Playing Pool and Lifting Weights???

CamposCues

CamposCues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Last Sunday I started lifting weights for the first time in a million years and I'm a little sore here and there. I play league a couple nights a week and am a consistently a pretty good shot. Anyway, I had league tonight and could not make a shot to save my life. I missed shots I'd of made the day I first discovered pool. Yeah, it was that bad. The only thing I could come up with is either God hates me or that lifting weights messed up my stroke. Anyone ever have this problem? Another display like that and I'm going to take up badminton.
 
if you are still sore from lifting weights you should strtch before you shoot pool... however, there is no reason to think lifting weights will affect your game unless... you stop playing pool and put on like 20lbs of muscle then pick it back up... if you are like most people and just trying to get into shape and get some tone then don't worry about your pool game... if you had lifted that day and then two hours later you try to go shoot then yea obviously you will be affected... once you you get over the initial soreness phase and get back into a weight lifting routine... you will be fine... speaking from experience
 
I"ve been lifting weights for about 10 years, and I don't think it affects my playing at all. You're just sore. It will take a little time for your body to get used to lifting. After that, you'll be fine.
 
Lifting weights (or hectic cardio exercise for that matter) can absolutely effect your game at first but you get used to it. Fight through it.
 
agree with other posters

I climbed iron for a living and worked out heavily while I was shooting pool years ago. Even if you don't feel sore a little tightness here and there can really change your stroke that little bit that results in a lot of misses.

Check and see if you can hit the cue ball dead center and send it in a straight line down the table and back using a long bridge when you first get to the table after working out or any unusual activity. If you have difficulties with that you have to focus on loosening up and on your stroke. You won't usually play your best game that night but you can adapt once you recognize the need.

Not a recommendation but about a six pack of lubrication often helped me on those nights. :) :) :)

Hu
 
CamposCues said:
Last Sunday I started lifting weights for the first time in a million years and I'm a little sore here and there. I play league a couple nights a week and am a consistently a pretty good shot. Anyway, I had league tonight and could not make a shot to save my life. I missed shots I'd of made the day I first discovered pool. Yeah, it was that bad. The only thing I could come up with is either God hates me or that lifting weights messed up my stroke. Anyone ever have this problem? Another display like that and I'm going to take up badminton.
Click to expand...

The soreness and stiffness you experienced is refered to as DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness).

When you first start weight training, or return to it after a considerable break, DOMS will be quite severe and can last several days. It is basically caused by micro-fibre muscle damage which is being repaired.

If you train regularly, DOMS will be less severe and will not last long.

However, playing pool straight after a workout is certainly not recommended as the muscles are quite exhausted and don't have their normal responses.

If you continue weight training so that you adapt ok, you should be able to train the day before, or even several hours before you play with little detrimental effect.
 
Bobby Yamasaki from Southern California competed at both body building and pool almost at the same time. He was HUGE and was one of the most feared players (for his playing) in LA for a long time, if he could attain that level in both fields at the same time, so can you.
 
Don't make an excuse for yourself either to not work out or shoot good pool. I have been working out almost all my life, and see no reason for it to negatively effect my game. And don't let yourself get out of shape, and you won't be so damn sore! Drink lots of water, flush out that system.
 
Gregg said:
Don't make an excuse for yourself either to not work out or shoot good pool. I have been working out almost all my life, and see no reason for it to negatively effect my game. And don't let yourself get out of shape, and you won't be so damn sore! Drink lots of water, flush out that system.
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Easier said than done!...:eek: but I agree.

I'm using a dumbell weight on an old cue stick and work on my long stroke with it right on my table. I don't go crazy, but I find it helps keep my tricep more fluid, if that makes sense.

btw, I market a product for people who lift weights and want to recover more quickly...pm if interested and I'll send you to my web site for a look-see.

Jeff Livingston
 
I've seen barreta at her pool room practicing a few times and she looks like solid muscle. I wonder if she gets to eat junk food.

I do the weight lifting thing too but whats worse is trying to train for those long hours at the pool standing on my feet. And whats worse is the smelly bar stools that Im forced to sit on its just not fair. I would bring some ammonia and clean my seats but I don't want to act like they place is dirty or anything.

That feet thing is just horrible I got orthopedic soles in my shoes and they have been helping but sheesh its like im on guard duty anytime I stay at the pool hall. They do have sports games on tvs and music so its not all at a lost. And the staff is very cool.
 
chefjeff said:
Easier said than done!...:eek: but I agree.

I'm using a dumbell weight on an old cue stick and work on my long stroke with it right on my table. I don't go crazy, but I find it helps keep my tricep more fluid, if that makes sense.

btw, I market a product for people who lift weights and want to recover more quickly...pm if interested and I'll send you to my web site for a look-see.

Jeff Livingston
Click to expand...
I'll bite :-)
What product is that Jeff? And how is it supposed to work?

Colin
 
If you lift weights then go directly to league. Espeically after shooting pool you get what is referred to as a "Runner's High". I use to get it bad when I first started running. I wouldn't drive for a little bit but after a while you get over it.

As for how well weight lifting can improve your game. It reminds me of a story I heard about some woman who saw a baseball player in Babe Ruth's era in the bull pen. He was smoking a cigarette, chewing tabacoo, and drinking beer. She asked "What kind of athlete are you?". He looked at her and said "I'm not an athlete. I'm a baseball player". Kind of like pool. THe best players you'll ever meet in pool is some whyno tobaco spittin 1 toothed backwoods hick who has nothing better to do than shoot pool.
 
CamposCues said:
Last Sunday I started lifting weights for the first time in a million years and I'm a little sore here and there. I play league a couple nights a week and am a consistently a pretty good shot. Anyway, I had league tonight and could not make a shot to save my life. I missed shots I'd of made the day I first discovered pool. Yeah, it was that bad. The only thing I could come up with is either God hates me or that lifting weights messed up my stroke. Anyone ever have this problem? Another display like that and I'm going to take up badminton.
Click to expand...


Try this it will work.

After lifting weights, go through a cool down period for 15 minutes. Ten minutes of brisk walking and then 5 minutes of walking at a slower pace.

"Man can neither love not hate what he does not know". Cicero
 
You're not going to play the same until your muscles have recovered, and then you're good. You won't harm your stroke from lifting weights, but your muscles will react and feel different until you've recovered.

You won't be sore all the time, even if you're dilligent. If you're doing weight lifting properly, you do a high-intensity workout for one muscle group and then give it plenty of rest...when you're not sore any more, you've recovered, but you have to wait longer so that your body can build new muscle. THEN you should lift more. Otherwise you're doing a whole bunch of work for very little positive effect (other than burning calories). If you can't lift more than you lifted the previous time, then you didn't give your muscles enough rest.
 
A good stroke builder is to do as many pushups as you can, then immediately try to shoot in straight shots. Believe it or not, it works. When your arms get back to normal, it will be easier to stroke straight.

TommyT
 
I had the same problem when I first started seriously working out, what I did to correct it was switched my workouts around. I play league on Tuesday nights and work out each muscle group on a day to day basis. I changed my work out to Monday back Tuesday legs and then Thursday and Friday upper body, arms chest and shoulders. By doing this I’m not effecting my arms that much the day of or before playing. Seems to work ok for me.
 
CamposCues said:
Last Sunday I started lifting weights for the first time in a million years and I'm a little sore here and there. I play league a couple nights a week and am a consistently a pretty good shot. Anyway, I had league tonight and could not make a shot to save my life. I missed shots I'd of made the day I first discovered pool. Yeah, it was that bad. The only thing I could come up with is either God hates me or that lifting weights messed up my stroke. Anyone ever have this problem? Another display like that and I'm going to take up badminton.
Click to expand...


I read some of the responses and I wonder how many people actually lift weights( heavier weights vs. light cardio stuff) and try shooting Pool. I weight train. I don't do max lifts or train for bulk anymore since I started playing Pool more seriously (about 8 years ago) but I do still train. When you train certain parts of your body, it ABSOLUTELY affects your Pool game. If you heavy lift, training your biceps or triceps, you WILL lose a bit of your Pool stroke. Speed control is off, longer table draws come up short and small finesse strokes where you want to just move the CB a little is off too. If I have a tourney, I don't do any upper body workout the week before.

Just my personal experience.


Eric >wonders if Ahnold played Pool
 
Stroke

After careful analysis (thinking about it while not drunk) and reading some of your input, I've come to the conclusion that stiffness was probably to blame. I think the stiffness just slightly altered the normal range of motion of my stroke. May even have caused some jerkiness. Between Sunday and Tuesday I hit back and biceps, chest and triceps, and shoulders and abs...so pretty much every muscle used to stroke a cue was abnormally sore and tense. I didn't actually lift a thing the day of league. I have league again tonight and I don't feel as tense or sore. I think I will stretch out, like you guys mentioned, and get several warm up games in. After that, if I still shoot like I did yesterday (like sh*t)...then badminton it is!
 
Colin Colenso said:
I'll bite :-)
What product is that Jeff? And how is it supposed to work?

Colin
Click to expand...

Hi Colin,

Thanks for asking. It isn't "supposed" to work; it does work...at least that was the result of the published clinicals done on this product at Texas Tech. Have you see the muscles on Annika Soremstam?...she uses this product to do what she does so well: kick ass in women's golf.

I find it helps me to not be so sore after lifting. I'm not really into reducing my recovery time, as I'm not trying to become as big as possible as quickly as possible. I also use it after, for example, cleaning house to keep the muscle pain down. My stroking arm appreciates the help. ;)

Oh...you wanted more info...go here and brings lots and lots of money:rolleyes: :

http://www.shaklee.net/livingston/prodNutResearch_Physique
http://www.shaklee.net/livingston/product/20306

Jeff Livingston
 
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