Fitness in Pool.

Kimmo H.

Kimmo H.

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Do you think that physical fitness is an important feature for a pool player?
How do you stay fit?
General discussion about getting and staying fit, and why it helps with playing (and does it for you).
Most pro players are really fit these days, Mika, Feijen and Deuel to name a few.
Mika has stated that being physically fit helps him playing under pressure for long periods of time, and I totally agree with him.
I start sweating and my heart starts pounding when playing serious games, the same feeling that comes at the beginning of exercising. Feeling hot, sweating, harder to focus.
I often read the facebook pages of SVB and Mika, and they both update their running exercices regularly there. That sort of kicked my butt off the chair and on the road. I started running, a sport wich I hated as a child. To my surprise I now loved it from te very first run, it feels great when going on out there in the woods, breathing my lungs out still hungry to go faster and longer :grin: And an additional bonus for the lazyass me, stretching comes naturally before and after running. I am as flexible as a railroad, especially my legs have always been that way.

Running seems to do good for me, and by doing good to me it helps my game too. As i feel better, I play better. Better stamina makes me perform better when stressed and under pressure.
I also ride my 29"er offroad and on dirt roads, its great fun and really good leg exercise.
Running seems more effective though, as it loosens my back muscles with repeated impacts of steps and it involves more muscles in general.
Muscle strength is maintained by my heavy job as a machinist and a welder. I'm pretty strong for my size, but really stiff and my endurance sucks, so those are my two main things to improve. Stretching and cardio, a lot of both. And then some more after the lot :grin:

Share your thoughts and exercise routines, stories and all things related :)
 
A total body workout that takes no more than 15 minutes is plank variations.

2 min. 1) push up position
1 min. 2) plank on elbows
1 min. 3) on elbows (one leg up)
1 min. 4) on elbows (other leg up)
1 min. 5) side plank
1 min. 6) other side
1 min. 7) push up position
2 min. 8) plank on elbows

20 seconds rest in between

If you cant do that time limit then start lower (goal is to have the last 30 seconds of each exercise seem impossible)

Always hold perfect posture. Never let your head sag. Always keep your abs tight.

When you get to where you can do the time listed try to flex every muscle in your body during the exercises. Visualize the fibers breaking down on very specific body parts that you want to focus on.


This works your arms, shoulders, chest, back, core, butt, and legs all in under 15 minutes. Easy for anyone to fit into their day and effective.



Here is an example of one variation>>>> https://youtu.be/pSHjTRCQxIw




Or here is a beginners 30 day challenge https://youtu.be/Hwo1qGnyIUI

And here is an example simply for your viewing pleasure or motivation. https://youtu.be/oRTKqRuQx0Q
 
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A lot of the european players appear to be in good shape. Got to see Toastie in person at the US open, and he's bigger than I thought. Same goes for Shaw, not as big but in good shape for sure. As for me, cardio isn't exactly my thing, but I go to the gym 5-6 times a week and lift weights for about an hour. As far as it helping me in pool, I do notice my back does not hurt as much as before.
 
Work out with a weight machine about 1 and half hours every other day. In between days, do 25 minutes on the eliptical(?) machine. Don't know if it helps my pool game, but makes me feel better about myself.
 
Great thread and a not too much discussed topic in the pool world.
Yes, the sport of pool has become more of a sport with the professional players focusing on physical fitness/endurance as part of the edge needed to go deep in tournaments.

Not only will this pay dividends today for them but also increase their years of top play longevity.

After watching Thorsten, Shane, Niels, Ralph S, Mika, Jasmine O and her brother Albin, etc it is clear that along with hours spent on the table, hours spent in the gym are now standard. I believe on an accu stats commentary dvd Danny D once contemplated a 'what if' Efren worked out like the athletes of today in his prime, think of where he would be at today in terms of records. The same for Lassiter, Miz, and buddy hall.

Personally, I work a physical career as a high voltage lineman. In order to get my target 10 hours a week of table time, I have to keep my workouts focused and intense. I'm never at the gym more than an hour but I go everyday. I start with a 2 mile run on an indoor track, and then immediately move up to weight room where I work shoulders/bicepts/tricepts (only every other day so as to give muscles time to repair). Any added workout I get through work I look at as an added bonus.
 
You DO NOT have to involve yourself in a regimen of physical exercises to play good, or even great pool. The notion is absurd.
If exercising makes you feel good, then by all means do it, but never think for a minute that your superior physical condition is going to win you a game of pool.
A classic example would be the great Luther Lassiter. I doubt that Mr. Lassiter ever did one sit-up in his entire adult life, other than to get out of bed in the morning, or in the late afternoon after a long night of pool play. And, he was a smoker.
I doubt that Scott Frost is a jogger, and I'm almost certain that Buddy Hall isn't.
This type thread has been gone over before and the bottom line is, playing pool is not a particularly demanding game, physically.
As far as your nerves go. That's a different story. :)
 
I need to get back to a good fitness regimen. I was pretty fit a couple years ago but fell off track and have put on a bunch of weight recently. I still do my occasional 3.5 mile run but that is about it these days. I notice it at the table too, my back hurts, I've lost flexibility, and I sweat a lot.

I'm going to start hitting the gym three times a week and try and work in 3 runs a week as well, hoping to up at least one of them to the 6 mile range.

My problem is I know I need to lift weights, but when I do I get sore and tired and when that happens my pool game goes to crap. I can't golf or play pool for at least a day after lifting. Maybe if I do it long enough that will go away and the recovery won't be so bad. Or maybe I just not to not lift quite as hard/heavy but then it just feels like I'm slacking.
 
slide13 said:
I need to get back to a good fitness regimen. I was pretty fit a couple years ago but fell off track and have put on a bunch of weight recently. I still do my occasional 3.5 mile run but that is about it these days. I notice it at the table too, my back hurts, I've lost flexibility, and I sweat a lot.
My problem is I know I need to lift weights, but when I do I get sore and tired and when that happens my pool game goes to crap. I can't golf or play pool for at least a day after lifting. Maybe if I do it long enough that will go away and the recovery won't be so bad. Or maybe I just not to not lift quite as hard/heavy but then it just feels like I'm slacking.
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You've just made my point.
In addition, weights can be, in fact, harmful. A case in point was pro golfer Keith Clearwater. Clearwater got into the weight lifting thing big time. Whether it was the adrenaline rush, along with muscle growth, that spurred him on, who knows, but the bottom line is he grew his chest and arms so much that it shortened his swing and wrecked his game. I don't think he ever made a comeback.
Enough with the gimmicks that you think will make you a better pool player. The only think that works, and is time tested, is HAMB. Ask your local pro. :)
 
It makes a world of difference in one's game, especially as one ages.

It's easy to play when young. Go out drinking and playing and get up and do it again....no prob, bob. When a guy reaches 35 years old, his body begins to naturally deteriorate as body growth turns to decomposition. The only way to keep it in shape is to exercise regularly. If a guy doesn't do that, tiny twitches, etc (death calls). happen while playing even if unnoticed and those negatively affect play.

At 62 years old, here's my exercise routine, for anyone who cares:

Mon, Wed, Sat: 6 minutes of 30 seconds interval running on a mini-tramp. When my heart rate gets towards 130, during the 30 second rest interval, I attempt to shoot a soft shot as I listen to my heart beat and imagine I'm in a tough match. This translates well when in such a situation in a real match.

I also put a 8 lb dumbbell on an old pool cue and stroke it as an exercise for my shooting arm and for a strong bridge. I then do it for the opposite arm, too. (this works on a kitchen table as well as a pool table)

Tues, Fri Sun: 30 minutes of dumbell and other weight exercises.

Thursdays: Day off

That's about 2 hours a week. Most can afford that.


Jeff Livingston
 
chefjeff said:
It makes a world of difference in one's game, especially as one ages.

It's easy to play when young. Go out drinking and playing and get up and do it again....no prob, bob. When a guy reaches 35 years old, his body begins to naturally deteriorate as body growth turns to decomposition. The only way to keep it in shape is to exercise regularly. If a guy doesn't do that, tiny twitches, etc (death calls). happen while playing even if unnoticed and those negatively affect play.
At 62 years old, here's my exercise routine, for anyone who cares:

Mon, Wed, Sat: 6 minutes of 30 seconds interval running on a mini-tramp. When my heart rate gets towards 130, during the 30 second rest interval, I attempt to shoot a soft shot as I listen to my heart beat and imagine I'm in a tough match. This translates well when in such a situation in a real match.
I also put a 8 lb dumbbell on an old pool cue and stroke it as an exercise for my shooting arm and for a strong bridge. I then do it for the opposite arm, too. (this works on a kitchen table as well as a pool table)
Tues, Fri Sun: 30 minutes of dumbell and other weight exercises.

Thursdays: Day off
That's about 2 hours a week. Most can afford that.
Jeff Livingston
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What the hell is "death calls?"
Two hours a week and you're in the same physical condition as what, a 61 year old?
Jeff, this is BS and you know it.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
You DO NOT have to involve yourself in a regimen of physical exercises to play good, or even great pool. The notion is absurd.
If exercising makes you feel good, then by all means do it, but never think for a minute that your superior physical condition is going to win you a game of pool.
A classic example would be the great Luther Lassiter. I doubt that Mr. Lassiter ever did one sit-up in his entire adult life, other than to get out of bed in the morning, or in the late afternoon after a long night of pool play. And, he was a smoker.
I doubt that Scott Frost is a jogger, and I'm almost certain that Buddy Hall isn't.
This type thread has been gone over before and the bottom line is, playing pool is not a particularly demanding game, physically.
As far as your nerves go. That's a different story. :)
Click to expand...

Being able to compete at top levels in pool and be in good physical condition isn't exactly a deal breaker, Buddy Hall, Steve Mizerak, Tony Ellin, etc. have shown that being in top physical condition isn't necessary to a top level game. But, I think those players might even had been better if they were in better physical condition. Stamina can and does play a part in long tournaments or marathon sessions. It's probably more mental than physical but I have no doubt that being in better condition would help a players game.
 
dardusm said:
Being able to compete at top levels in pool and be in good physical condition isn't exactly a deal breaker, Buddy Hall, Steve Mizerak, Tony Ellin, etc. have shown that being in top physical condition isn't necessary to a top level game. But, I think those players might even had been better if they were in better physical condition. Stamina can and does play a part in long tournaments or marathon sessions. It's probably more mental than physical but I have no doubt that being in better condition would help a players game.
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You've contradicted yourself, dardusm. You state that it isn't necessary to be in top physical condition to have a top level game, then say: "But, I think those players might even had been better if they were in better physical condition."
Top level is top level, and the guys you mentioned were at the top.
I've seen players who were at death's door shoot lights out, so don't tell me that a few push ups a week is going to give you an edge. While you're at the fitness center showing off for the girls, I'll be at the pool hall playing or practicing. Guess who'll have the edge then.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
You've contradicted yourself, dardusm. You state that it isn't necessary to be in top physical condition to have a top level game, then say: "But, I think those players might even had been better if they were in better physical condition."
Top level is top level, and the guys you mentioned were at the top.
I've seen players who were at death's door shoot lights out, so don't tell me that a few push ups a week is going to give you an edge. While you're at the fitness center showing off for the girls, I'll be at the pool hall playing or practicing. Guess who'll have the edge then.
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Wow you really hate physical exercise. I admire that in a way.
 
Improving one's flexibility and core strength will absolutely help in pool. I've seen many overweight guys suffer to get comfortable on shots that I have no problem with because of their gut size and lack of mobility. They can still play well, but I just think they'd play significantly better if they were fit.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
What the hell is "death calls?"
Two hours a week and you're in the same physical condition as what, a 61 year old?
Jeff, this is BS and you know it.
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You sure seem to know a lot about everybody here.

I"m 62, I do 2 hours a week of exercises, and it helps my pool game and you call that BS? By what evidence do you make that call? Have you ever seen me?

10919008_960041690682465_7245360874941740742_n.jpg


Here's a recent photo....I'm the guy without the hat.


Jeff Livingston
 
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Tramp Steamer said:
What the hell is "death calls?"
T.
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One is the example I put in that post.

As you age, you'll hear 'em. It seems every morning you'll wake up with some new pain and say, "I never felt that before." You'll feel it again, I promise. It is death calling you.


Jeff Livingston
 
As per the thread title...."in pool" :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Somebody stop me, I'm smokin'!!!!!!!!!!


Jeff Livingston
 
FrankieD said:
Improving one's flexibility and core strength will absolutely help in pool. I've seen many overweight guys suffer to get comfortable on shots that I have no problem with because of their gut size and lack of mobility. They can still play well, but I just think they'd play significantly better if they were fit.
Click to expand...

All kidding aside I agree with this. I noticed an improvement when I lost weight before my wedding a couple of years ago. Also, I noticed an increase in stamina that came with the additional exercise I was doing. I could play at a higher level for longer. As with most things ymmv, but if I was a top player looking for an edge it'd be something I'd look into. Also, doing cardio and working on flexibility and moderate lifting isn't the same thing as bulking up to body builder levels.
 
Tramp Steamer said:
While you're at the fitness center showing off for the girls, I'll be at the pool hall playing or practicing. Guess who'll have the edge then.
Click to expand...
He will. Fitness is a benefit for just about any activity, including "non-physical" things like focus - ever heard of that in connection with pool?

pj
chgo
 
Four days a week for the last 4 years. 20 minutes on an eliptical doing 1 minute intervals targeting 15 calories per minute and getting the heart rate up to 160 beats per minute. 15 minutes mat work for core, doing various planks and ab work. One hour of heavy resistance training using weights and finishing off on machines using alternating muscle groups using a push pull system. I am 63 and my waist is 33. My vitality is off the charts. Here's the kicker: I still smoke. I tell my doctor I will be the fittest guy in the graveyard. Everyone goes in the end no matter how fit you are. Regular exercise will drop your blood pressure like a rock and resistance training will drop inches off your waist because it causes you to burn extra calories long after you have finished your work out. In my book there are only two things in life that are magic: exercise and compound interest.
 
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