BallReviews
General Category => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: JohnN on February 07, 2015, 04:28:18 PM
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Looking to improve my bowling. Think as I am getting older I am losing some strength. Would like to increase my back swing and revs. Has anyone found that weightlifting has helped with their bowling ? Not looking to look like Arnold in his prime. If so, what did you do ?
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Legs are everything. Something to consider.
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Flexibility too work on stretching
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Have been weight lifting for years. Certainly doesn't hurt unless you get carried away and start getting into the muscle building. I did make that mistake at one point in my late 30's to early 40's. I work out a a gym, not a health club. At one point multiple professional wrestlers, body builders and power lifters were regulars. Hard not to get caught up in that. Stick with using reps and watch how heavy you go. Combine that with aerobics as well, we need both and as mentioned don't overlook legs. My only issue at this point is a very bad back and it is in part due to what I mentioned above and some of the work that I do or did for years. Still use weights even with a bad back and shoulder surgery to try to get back in shape.
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I've lifted weights and bowled for as long as I can remember. But when I lift weights, I concentrate on legs and some work on the upper body. I do a lot of sit-ups, lunges, and stretching. Some push-ups. Other work I do include walking (1.5 to 3 miles) or riding a bicycle (5 to 10 miles).
Upper body: Some clean and jerks. Some bench press. But mostly stretching and flexibility.
Lower body: Leg/Hamstring curls. Squats. Leg press.
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I work out heavily and well if your body building like me. I don't think it will help your bowling because there are days were you go all out and you feel the soreness. Although bowling is mostly free swing its anoyying feeling your chest sore or your triceps. If you looking to slow ur ball speed down for a tournament I suggest hitting some triceps workout haha. Weight lighting no good for bowling. But cardio and staying in shape will do wonders for ya.
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Any kind of exercise is good .. for the bowling and for your later years! Doesn't HAVE to be weights .. years ago they had pulleys .. if they still have them .. try them! Calisthenics (don't know if I spelled that right) can be done WITHOUT going to a gym .. and it pays off! Good luck!
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Legs are where the power comes from, but core strength is key. USBC Has a video recommending different core exercises.
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I work on legs and core mostly. Regarding my upper body, after having shoulder re-construction surgery last May I have gotten smarter and am doing what the doctor has told me for years: Lift lighter weights with lots of reps. My rule of thumb is if I can't do 3 sets of 15 then it's too heavy.
The muscles of the rotator cuff need to be trained for endurance to avoid injury. My bicep was also torn so the same goes there with light weights and more reps. As we age the emphasis should be strength (not big muscles) and trying to remain as flexible as possible. Good luck.
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Leg conditioning and stretching work best for me.
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Legs are everything. Something to consider.
I walk about 4 miles and do a couple of sets of pushups (15 or so) each day. This routine works for me.
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As others have stated leg strength and flexibility are the keys. Nothing wrong with weight training so long as it is accompanied by good stretching, and not over done. Range of motion is the biggest necessity
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There are some pros who come to mind, who keep themselves in great shape. I would agree that "overall" health is the most important. Mika is a cardio nut. Staying lean and trim works best for him... As for backswing, tricep kickbacks (bent over, with knee on flat bench) might not be a bad idea.
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I agree with the legs being a Big part of things. I started using a spin bike a few years ago and it put two miles of speed on my ball. I know own one at home and use it 4-5 days a week with 10+ miles ridden each time
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If you're working out mostly to benefit your bowling, I would focus upon legs, core, and flexibility; strength training (building muscles) doesn't really do a whole lot to help your bowling unless you are rehabbing from an injury.
As far as adding speed and revs goes, faster feet should equal faster ball speed. Adding revs has to do with the your arm swing and release, and it tends to be freer swing = more revs. As such, usually, the more you try to put on the ball the less you actually get on it. I mean, look at E.J. Tackett; he looks to be about 5-6, 135, yet he absolutely rips the cover off of the ball. If size and strength determined revs, he'd be lucky to kick 5-8-10's out. I'm 6'2, 230 and pretty solidly built, yet he makes me look like a pansy in terms of how much we both put on the ball.
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Just to reiterate what has been stated, legs and core are where you will probably see the biggest return on your bowling game. Stretching also will give huge benefits.
But beware of one thing. To gain ball speed, you will have to increase the speed of your feet during your approach. However, faster feet can cause more strain on your knee when you have to bring this higher speed to a stop. Make sure you are working on how to stop properly (knee continuation) to prevent any kind of injury.
If you want "bowling" fitness as compared to "general" fitness, there are some people who specialize in this, mainly Team USA bowlers and coaches (might be approachable for information). If you want "general" fitness, I would consider getting with a trainer for a short period of time to get you on the right track with periodic review sessions. Injuries are all too common with beginners getting into fitness and they usually lead to people quitting. We don't want that.