- There's no getting away from the fact that
performance is both audible and visual.
As vocal performers, we wanna sound great
and look our best on stage.
Rishabh recently left this question on one of my videos.
Hello Dr. Dan, sir, I humbly request you to
make a video on going gym is not good for singers.
Please tell us about all the misconceptions
that people have regarding this topic.
Interesting question, Rishabh.
Can your work out at the gym wreck your voice?
Let's find out.
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Check one, check two.
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- Hello, everyone.
Welcome back to all my subscribers
and hello if you're new to Voice Essentials.
My name is Dr. Dan, and I'm a contemporary
singing voice specialist.
It's my job to help you realize
the full potential of your singing voice.
Now, I'm in the habit of saying
that singers are vocal athletes.
Singing and performance are high energy tasks
that require the voice user to be fit and healthy.
And when we add the modern expectation to look good,
as well, it's not surprising that many singers
find themselves at the gym many times a week.
So, is visiting your local gym good or bad for your singing?
To answer that question, we need to first
consider what the end goal is.
If you're going to the gym to become more buff
with bulging muscular definition, then it's likely that
your voice will suffer to some degree because lifting heavy
weights, especially when focused on upper body bulking,
tends to overturn the extrinsic muscles
of the neck as well as the shoulders.
Remember, one of our goals as skilled contemporary singers
is to develop freedom and buoyancy of the larynx,
but we can't achieve that freedom if all those
strapping muscles that surround the larynx
won't release when we need them to.
If you absolutely must undergo weight training for
upper body shape, then I highly recommend doing all
activities within outflow of air.
That is, don't lift weights while holding your breath.
This may reduce in amount of weight you can lift,
but it will ensure that you're not valving the larynx
and making your vocals folds the point of resistance.
If you're going to lift weights, always exhale on a SH.
Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.
This way you're create sufficient intrathoracic pressure
without loading the voice in a harmful way.
Truthfully, body building and singing don't mix well,
but this doesn't mean that vising your local gym
three to four times a week is necessarily a bad thing
because, as I've already stated, your physical
fitness is extremely important.
Let's quickly look at those gym activities
that I recommend to all my singers when they came
to get fit and look their best.
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- There are many activities that you can do
at your local gym that will benefit
your overall health as well as your singing.
Personally I think the primary objective
for any singer is to develop aerobic fitness.
This means we need to work out doing
activities that lift the heart rate.
Cardiovascular exercise can be achieved while
walking, cycling, and swimming, just to mention a few.
It's important to mix it up though because research
has shown that our bodies adapt to exercise routine
and the benefits reduce over time.
Dr. Scott McCoy suggests that "you should
regularly revamp your routine to avoid plateauing.
"Your muscles adapt to a routine
and will burn fewer calories as they become more efficient."
McCoy goes on to write "Singers also need to maintain
their ideal body weight for their height to achieve
optimal stamina, hormonal balance, and health.
"Try to eat a diet that emphasizes foods
with a low glycemic index.
"These foods cause a slow release of glucose
into the bloodstream, which helps you to feel fuller
and have more energy for longer periods of time."
I guess what we're trying to achieve here
is a holistic approach to your health,
and while pumping iron is probably not advisable
for the most part, it is important that you
have a regular workout routine that will provide your body,
your whole instrument, with aerobic exercise,
all while maintaining a healthy, low GI diet.
So when deciding what activities you might like to do,
look for low impact, high aerobic intensity exercise,
and your voice should be safe enough.
I'll be keen to hear your views on this subject,
leave any feedback and suggestions for physical workouts
in the comments section below.
I know the Voice Essentials community will benefit
from your ideas and experience, and if this is
your first time to Voice Essentials,
then I hope you learned something from today's video.
I have many more learn-to-sing videos
over on the channel page.
I'd love to invite you to have a look at the channel
and subscribe, so that we can travel
this learn-to-sing journey together.
I'll see you again soon.
I'm Dr. Dan, sing well.