Working out and playing pool

Here it is. I started working out 18 months ago and I work out hard like a ****ing beast, like Ivan dragon in rocky 4. Point is I play better now than I did 18 months ago. Sometimes I go directly to the poolhall after an intense workout, and right off the bat I'm shaking like a leaf and I can't make a ball.... but after 40 minutes or so I'm fine and relaxed... and not missing a ball for a long time. Lol @ ivan drago
 
It is true that you shouldnt be sore all the time as this is potentially overtraining and you wont grow, but if you train effectively I believe you should be sore fairly frequently. Soreness in muscles is not necessarily lactic acid buildup. Weight training tears down muscle fibers which in turn rebuild bigger and stronger. The soreness is often the muscle fibers themselves having micro tears.

Alot depends on your body type and what your goals are for weight training. Weight training to me is to try to gain mass since I have been thin my whole life. If your body type is such that you are seeking definition and to lose weight, then I think its very possible for you to do both pool and weights. If you are trying to gain muscle mass, then imo there is a conflict that will be difficult to resolve. A good mass building program involves incorporating a number of training principles that all revolve around the core issue of muscle confusion through variety and intensity. Doing so of course, also confuses the hell out of my arm when my brain sends signals to it to draw the cueball back 4 inches and instead I get 2 or 12 inches. If I want to play my best pool, I tone down the workouts or stop altogether. It is what it is and I have given up on trying to reconcile the two.
 
This is easy. Just work out all you want and when you have finished take a brisk walk for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will reduce the lactic acid in your muscles. You will then be fresh to play.


After you eat all the food you can find and take a 5hr nap, that is!

I put in some big miles on the bicycle and found it tough to play for 4+ hours due to hunger and general tirednessicity.
 
Here it is. I started working out 18 months ago and I work out hard like a ****ing beast, like Ivan dragon in rocky 4. Point is I play better now than I did 18 months ago. Sometimes I go directly to the poolhall after an intense workout, and right off the bat I'm shaking like a leaf and I can't make a ball.... but after 40 minutes or so I'm fine and relaxed... and not missing a ball for a long time. Lol @ ivan drago


Don't lol too hard at yoreself there, Mr.! Everyone will think you are crazy or stupid, then you will have to fire or kill them all.

Donnie brings up a good point: the mental gains that come from dumping out a good workout can apply to pool. Myself? I ride up a 4000' mountain and am the first in a group to hit the top, you think firing in a crosside bank is gonna scare me? (well, maybe a little).

LOL:wink:
 
here is my opinion on the matter, as I have done some research and have decided to get back in shape. I actually believe that being out of shape the last 6 months or so has negatively impacted my pool game in some big ways.

#1 You need to focus on core strength and balance, this is going to help your pool game tremendously.

#2 Focus on doing exercises that take skill and balance to do properly, this will help your focus and strength.

#3 Forget about working out your arms specifically, it will hurt your game and it's typically unnecessary unless you just want huge biceps to impress the ladyfolk... important, but they prefer a well rounded physique.

#4 Do endurance training rather than strength training, this is going to help your endurance in long sets on the table and help you bring your focus up. If you can keep a mental edge for longer you have a huge advantage over the competition.

#5 STRETCH ALOT! Not only will this help with the soreness, but it is going to keep your muscles loose and flexible. This is essential to good pool. If you watched the Mosconi cup and saw Shane shaking out his hand... that's because he was trying to shake the tension out of his body. A totally relaxed body and mind are essential to playing great pool. Add some meditation into your stretching and try to clear your mind. Obviously, Yoga is a great way to do this but it's not for everyone.

Really you want to go "Bruce Lee" style of fitness... not Schwarzenegger. If you can achieve clarity in your mind and relaxed coordination between your muscles and brain then you are way ahead of the game.

These are only my thoughts, but I feel strongly that your game will only improve if you try this. At first your game will fall off while adjusting, but you'll make it up and then some very quickly.
 
Here it is. I started working out 18 months ago and I work out hard like a ****ing beast, like Ivan dragon in rocky 4. Point is I play better now than I did 18 months ago. Sometimes I go directly to the poolhall after an intense workout, and right off the bat I'm shaking like a leaf and I can't make a ball.... but after 40 minutes or so I'm fine and relaxed... and not missing a ball for a long time. Lol @ ivan drago



"If he dies... he dies" LOL

Greatest Villain EVER.

ivandrago1.jpg
 
So I started playing pool about 6 years ago (currently 23 years old) and have been on the journey to become a great player since. I haven't worked out in about 2 years (I havent weight trained in that long, but I have been occasionally running). I would like to get back into weight training but I remember last time I tried weight training and playing pool at the same time my pool game significantly dropped.

Does anyone have any knowledge about working out and playing pool? I would like to continue to get better at playing pool but when I am working out I am always sore or my muscles feel really tight. I lose the finesse in my pool game because of this.

I have heard that if I play pool right after I workout then eventually my body will get used to it. Is this true? Anybody workout regularly and still play pool at a very high level?

I do not play at a high level. I barely play mediocre. But, I have been lifting weights for six years and playing pool for about three. Soreness only affects my pool game a day or two after leg day because I can not climb on the tables- which you can do where I play. About twice a year I will take a week or two off and find my pool game does not change at all. If soreness is really bothering you check out some post-workout supplements. I have been eating VPX Synthesize after I lift for the last two months or so and see a marked reduction in soreness. Since lifting is only one quarter of the muscle building equation I recommend you eat 20 calories for every pound you weigh and 1.5g of protein per pound. After the first 6 months of lifting you will not get so soar. The problem with bodybuilding and pool is that lifting requires you sleep around nine hours a night and eat at least six times a day. I do that but it is really hard to play pool for eight hours when you have to eat three times in that span.
 
you can work out all you want .....you don't work off cheeseburgers or the standard american diet ( s.a.d.) .....if you want stamina , you need to eat clean , natural foods .
 
If you never want to be sore take steroids. It is a sad truth. Here is one thing most people do not do when trying to get bigger. Instead of giving your muscles the opportunity to grow, leave them no choice but grow. I never have problems playing after I lift, but I do not play any good anyway.
 
When I first started lifting a year ago, it was tough. The first couple weeks, I would get sore and shooting pool was a problem. After I got past that, there was no difference. I work-out and play pool afterward and I'm just as fine as when I don't work out that day.

The only thing I do is, if I'm competing that week, I'll lower the weight by 25% but that's just because I don't want to risk injury.
 
These young guys should listen and take heed...........

Here it is. I started working out 18 months ago and I work out hard like a ****ing beast, like Ivan dragon in rocky 4. Point is I play better now than I did 18 months ago. Sometimes I go directly to the poolhall after an intense workout, and right off the bat I'm shaking like a leaf and I can't make a ball.... but after 40 minutes or so I'm fine and relaxed... and not missing a ball for a long time. Lol @ ivan drago

Hi there Donny,

You got it right. For about a 5 year period I worked out with a friend of mine. He turned into a monster and I just got a little stronger looking. We would try to shoot free throws after the workout and at first couldn't get the ball to the hoop.

I won most of the pool tournaments that I played in over that period of time. I busted up my knee and had 2 surgeries and there went my being in shape.

To play pool and compete you do need your body to work like a fine tuned machine. When I saw you at the US Open I noticed that you were in excellent shape. It was no accident that you did so well.

great Job. Keep it up.........................
 
Back in the day trainers, coaches, and sports doctors said weight training for boxing, pool, baseball, and a lot of other sports was bad for your game. From 13 yo to about 16 yo I carried ice, weighing 50, 75 and 100 or more 7 days a week. I weight lifted in competition for the Long Island Weightlifting Association from 14 to 17 years old. I boxed amateur from 12 to 17 yo. Most of my jobs back then required lifting heavy objects. I have been at least a "B" player since I was 15yo. When I boxed I was 29 and 2 and I held the clean and jerk title on LI for a short time with a 236 in the 122 lb class. I don't believe weight training hurts pool at all. I do believe bodybuilding could. Johnnyt
 
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