Recommended Arm/Hand Exercises?

[Convincing John]

Hi everyone,

I was wondering about an aspect of puppetry that isn't discussed a whole lot, but it's still important.

With Muppeteers and other puppeteers working with their arms in the air all day, are there certain exercises recommended to keep arms strong and hands nimble?

Obviously, healthy hands are essential for a puppeteer. I've heard that musicians often use some kind of finger exercises to keep their hands in shape. However, not being a musician, I'm not sure if this is true for all musicians.

Lots of different stuff is out there to help strengthen the biceps and improve finger dexterity. I just wondered if there was anything that any puppeteers would recommend. (Didn't Jim have a rowing machine?)

There's lots of different exercise programs out there, but what about aspiring puppeteers? We can't just walk down the street to a "Muppaerobics" class, y'know.

Any thoughts?

Convincing John

 

[gfarkwort]

I would say for me....it's more of tricep strength...

 

[Blink]

Hi everyone,

...With Muppeteers and other puppeteers working with their arms in the air all day, are there certain exercises recommended to keep arms strong and hands nimble?...

Any thoughts?

Convincing John

Hey Convincing John,

Personally, I don't find that it is actually "hand strength" that I need. I find that it is in fact more important to have loose hands (well stretched; so as to not cramp up). Myself and many of the puppeteers I know just do a variety of basic hand stretches. Shaking out the hands is always a part of that.

In regards to actual strength I have found that it really helps to keep your shoulders and back strong, especially if you have a puppet that is a little heavier that you are used to.

I own weights which I lift.

Oh! The other thing that I did once on a video shoot where the puppets were much heavier than I had ever performed before, was I got a shoulder massage. No I don't just mean a nice relaxing light touch massage. I mean find a registered sports massage therapist and have him/her get any knots out. Very painful, but in a good way (because you feel so much better after).

After the first day of shooting I had never been so sore. But after that massage, my shoulder didn't bother me the rest of the shoot (two weeks).

That massage can be used for hands as well.

Hope that helps.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I usually tell folks to practice using a sneaker on their hand for weight. Also, lifting a light weight helps, something around 5 pounds. I do this, and it helps keep strength in my arm and back.

 

[Eight's King]

Excellent Question! Because of my intense performing schedule, and being a girl (oh, by the way I am not "Eight's King" but actually his wife: "TheGirlIsABear". Dear Mr. Fozzie Bear, my account, which was set up about 3 months ago, still is not activated so that I can post replys. Is ther any way I can fix that? Thank you) I quickly learned the excorcises to increase strength, endurance, and most importantly: TO AVOID INJURY!

The shoulder's rotator cuff (the cartlidge, ligiments and tendons of the arms ball and socket joint) gets the most wear and tear from having your arm over your head. Buy a Theraband, stretchy rubberband material, about four feet long, or one of those stretchy tubes also works. They all come in different resistance strengths in different cordinating colors. There are 4 main work-outs with the bands. Attach the band to something level with your waist (a door knob, a chair) and tie it tightly so it doesn't snap back at you. With reasonable tension, hold the band in your fist at waist height, with your elbow in at your waist and move your fist and fore-arm at a 90 degree angle toward your stomach. Do that till you tired.

Now, Reverse that. Start with tension on the band with your arm bent and your fist at your stomach, and rotate your arm, moving your fist and fore-arm away from your body. This is hard to describe but if you try it you will see what I'm talking about.

Then, position the Theraband above your head and secure it tightly. While standing with your hand raised above your head, with a strait arm, the band held tightly in your fist, lower your arm repeatedly directly down in front of you, never bending your elbow (till your tired). Then do the opposite rotation of that: position the theraband at your feet (just step on it) and with your arm strait down at your side, grab the band and lift your arm strait above your head, never bending at the wrist or elbows. You want to focus all of these movements at the shoulder. There are other escercises for the wrists and fore-arms.

Oh, there is another one... man am I long winded... but the excorcises save your life, they really do!

With the Theraband positioned at wiast level on your left side, grab it with your right hand and act as if you were un-sheething a sword at a diagonal across you body at about a 120 degree angle.

I usually do about 3 sets of 20 of each of these positions, and to stay symetrical I work out both arms, for that double handed puppetrey.

I have a ton more of these if you are interested. I have diagrams! I could give a seminar. They have saved my Arms!

 

[wes]

I got Three for you:

1. Practice general lip snyc in the car to your favortie music as you travel go to work when ever your in the Car.(But don't Crash)

2. (some one told me this the other Day) Hold a Can Of baked beans (or any can for that matter) above your head and hold it there as long as you can, this will strenghten your ablity to hold a puppet up for an extended period of time.

3. take a hammer and smash your hand with it NO JUST KIDDING
take a hammer and hold it bu the lighter end (the handle), hold your arm out parralell to the Ground rotate the hammer in a Clockwise, and counter clockwise motion. this helps build your muscle in your arm

a stress ball helps to keep your hands and fingers in shape

oh and another eat your Spinach, get arms like Popeye
PS:hey Anna How you Doing

 

[Johnny Fiamma]

My problem isn't from lack of strength.... It's from osteo arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. (Yes, I got the double whammy of bad genetics and 15 years at a computer keyboard.)

Has anyone ever devised some sort of rigging to help alleviate the problems of keeping a puppet over your head for so long? I mean, we have steadicam sleds and armatures for the cameraman- When is technology going to help out the puppeteer?

All I can say is just go start working on your arms at the gym. There are all sorts of machines to work out your arms, shoulders, and back, which would help with the puppeteering and get you buff at the same time.

 

[gfarkwort]

Well Carrol Spinney said he had a device for puppeteering Big Bird at a gig in Australia (I think he was conducting) and he said it just held him back and made him loose his grip and so Big Birds head just flopped around

and I'm always worried that if I build up too much muscle I might not be able to fit my arm into certain Puppets.....

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Excellent Question! Because of my intense performing schedule, and being a girl (oh, by the way I am not "Eight's King" but actually his wife: "TheGirlIsABear". Dear Mr. Fozzie Bear, my account, which was set up about 3 months ago, still is not activated so that I can post replys. Is ther any way I can fix that? Thank you)

I dunno how to do it. Phil is working on a fix for it, though.

 

[Convincing John]

Thank you!

Hey everyone,

Thank you for the suggestions! To show my gratitude, I'd like to tell you all a joke (hope Fozzie doesn't mind):

(Oh, to understand this joke, you'll need to have seen the Fraggle Rock episode "I Want to Be You")

Okay, one morning at the White House, George W. Bush woke up with a bad cold. He was supposed to make an important phone call, but he was just too sick. So, he found an appropriate substitute to make the call for him...Red Fraggle!

So why did he pick Red? Give up?

Red Fraggle is an excellent bush impersonator! Get it? Bush impersonator! (Wocka Wocka!)



Convincing John