many years, then I gave it up suddenly when I went back to college in my 40s. After school I tried to get back to it, but my teacher had passed while I was in college, and there was just no one who could replace him for me.

I can't think of a better exercise than Tai Chi for an activity such as pool, but seek out a superior teacher or you may do more harm than good. I am thinking of starting back into it, not for pool so much, but just for general health and well-being. I have never been healthier nor have I had more energy than I enjoyed back in those days.

Pidge · Apr 1, 2015

Ronnie O'Sullivan is a huge fan of running. He competes in 10k events as well as half marathons and cross-country events. He says he is more alert and mentally in the game when he is very fit. He plays in some long tournaments, none longer than the World Championships where you can be in that event for 3 weeks or more. Games go on into the night and Ronnie, despite his age, is one of the fittest on the circuit and always excels at the World Championships...its no coincidence.

You don't need any physical strength to play our sport, you don't need the ability to get deep in meditation as some would have you believe, either. Long runs in tournaments come down to your ability, frame of mind and commitment. Staying fit through cardio workouts can help with your frame of mind. The rest is down to you.

iusedtoberich · Apr 1, 2015

Just a health nut here, not a dr of any sort... Take advice at your own risk.

The movements that make you healthiest overall will be the ones that will sure up your mind and body to help you play 10 hr sessions, and for many years.

1. Walk as much as possible. Sitting is the cause of many problems. Walking miles a day is the way humans were designed.

2. Lift HEAVY things. Squat, deadlift, pullups, bench press, shoulder press. Heavy! 3 to 4 times per week.

3. Sprint! (After warming up with a light jog for 3 or 4 min). Sprint about 15 seconds, then walk 2 min. Repeat 5 times. Do this once per week. Never jog or distance run. It's horrible for you and does not make you healthy. It actually raises your cortisol levels and amaciates your muscle mass. Do not run!

4. Sleep in a pitch black room. Put black out curtains on it. Get rid of any alarm clocks or night lights. Put weatherstripping on your bedroom door to keep light out.

5. Do yoga or mobility work.

6. Eat meats and vegetables for the bulk of your calories. Eat much less of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Don't eat any grains, legumes, or dairy (butter especially ghee butter excluded).

If you do this, you will overall be very healthy, strong, alert, live better, even energy throughout the day, and possibly even play better

bbb · Apr 1, 2015

iusedtoberich said:
Just a health nut here, not a dr of any sort... Take advice at your own risk.

The movements that make you healthiest overall will be the ones that will sure up your mind and body to help you play 10 hr sessions, and for many years.

1. Walk as much as possible. Sitting is the cause of many problems. Walking miles a day is the way humans were designed.

2. Lift HEAVY things. Squat, deadlift, pullups, bench press, shoulder press. Heavy! 3 to 4 times per week.

3. Sprint! (After warming up with a light jog for 3 or 4 min). Sprint about 15 seconds, then walk 2 min. Repeat 5 times. Do this once per week. Never jog or distance run. It's horrible for you and does not make you healthy. It actually raises your cortisol levels and amaciates your muscle mass. Do not run!

4. Sleep in a pitch black room. Put black out curtains on it. Get rid of any alarm clocks or night lights. Put weatherstripping on your bedroom door to keep light out.

5. Do yoga or mobility work.

6. Eat meats and vegetables for the bulk of your calories. Eat much less of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Don't eat any grains, legumes, or dairy (butter especially ghee butter excluded).

If you do this, you will overall be very healthy, strong, alert, live better, even energy throughout the day, and possibly even play better

do you have any scientific links for your advice??
i would think injuries would be more likely with HEAVY weights as opposed to light weight more reps
also
how can fruits nuts and seeds be bad for you??
just for example

iusedtoberich · Apr 1, 2015

bbb said:
do you have any scientific links for your advice??

i would think injuries would be more likely with HEAVY weights as opposed to light weight more reps

also

how can fruits nuts and seeds be bad for you??

just for example

As I said I'm not a dr

Recommended reading is:
"The Paleo Solution"
"The Paleo Coach"

Both will go over everything I wrote in great detail.

To answer your questions though, light weight at high reps won't build any muscle, or very little. Muscle mass makes everything better. Of course "heavy" is relative to the individual. A weight you can lift between 5 to 10 times is a good goal. And of course, you should know how to lift that weight properly to avoid injury.

Most nuts are ok in moderation. If you eat a lot of them (especially at the expense of meat), you will be getting a ton of Omega 6's, which are very bad for you. Walnuts have the lowest omega 6 of the nuts, so if you do eat nuts, walnuts would be best.

The main problem with fruit is the fructose. If you eat one fruit a day, no problem. If you eat 5 a day, or drink a few glasses of orange juice, you are getting a TON of fructose. Furthermore, this fructose can only be processed by your liver (as opposed to the glucose from a sweet potato, for example).

Now, the sugar needs for people are different. If you are a couch potato, you hardly need any sugar. If you are a high level athlete, you need a lot of sugar. Sugar is something that is "earned" by your physical activity levels.

(((Satori))) · Apr 1, 2015

If I had limited time to workout I would do this.
https://youtu.be/0NRoGgWeKSM

It attacks the whole core which is the most important area imo plus you will feel it secondarily throughout your whole body in just ten minutes.

It is tough though so dont be surprised if you have to work up to this but try your best not to quit. There are a lot more variations you can add or substitute also.

Im not sure this will have a direct effect on your pool game but when you get that rock solid core you will feel good.

Sloppy Pockets · Apr 1, 2015

iusedtoberich said:
Recommended reading is:
"The Paleo Solution"
"The Paleo Coach"

Both will go over everything I wrote in great detail.

These are not scientific sources.

I believe a lot of your advise is very sound, but strict adherence to Paleo/Neandertin principles can get some folks into a real lot of trouble fast. Proceed with caution, and consult with a physician who can order the appropriate blood work and monitor these numbers frequently. All men are created equal, but our bodies are not all the same. A "one size fits all" approach is never a wise move when it come to our health.

Skippy27 · Apr 1, 2015

MiscueBlues said:
To play better pool... Especially in long tournaments and sessions.

Cardio is obvious... More running and swimming!

I must be doing something wrong as I have never been out of breath while shooting pool and thought to myself.... You really need to do more cardio!. :smile:

I think that after every hockey game though.

iusedtoberich · Apr 1, 2015

Sloppy Pockets said:
These are not scientific sources.

I believe a lot of your advise is very sound, but strict adherence to Paleo/Neandertin principles can get some folks into a real lot of trouble fast. Proceed with caution, and consult with a physician who can order the appropriate blood work and monitor these numbers frequently. All men are created equal, but our bodies are not all the same. A "one size fits all" approach is never a wise move when it come to our health.

The science in the entire health industry is bunk. I wouldn't trust a study as far as I could throw a pool aiming system

We don't know anything better now than 50 years ago "from a conclusive scientific standpoint". There is no study I could show you, or that you could show me, that will prove anything. All the studies you see the media cover are crap. What they do, is send a bunch of people questionnaires, and ask them what they ate the past few days/weeks/months, etc. Crap data in is crap data out. Then, they try to find patterns in that data. If a person writes they ate pepperoni pizza, that counts as meat, instead of bread!

I beg to differ that strict adherence to paleo will cause problems. I've been extremely strict for 5 years. I personally know hundreds of people (at my local gym) that have also been strict for several years. All of these people are feeling the best they have in their lives. Now, that is certainly not sciene. It is an N=1 data point. But when you have many successful examples of this N=1 data point repeated over and over, it begs the question that maybe there is something to this.

Another main element of paleolithic nutrition and lifestyle is it has a unifying theory based on evolution. Something one can look at and say, "this makes sense". This is the way man was until modern agriculture started about 10k years ago. In contrast, what is the unifying theory of the US Govt food pyramid? Thats based on money. Also in contrast, where is the unifying theory of Vegan? Thats based on people crying when an animal is eaten. Both of these completely ignore the vast, vast, vast majority of human's existence on this planet.

As I said, proceed at your own risk. I'm no dr (and I don't trust most of them either). There is more debate on how to be healthy than on pool aiming systems

This works great for me, and I like to share my experiences when someone asks a health related question.

Good health to all

FranCrimi · Apr 1, 2015

iusedtoberich said:
Just a health nut here, not a dr of any sort... Take advice at your own risk.

The movements that make you healthiest overall will be the ones that will sure up your mind and body to help you play 10 hr sessions, and for many years.

1. Walk as much as possible. Sitting is the cause of many problems. Walking miles a day is the way humans were designed.

2. Lift HEAVY things. Squat, deadlift, pullups, bench press, shoulder press. Heavy! 3 to 4 times per week.

3. Sprint! (After warming up with a light jog for 3 or 4 min). Sprint about 15 seconds, then walk 2 min. Repeat 5 times. Do this once per week. Never jog or distance run. It's horrible for you and does not make you healthy. It actually raises your cortisol levels and amaciates your muscle mass. Do not run!

4. Sleep in a pitch black room. Put black out curtains on it. Get rid of any alarm clocks or night lights. Put weatherstripping on your bedroom door to keep light out.

5. Do yoga or mobility work.

6. Eat meats and vegetables for the bulk of your calories. Eat much less of fruits, nuts, and seeds. Don't eat any grains, legumes, or dairy (butter especially ghee butter excluded).

If you do this, you will overall be very healthy, strong, alert, live better, even energy throughout the day, and possibly even play better

I love this advice, especially the interval cardio workouts.

What about having one serving of carbs only with breakfast for energy --- like 1/2 cup of oatmeal, or 1/2 sweet potato?

ENGLISH! · Apr 1, 2015

iusedtoberich said:
The science in the entire health industry is bunk. I wouldn't trust a study as far as I could throw a pool aiming system

We don't know anything better now than 50 years ago "from a conclusive scientific standpoint". There is no study I could show you, or that you could show me, that will prove anything. All the studies you see the media cover are crap. What they do, is send a bunch of people questionnaires, and ask them what they ate the past few days/weeks/months, etc. Crap data in is crap data out. Then, they try to find patterns in that data. If a person writes they ate pepperoni pizza, that counts as meat, instead of bread!

I beg to differ that strict adherence to paleo will cause problems. I've been extremely strict for 5 years. I personally know hundreds of people (at my local gym) that have also been strict for several years. All of these people are feeling the best they have in their lives. Now, that is certainly not sciene. It is an N=1 data point. But when you have many successful examples of this N=1 data point repeated over and over, it begs the question that maybe there is something to this.

Another main element of paleolithic nutrition and lifestyle is it has a unifying theory based on evolution. Something one can look at and say, "this makes sense". This is the way man was until modern agriculture started about 10k years ago. In contrast, what is the unifying theory of the US Govt food pyramid? Thats based on money. Also in contrast, where is the unifying theory of Vegan? Thats based on people crying when an animal is eaten. Both of these completely ignore the vast, vast, vast majority of human's existence on this planet.

As I said, proceed at your own risk. I'm no dr (and I don't trust most of them either). There is more debate on how to be healthy than on pool aiming systems This works great for me, and I like to share my experiences when someone asks a health related question.

Good health to all

Good post.

My son housed with a fellow student that was taking Nutrition in college & he put him onto the Gluten info way before it became a mainstream craze.

I have one question. Why vegetables & no fruit?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

Scott Lee · Apr 1, 2015

Centerpunch...Are you still out in Eugene OR?

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Centerpunch said:
Stretching. Concentrate on back, neck, and legs primarily. Some yoga routines are a plus.
I have found this helps me more than any weight lifting or cardio. Muscles stay limber and loose and soreness is kept to a minimum.
Try it.:wink:

iusedtoberich · Apr 2, 2015

FranCrimi said:
I love this advice, especially the interval cardio workouts.

What about having one serving of carbs only with breakfast for energy --- like 1/2 cup of oatmeal, or 1/2 sweet potato?

Please know that I am super biased towards the paleo lifestyle and my answer will reflect that knowledge base.

Paleo or not, common recommendations in modern times is that breakfast should be carb heavy. The info I have learned the past few years is actually the opposite. Eat all your carbs for a given day at dinner time.

In other words, lets say in a given day, carb wise you typically eat 1 apple, 1 orange, and 1 sweet potato. Save them all for dinner time (or the last meal of your day). For breakfast and lunch, only eat protein and fats. Don't eat any carbs during those earlier meals. Important, this is not advocating low-carb (that's a different topic). Its just advocating that whatever carbs you eat in a given day, redistribute them all to the last meal of your day.

If you have a workout during your day, then that can change the carb timing slighly, depending on the type and time of the workout.

What this does is sort of puts your body on a fast all day (continued from your sleep) until you eat those carbs at dinner. This makes your body get its energy during the day from your stored fat, instead of the carbs typically eaten for breakfast.

How I learned about this was through a paleo podcast (of course...), where they had a coach of fitness/figure/bodybuilder athletes as the guest. He had his athletes all use this method, and they became substantially leaner. Lean means they lost stored fat, not that they became skinny. This guest wrote a book on the topic called "Carb Night".

This concept will holds true whether you are paleo of not. But of course, eating a sweet potato instead of oatmeal grains is 100x better for you if you subscribe to the paleo ideas.

Happy eating

iusedtoberich · Apr 2, 2015

ENGLISH! said:
Good post.

My son housed with a fellow student that was taking Nutrition in college & he put him onto the Gluten info way before it became a mainstream craze.

I have one question. Why vegetables & no fruit?

Thanks in advance,
Rick

The main thing with fruit versus a starch vegetable (so that they both have similar amounts of sugar), is that the sugar in fruit is fructose. It can only be processed by the liver, and then it gets converted to glucose and send to the rest of the body. This can tax the liver. In the 60's / 70's, before they knew this, dr's would find people with severe liver damage and insists they were closet alcoholics. The fruit juices we all drink do the same thing to our livers as alcohol does, it just doesn't give us beer goggles

A great youtube video on this by an MD is called "sugar, the bitter truth".

Starchy vegetables have glucose, which all the cells in your body can use right away, without first going through the liver.

The above was comparing similar amounts of sugar between fruits and vegetables. The other very important consideration is most of us eat way too much sugar, period. So in that vein, eating more non-starchy vegetables, in the place of fruit, will help lower the overall sugar consumption. Now, this all assumes you eat no or little grains. Grains are all sugar. So if you eat a loaf of bread a day, or pasta, or oatmeal, etc. it really doesn't matter what you are doing with the fruit and vegetables.

FranCrimi · Apr 3, 2015

iusedtoberich said:
Please know that I am super biased towards the paleo lifestyle and my answer will reflect that knowledge base.

Paleo or not, common recommendations in modern times is that breakfast should be carb heavy. The info I have learned the past few years is actually the opposite. Eat all your carbs for a given day at dinner time.

In other words, lets say in a given day, carb wise you typically eat 1 apple, 1 orange, and 1 sweet potato. Save them all for dinner time (or the last meal of your day). For breakfast and lunch, only eat protein and fats. Don't eat any carbs during those earlier meals. Important, this is not advocating low-carb (that's a different topic). Its just advocating that whatever carbs you eat in a given day, redistribute them all to the last meal of your day.

If you have a workout during your day, then that can change the carb timing slighly, depending on the type and time of the workout.

What this does is sort of puts your body on a fast all day (continued from your sleep) until you eat those carbs at dinner. This makes your body get its energy during the day from your stored fat, instead of the carbs typically eaten for breakfast.

How I learned about this was through a paleo podcast (of course...), where they had a coach of fitness/figure/bodybuilder athletes as the guest. He had his athletes all use this method, and they became substantially leaner. Lean means they lost stored fat, not that they became skinny. This guest wrote a book on the topic called "Carb Night".

This concept will holds true whether you are paleo of not. But of course, eating a sweet potato instead of oatmeal grains is 100x better for you if you subscribe to the paleo ideas.

Happy eating

Makes sense, although I'm not sure about all those saturated fats. I think it may all be related to the level of activity. I think that none of this works unless you're at least fairly active during the day and workout regularly. I can't imagine a couch potato absorbing all that saturated fat.

I'm thinking it might be better to call it a diet/lifestyle for active people.

Any specific physical exercise you would recommend?

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