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Poker - Weightlifting/fitness training

  • 29-06-2008 5:31pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 595 ✭✭✭


    I'm started a new conditioning programme, where every Tuesday/Thursday morning I'm going to lift weights at the gym and every Monday/Wednesday/Friday I'm going to go for a 1 mile (approx) jog. My workout will be in the moring, so it will leave time to play poker during the day. Also my weekends are off for beer and relaxation.

    I've been doing a little weightlifting for about a year and have had small bit of success. Currently I'm 6'1 and slightly over 12 and a half stone, I've put on about 6lb of muscle since I started. My ambition with this programme is to put on as close to an additional stone of muscle as possible, while keeping fitness through the running, and basically becoming ripped.

    I know a lot of poker guys are into conditioning/weight lifting. I suppose to counteract the fact that poker is such a lazy, unhealthy hobby. Ivey, Negranu and Antonious are known for their strength/fitness prop bets, aswell as Doyle Brunson back in the day. I'd love to hear what programmes you guys are following, and what gains you've made.

    I'm posting this here rather than the fitness forum because I'm particularly interested in what other poker players are doing, and how my regieme compares.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,806 ✭✭✭Lafortezza


    Fitness is fitness isn't it? You would get better replies on the fitness forum. Don't see how playing poker makes anyone better at giving advice.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,771 ✭✭✭TommyGunne


    Well I share your weekend drinking regime


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 595 ✭✭✭Tight Ted


    lafortezza wrote: »
    Fitness is fitness isn't it? You would get better replies on the fitness forum. Don't see how playing poker makes anyone better at giving advice.

    I'm just interested in what other pokerplayers are doing. I'm not particularly looking for advice. Also, I remember reading in an advanced strat article that having fitness will help you keep concentration, particularly in a long MTT grind.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8 Lycius


    I play online poker most evenings and generally live a very unhealthy life style. I blame the availability of cheap and surprisingly good red wine.
    I tend to go to KCR Ben Dunne gym most mornings and do about a 2K Run then some weight machines and free weights. Might do a 5k Walk/Run and general work out. Yet to go for a swin for some reason.

    But only because I don't want to be a fat b#stard more so than to help my poker. My poker is still brutal. But I look forward to and will embrace my pending heart attack while on the threadmill some morning. The spin in the Ambulance will be a first though.

    :pac:


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,513 ✭✭✭RoadSweeper


    Im getting back into my sick football training routine after over coming my 18month injury. My legs are heavy now :(


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭dK1NG


    Tight Ted wrote: »
    I'm started a new conditioning programme, where every Tuesday/Thursday morning I'm going to lift weights at the gym and every Monday/Wednesday/Friday I'm going to go for a 1 mile (approx) jog. My workout will be in the moring, so it will leave time to play poker during the day. Also my weekends are off for beer and relaxation.

    I've been doing a little weightlifting for about a year and have had small bit of success. Currently I'm 6'1 and slightly over 12 and a half stone, I've put on about 6lb of muscle since I started. My ambition with this programme is to put on as close to an additional stone of muscle as possible, while keeping fitness through the running, and basically becoming ripped.

    Its difficult to put on muscle at the same time as losing fat, so maybe concentrate on one goal for a 6 wk cycle then switch to the other.

    Try to stick to a max of one hour lifting weights, anything more usually eats is counter productive.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 595 ✭✭✭Tight Ted


    dK1NG wrote: »
    Its difficult to put on muscle at the same time as losing fat, so maybe concentrate on one goal for a 6 wk cycle then switch to the other.

    Try to stick to a max of one hour lifting weights, anything more usually eats is counter productive.

    The idea of the run was for a stress free bit of exercise on my non-gym days, not to lose fat. Would it really have a big negative effect on my quest to pack on muscle?

    As for the weight-lifting. My sessions are 45 minutes at the max.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8 Lycius


    eagle eye wrote: »
    I'll guess at DBC

    Not really sure? If you mean the gym then it is called Carlisle Health & Fitness Gym. Ben Dunne owns it and there a an art Gallery being put up beside it now too.

    I know there is another near or around the KCR but I can't think of the name.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 208 ✭✭Headspace


    If i exercise b4 i play i win if i don't i loose. This is not 100% of course but the difference is shocking. Exercise for me is usually a walk 1-5kms I'm a fatty and dont like to sweat. I,m going to try to get in shape soon though.Healthy body, healthy mind. I'm sure a lot of people don't recognize the improvement a little exercise can have on your game.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,039 ✭✭✭Theresalwaysone


    Its not really excercise that makes your game better, its focus.

    If you're a naturally focused person then excercise will prob have no real effect on your game.

    Excercise helps you focus, thats prob why it is good for your game in general.

    Well thats imo, I dont have any scientific proof of course.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,201 ✭✭✭Macspower


    Its not really excercise that makes your game better, its focus.

    If you're a naturally focused person then excercise will prob have no real effect on your game.

    Excercise helps you focus, thats prob why it is good for your game in general.

    Well thats imo, I dont have any scientific proof of course.

    ok time to test this theory....

    Just back from 10 k cycle and about to log on... moving up level as well....

    back in an hour to report on loosing me ******


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 152 ✭✭R__J


    Hard combine the two imo. Serious training/lifting is quite time consuming and tiring. I find it has a negative effect on poker. While full time poker has a negative effect on my pysical fitness etc. So it's a bit of a double edged sword. Fair play to people who manage to balance the two.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,806 ✭✭✭Lafortezza


    Try to stay a little bit on topic please.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 588 ✭✭✭Lao Lao


    Tight Ted wrote: »
    I'm started a new conditioning programme, where every Tuesday/Thursday morning I'm going to lift weights at the gym and every Monday/Wednesday/Friday I'm going to go for a 1 mile (approx) jog. My workout will be in the moring, so it will leave time to play poker during the day. Also my weekends are off for beer and relaxation.

    I've been doing a little weightlifting for about a year and have had small bit of success. Currently I'm 6'1 and slightly over 12 and a half stone, I've put on about 6lb of muscle since I started. My ambition with this programme is to put on as close to an additional stone of muscle as possible, while keeping fitness through the running, and basically becoming ripped.

    I know a lot of poker guys are into conditioning/weight lifting. I suppose to counteract the fact that poker is such a lazy, unhealthy hobby. Ivey, Negranu and Antonious are known for their strength/fitness prop bets, aswell as Doyle Brunson back in the day. I'd love to hear what programmes you guys are following, and what gains you've made.

    I'm posting this here rather than the fitness forum because I'm particularly interested in what other poker players are doing, and how my regieme compares.

    This is something that I am starting to take quite serious at the mo. I've turned 30 this year and only recently recently realised just how unfit I am. I'm not over weight or anything but just very unfit.

    I can remember back 5-6 years ago, when I was super fit. 6 years ago, I was running from the length of the Phoenix Park (from Cunningham Road exit to Castleknock exit and back at least twice a week) and 5 years ago I was swimming a mile every 2nd day

    This was back when I didn't play poker

    However, since then I have become a lazy git altogether and I have also taken up poker in the last 9 months, which entails sitting on my ass for long periods of time. I've been meaning to get back into a proper fitness regime for a while now.

    Last week, this regime finally kicked in! It involves a mixture of swimming, sit-ups, press ups & weight lifting.

    On the swimming front, I aim to swim at least 3 times a week (and up to 5 times a week)-I am breaking myself in gently here and started off with a 1/2K swim increasing this by 100m every time I swim. I aim to continue this until I hit a mile and from there just aim to reduce my time for a mile swim each time.

    Sit Ups and Press Ups - I just do these every alternative day to swimming and tend to do them in reps of 75 twice a day

    Weight Lifting - I've never been into been really bulky so never got into this in a big way and only really use it a as a way of keeping toned. At the minute, I do this like the sit ups and press ups (every alternative day to swimming) and only use 2 x 5Kg weights and only use three differnt reps at a rate of 15 each per rep.

    Like I said, this programme is only in it's second week but already, I can notice my energy levels are up, that I am more focused and I am a lot more alert.

    Will let you know how I continue to get on.

    Brian


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,201 ✭✭✭Macspower


    theory flawed... seriously flawed :(


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 588 ✭✭✭Lao Lao


    Macspower wrote: »
    theory flawed... seriously flawed :(

    Did you play bad or just get sucked out on? I am a firm believer of the old mantra of 'Healthy Body, Healthy Mind' and all that jazz, really believe that it works in the long term.....


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,201 ✭✭✭Macspower


    combos..... felt I played well but got coolered within an inch of my life... see bb section got stacked 11 times... down 4 buy in's

    still feel good after cycle though


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 6,956 ✭✭✭CHD


    Beat- down 5 buyins
    Brag- done loads exercise
    Variance- Felling pumped


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,362 ✭✭✭Hitman Actual


    dK1NG wrote: »
    Its difficult to put on muscle at the same time as losing fat, so maybe concentrate on one goal for a 6 wk cycle then switch to the other.

    If Ted is only running a mile or so, then he will be fine. You need to be doing some serious stamina training for it to interfere with muscle building. Once he concentrates on proper nutrition and supplements he'll have no problem with the muscle-gain. But a 1-stone gain might take at least a year, depending on what sort of a gainer he is.

    Also, if he's talking about getting 'ripped' then he'll probably need to do two or three 20-30min cardio sessions a week with the weight-training anyway [Edit to add, on the non-strength training days]. (If he's beering at the weekends, it's hard to get 'ripped' though).

    IanMc could be a good guy to answer the OP's question; he mentioned in his 'Well' that he had a good training regime.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭dK1NG


    Just my 2c on this:
    Tight Ted wrote: »
    Also, I remember reading in an advanced strat article that having fitness will help you keep concentration, particularly in a long MTT grind.

    Definitely! Mental fatigue does not kick in as much, or as soon, as it would if you were not physically fit.

    Tight Ted wrote: »
    The idea of the run was for a stress free bit of exercise on my non-gym days, not to lose fat. Would it really have a big negative effect on my quest to pack on muscle?

    As for the weight-lifting. My sessions are 45 minutes at the max.

    A short run like that will not do any harm, but as s/o else said - if you want to get ripped then you would have to up your cardio significantly. At that stage, you would not be worrying about packing on muscle, as it would be difficult to increase muscle mass at the same time as stripping away fat levels.


    Have you had your bodyfat % measured? That is a great way to measure your progress, much better than the scales or BMI etc.

    R__J wrote: »
    Hard combine the two imo. Serious training/lifting is quite time consuming and tiring. I find it has a negative effect on poker. While full time poker has a negative effect on my pysical fitness etc. So it's a bit of a double edged sword. Fair play to people who manage to balance the two.

    Agree with this to an extent. Tbh, I find it hardest to play poker after a session at the gym - if you trained properly tehn it is likely you will be mentally wrecked and not able to concentrate on your game 100%.

    A balance can be found bwtween poker n physical exercise, but admittedly it is difficult - especially if you have things like work, study etc getting in the way.:(



    The passt year or so I have found my training to be limited due to my PhD; coming to the end of it now n I have to prioritise. Before that I was training six days a week, and going for a swim on the sunday. This involved gym m-w-f, kickboxing on tue-thu, and going running sat morns. I done the marathon two yrs ago as well, which imho was great for mental toughness.

    Since last sept, I 've stopped kickboxing n running. The only cardio I do now is a 1mile warmup before the weights session (still m-w-f). We change the routine every 4-8 weeks so as not to allow the body to adapt - this is crucial if you want to have any consistent progress in your training!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,656 ✭✭✭dannydiamond


    Tight Ted wrote: »

    Currently I'm 6'1 and slightly over 12 and a half stone,

    Are you hoping to become taller?
    And come on now ted it's only common sense that being fit will benefit you in a long tournie,and when I say fit I don't mean trying to pump yourself up like Martina Navratilova.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 40,064 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    Macspower wrote: »
    theory flawed... seriously flawed :(
    See Paul, its not th theory, its your application of it.

    After a cycle, you will be drained and hense less able to focus.
    But if you cycle often, you will be able to maintain focus on days you are not cycling.


    Exercise will immediatly before poker will make play harder in the immediate short term, but will improve it long term. As RJ said, double edged sword.


    A decent comparisment would be to darts.
    Darts isn't the most physical of sports, but a while ago Phil Taylor attributed his decline to fittness. Focus during the game, as well as hours he can put in without getting tired.

    I imagine Dara o Kearney might have some ideas on the whole fitness verses poker,


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 39,723 ✭✭✭✭eagle eye


    I was expecting this up here ages ago, cannot wait any longer.
    I know its usually used for other reasons but this really belongs it this thread.
    group-hug.jpg


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